Review Publications

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has declined dramatically in the Chesapeake Bay and worldwide, largely as a result of stress from poor water quality. In response, the Chesapeake Bay Program established a goal of achieving 185,000 acres of SAV bay wide, recognizing that this level of restoration would be dependent upon improved water quality. As part of this restoration strategy, the Bay Program set a goal of “direct restoration” of 1000 acres of SAV via planting of whole plants or seeds in areas of historic beds, with the expectation that these restored beds would help to “kick-start” broader expansion of SAV beds. Years after establishing these goals, results have fallen far short of the original targets. Consequently, STAC was requested to conduct a review of the effectiveness of direct SAV restoration efforts, evaluate the efficacy of the direct restoration strategy for accelerating broader SAV recovery and, if appropriate, provide guidance on how to improve the restoration efforts.