MARYLAND, USA — The Chesapeake Bay's underwater grasses saw a slight improvement baywide in 2021 compared to previous years, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The annual report stated that Maryland's portion of the bay remained stable compared to the previous year, with a slight decrease of 1%, or 350 acres. Across the bay, the 67,470 acres mapped in 2021 shows underwater grasses increased by 7% from the 2020 total of 63,132 acres.
The acres mapped in 2021 is 52% of the Chesapeake Bay Program's 2025 restoration target of 130,000 acres, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
In 2018 and 2019, the bay area saw record high rainfall and stream flows, but this did not cause major issues due to Maryland's Chesapeake Bay restoration activities that reduced the amount of pollution in the water. These cleaner waters have been beneficial to underwater grasses.
“Underwater grasses are essential to a healthy ecosystem, and it’s encouraging that we are exceeding our restoration goals in some locations throughout the state,” Maryland DNR Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio said. “To meet our restoration target, we must continue our efforts to improve water quality which will in turn improve aquatic life and overall Chesapeake Bay health.”
Though the health of underwater grasses at the bay, that spans 200 miles from Northern Maryland to Coastal Virginia, is improving, the area still faces a threat. Pollution caused by human activity is one of the leading threats.
A recent report from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) shows there's more work to be done when it comes to cleaning up the bay.
In the report released on June 6, the bay received a C grade, with the strong points being better water quality and increasing aquatic grass coverage. However, one of the weak points is degrading water clarity.
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