Seagrass is growing again on the floor of the Chesapeake, and that’s good news, since the grass shelters crabs and fish and other aquatic species (see the picture above of some healthy new grass with a crab pot near Crisfield, Maryland).
Scientists say there had been no grass until recently on the floor of the Chesapeake off Solomon’s Island since 1972. Now they’re seeing new seagrass beds that are growing and healthy, the result of reduced pollution, particularly from farm runoff. The water is clearer and more sunlight can reach seagrass.
A new study, recording years of monitoring, says that the area covered by seagrass has expanded dramatically in the past few years, resulting in much more aquatic life, particularly for the Chesapeake’s iconic blue crabs. “You go down into this bed and you just sit still and you watch the animals come out,” one scientist told NPR. Read more:
