Chesapeake Bay Processes

The Chesapeake Bay ecosystem reaches from the forested mountainsides of the upper watershed to the long low capes that funnel water to and from the Atlantic Ocean. Every aspect of this ecosystem, from the health of forests and streams to the condition of oyster reefs and seagrass beds, affects the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and the structure and productivity of its food web.

The ecological function of the entire estuary depends upon the movement of water and the circulation of oxygen and nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Oxygen transport is especially important in bottom waters, where not only oysters but a whole group of bottom-dwelling organisms form the base of the Bay's habitat and food web. Understanding how all of the Bay's organisms interact is a key goal of multispecies management, and a continuing challenge for researchers and managers alike.

Efforts to restore the Bay must be based upon a clear understanding of how coastal environments transfer energy and material through their complex ecosystems and how these processes affect both organisms and communities. Harvesting the sun's energy by primary production, algal blooms drive much of this transfer in the Bay. Salinity, currents, and light availability in turn affect where and when algae grows. While tracking widespread blooms of algae in the Bay presents a daunting task, Maryland Sea Grant and others support an ambitious remote sensing effort that use both aircraft and satellites to monitor bloom dynamics.

Of course even cities, such as Baltimore, are ecosystems in their own right, and the health of our urban ecosystems and urban rivers, such as Washington D.C.'s Anacostia, is just as important as protecting our wildlife and open spaces.