Chesapeake Ecotox Research Program: Project Overview

The Chesapeake Ecotox Research Program (CERP) will develop quantitative models that relate the effects of sub-lethal levels of contaminants in sediments to the health, behavior and productivity of estuarine organisms. Experimental studies are an important aspect of this project and will enable the team of investigators – they include ecologists, toxicologists, chemists and modelers – to address questions that are difficult to answer with field data alone. Researchers will work closely with an advisory board in order to enhance the application of findings to management agencies and other stakeholders. The CERP effort should strengthen the capability of management agencies to assess contaminant remediation strategies and their impacts on important species in the Chesapeake Bay.