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Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) in the Chesapeake Bay Region of Mid-Atlantic Coast of the USA: Challenges in Conservation and Restoration

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Abstract

Decreases in seagrass abundance reported from numerous locations around the world suggest that seagrass are facing a global crisis. Declining water quality has been identified as the leading cause for most losses. Increased public awareness is leading to expanded efforts for conservation and restoration. Here, we report on abundance patterns and environmental issues facing eelgrass (Zostera marina), the dominant seagrass species in the Chesapeake Bay region in the mid-Atlantic coast of the USA, and describe efforts to promote its protection and restoration. Eelgrass beds in Chesapeake Bay and Chincoteague Bay, which had started to recover from earlier diebacks, have shown a downward trend in the last 5–10 years, while eelgrass beds in the Virginia coastal bays have substantially increased in abundance during this same time period. Declining water quality appears to be the primary reason for the decreased abundance, but a recent baywide dieback in 2005 was associated with higher than usual summer water temperatures along with poor water clarity. The success of eelgrass in the Virginia coastal bays has been attributed, in part, to slightly cooler water due to their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. A number of policies and regulations have been adopted in this region since 1983 aimed at protecting and restoring both habitat and water quality. Eelgrass abundance is now one of the criteria for assessing attainment of water clarity goals in this region. Numerous transplant projects have been aimed at restoring eelgrass but most have not succeeded beyond 1 to 2 years. A notable exception is the large-scale restoration effort in the Virginia coastal bays, where seeds distributed beginning in 2001 has initiated an expanding recovery process. Our research on eelgrass abundance patterns in the Chesapeake Bay region and the processes contributing to these patterns have provided a scientific background for management strategies for the protection and restoration of eelgrass and insights into the causes of success and failure of restoration efforts that may have applications to other seagrass systems.

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Acknowledgments

Results presented in this paper were from various projects funded in part by grants from the following: US Environmental Protection Agency; the Coastal Programs of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Maryland Department of Natural Resources funded by Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Virginia Marine Resources Commission; Virginia's Recreational Fishing License Fund; The Nature Conservancy: US Army Corps of Engineers; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; private grants from the Allied-Signal Foundation, Norfolk-Southern, and the Keith Campbell Foundation. Comments from Dr. Hilary Neckles and an anonymous reviewer substantially improved this manuscript. Contribution number 3051 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

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  1. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA

    Robert J. Orth, Scott R. Marion, Kenneth A. Moore & David J. Wilcox

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  1. Robert J. Orth
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Orth, R.J., Marion, S.R., Moore, K.A. et al. Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) in the Chesapeake Bay Region of Mid-Atlantic Coast of the USA: Challenges in Conservation and Restoration. Estuaries and Coasts 33, 139–150 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9234-0

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