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OutlineI. MeettheChesapeakeBaya. Overview:NorthAmerica’slargestestuary;>200mileslongbyupto30mileswide;holding18trilliongallonsofwater;averagedepthof21feet;hometo348speciesoffinfish,173speciesofshellfish,29speciesofwaterfowl;500millionpoundsofseafoodproducedannually;
b. PhysicalFactorsInfluencingBayEcologyi. Salinity–Saltierneartheocean,neartheeasternshore,indeeperwaters,andindriermonths.
ii. Temperature–Fluctuatesgreatlybecauseitisrelativelyshallow.Temperatureisincreasingoverthelongerterm.
iii. Circulation–Drivenbyflowofriversandebbandflowoftidespluswind.Promotesmixingofnutrientsanddispersesorganisms.
iv. DissolvedOxygen–Higherwhenwateriscool,windprovidesmixing,andnutrientinputsarelow.Hypoxic(lowoxygen)andanoxic(nooxygen)areasformwhenthewateriswarmerandinputsofnutrientsstimulateplanktongrowth—“DeadZone”
Figure2.Conditionsleadingtohypoxiaandanoxia.Author:CarolineWicks,IntegrationandApplicationNetwork,UniversityofMarylandCenterforEnvironmentalScience(http://ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary)
c. BayHabitatsi. Shallowwater–SupportsSubmergedAquaticVegetation(SAV),whichaddoxygentothewater,consume
nitrogenandphosphorus,protectshorelines,providehabitatforfish,crabs,andturtles.ii. Openwater–Hometoafoodwebwithphytoplanktonasthebase.Planktonareconsumedbysmallfish,
whichareconsumedbylargerfish.iii. Reefs–TheEasternOysterformslargereefs,feedingonplanktonandcleaningtheBaywater.iv. Wetlands–Maybetidalornon-tidalandsaltwater,brackish,orfreshwater.Tidalwetlandsinclude
saltmarshesdominatedbycordgrass,forestedwetlands,freshwatermarshes.Providemanybenefits,suchasabsorbingrunoff,filteringsedimentandtoxins,stormprotection,andhabitatforvertebrates(e.g.,diamondbackterrapin)andinvertebrates(e.g.,fiddlercrabs.)
v. Beaches–Harshenvironmentwithasmallnumberofplantsadaptedtothoseconditions.HometotheendangeredNortheasternBeachTigerBeetle.
II. CoastalandEstuarineSystemThreatsa. Shorelinehardening–Walls,jetties,andotherhardstructurescandestroynaturalbeachandwetlandhabitatsandleadtoincreasederosioninneighboringareas.
VirginiaMasterNaturalistProgramBasicTrainingCoastalandEstuarineEcologyandManagement
PresentationHandout
Figure1.SubmergedAquaticVegetationSalinityZonesintheChesapeakeBay.Author:DavidWilcox(VIMS),CourtesyoftheChesapeakeBayProgram.
VirginiaMasterNaturalistBasicTrainingCourse:CoastalandEstuarineEcologyandManagementPresentationHandout 2
b. Nonpointsourcepollution–Inputsofsediment,nitrogen,andphosphorusthroughoutthewholeBaywatershedendupaspollutantsintheBay,contributingtozonesoflowornooxygen.
c. Marinedebris–Litterofallkinds,particularlyballoonsandplastics.d. Invasivespecies–Animals,e.g.,bluecatfish,muteswan,nutria,veinedrapawhelk,northernsnakeheadfish.Plants,e.g.,Phragmites(CommonReed)
e. Sealevelrise–Duetobothglobalandregionalsources.Predictedtorise1.5feetinthenext20-50years.Someislandsarealreadybeingsubmerged,andhabitatsarealreadyshiftinginlandwherepossible.Erosionandstormsurgeareissuesforcoastalcommunities.
III. CoastalandEstuarineSystemManagementa. Numerouslocal,state,andfederalagenciesinvolvedb. LocalWetlandsBoardsandChesapeakeBayBoardsaremadeofvolunteersfromthecommunitywhoreviewpermitsforactivitiesintidalwetlandsandrequestsforexceptionstoregulations.
c. VirginiaCoastalZoneManagementProgram–Networkofagenciesinvolvedinprotectingcoastalresources.d. VirginiaInstituteofMarineScience–Providescoastalmanagementadvisoryservice,education,&outreach
IV. RelatedvolunteerprojectsforVirginiaMasterNaturalistsa. Educationi. Leadeducationalprogramsforanyagegroupabouttheimportanceofourcoastalandestuarinesystems
andwhatindividualscandotohelpthem.ii. HoldBay-themedboothsatcommunityeventsandfestivalsiii. OrganizeworkshopstoeducatepropertyownersaboutBay-friendlylandscapingandgreenerwaysto
protecttheirpropertiesfromerosion.iv. AssistschoolswithMeaningfulWatershedEducationalExperiences,
http://www.deq.virginia.gov/ConnectWithDEQ/EnvironmentalInformation/MeaningfulWatershedEducationalExperiences.aspx.v. ConductenvironmentaleducationforyouthorK-12teachersasaProjectWeteducatororfacilitator,
http://www.deq.virginia.gov/ConnectWithDEQ/EnvironmentalInformation/ProjectWET.aspx.b. CitizenSciencei. PhytoplanktonMonitoringNetwork,http://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/pmn/ii. Monitoringseaturtlenests,contacttheVirginiaAquariumathttp://www.virginiaaquarium.comiii. SeaTurtleandStrandingSalvageNetworkand/orMarineMammalStrandingTeam(contactMark
Swingle,[email protected].)iv. Monitoringmarinedebris(VirginiaBalloonStudy,https://sites.google.com/site/virginiaballoonstudy/home)c. Stewardshipi. Organizingandleadingclean-upeventsthatgetthepublicinvolved.SeeCleantheBayDay
(http://www.cbf.org/events/clean-the-bay-day)andVirginiaWaterwaysCleanup(http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/VolunteerForCleanup.html)
ii. GrassesfortheMasses,http://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/virginia/grasses-for-the-massesiii. VirginiaOysterShellRecyclingProgram(http://www.vcu.edu/rice/education/vosrp.html)iv. Livingshorelineplantingsandotherhabitatrestoration(http://ccrm.vims.edu/livingshorelines/)
VirginiaMasterNaturalistandVirginiaCooperativeExtensionprogramsandemploymentareopentoall,regardlessofage,color,disability,gender,genderidentity,genderexpression,nationalorigin,politicalaffiliation,race,religion,sexualorientation,geneticinformation,veteranstatus,oranyotherbasisprotectedbylaw.Anequalopportunity/affirmativeactionemployer.IssuedinfurtheranceofCooperativeExtensionwork,VirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversity,VirginiaStateUniversity,andtheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculturecooperating.EdwinJ.Jones,Director,VirginiaCooperativeExtension,VirginiaTech,Blacksburg;M.RayMcKinnie,InterimAdministrator,1890ExtensionProgram,VirginiaStateUniversity,Petersburg.
FundingforthedevelopmentofthisVirginiaMasterNaturalistBasicTrainingmodulewasprovidedbytheVirginiaEnvironmentalEndowment.
