Chesapeake Bay's health at mind through innovative effort of restoring underwater grass
BALTIMORE - Environmental organizations are working together to promote the growth of underwater grass and their role in the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
The Arundel Rivers Federation's Underwater Grass Restoration Program, funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, aims to create habitats for aquatic wildlife and filter the water.
"Whenever you hear about restoration of the Bay, it's about getting our grasses back and getting our oysters back, and that's what we're doing here today," said Arundel Rivers Executive Director Matthew Johnston.
Throughout the summer, Arundel Rivers has worked with the Department of Natural Resources and the Anne Arundel County Community College to collect submerged aquatic vegetation, also known as SAV, stems from healthy tributaries so they can harvest the seeds with the turbulator.
"We toss them into our jacuzzi, our SAV turbulator, or underwater grass turbulator," Johnston said. "It forces water up and air up, and that separates the seeds from the stems."
"Our goal is to restore up to 185,000 acres of SAV of the Bay," added Mark Lewandowski, a biologist with the Maryland DNR.
The process and the turbulator come from the environmental center at Anne Arundel County Community College.
"We can collect seeds in the millions and tens of millions for restoration," said Michael Norman, lab manager of the Anne Arundel County Community College Environmental Center.
They've already processed close to two million seeds this year, according to Arundel Rivers. They'll store the seeds until spring when they'll be planted throughout the South, West and Rhode rivers.
"It's going to create and SAV meadow where the fish will be plentiful and the water will be clear," Johnston said.
Pulling fistfuls of grasses out of a tank at South River Farm Park,South River High School sophomore and STEM student Addison Binko is helping volunteers process seeds from submerged aquatic vegetation.
"I'm really interested in marine biology ,just anything with the ecosystem, helping the river," Binko said.