Chesapeake Bay News

A new NOAA “smart buoy” deployed near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel will help boaters and fishermen in the Chesapeake to check conditions at the mouth of the Bay.

The highly sophisticated buoy is the newest addition to NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS), a network of buoys that transmit multi-use oceanographic and meteorological data from the bay to weather forecasters, maritime safety personnel, coastal decision makers, and recreational boaters and fishermen.

Managed by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office, CBIBS buoys collect weather, oceanographic and water-quality observations and transmit this data wirelessly in near-real time. These measurements and related educational resources can be accessed at http://buoybay.noaa.gov (http://www.buoybay.noaa.gov/m for mobile devices) and by toll-free phone at 877-BUOY-BAY (877-286-9229).

This information is also available via free Android and iPhone applications. CBIBS uses new technology to make information available for a broad range of research, commercial, and recreational purposes, including assessing the progress of bay restoration.

In addition to weather and water data, users can also use the website and toll free number to learn more about the voyages of Captain John Smith and their encounters with indigenous peoples 400 years ago. Each buoy in the system serves as an educational reference point along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which in addition to education also serves as a mechanism for recreation, and tourism in the Chesapeake Bay region.

The other nine buoys in the network are located at the mouths of the Susquehanna, Patapsco, Severn, Potomac, and Rappahannock Rivers; in the main stem of the bay near Calvert County, Md.; in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Va.; in the James River near Jamestown; and in the Elizabeth River off Norfolk.

source: NOAA

Virginia and Maryland fishery managers  have released results of the 2011 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey.  The study found that the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997 and well above the target for the third year in a row.

Overall crab abundance, however, declined due to this past winter’s deep freeze that killed as many as 31 percent of Maryland’s adult crabs, compared to about 11 percent in 2010.

At 460 million crabs, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997, and nearly double the record low of 249 million in 2007. And, for watermen across the Bay, the unusually high crab abundance last year translated into a harvest of more than 89 million pounds — the highest since 1993.

Commenting on the winter kill,  Steven G. Bowman, Commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission remarked: “We cannot control the weather. It was a harsh winter and crab mortality was higher than normal. In fact, it was the worst we’ve seen since 1996.”

“This drop in abundance should be viewed as a speed bump in our stock rebuilding program, and just means it will take a bit longer to get to where we want to be with a stabilized crab stock of high abundance,” Commissioner Bowman added.” Some stock management challenges remain, but the evidence shows we’re going in the right direction.”

According to the survey, 254 million adult crabs survived the bitter cold winter in the Chesapeake, above the current population target for the third year in a row. This marks the first time since the early 1990s that the Bay has seen three consecutive years with the adult population was above the target (200 million crabs) and the harvest was below the target of 46 percent.

Estimates of abundance are developed separately for young of the year crabs, mature female crabs, and adult male crabs. Together, these groups of crabs will support the 2011 fishery and produce the next generation of crabs

In 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission took action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists deemed conservation measures necessary as blue crab suffered near historic lows in spawning stock.

“The coordinated management of blue crabs since 2008 clearly demonstrates the conservation gains that can be achieved when Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions act collectively toward a common vision – in this case a healthy blue crab population and sustainable fishery, said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.

In September 2008, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service responded to Virginia’s and Maryland’s request for disaster assistance funding for watermen impacted by the declining blue crab population.

The primary assessment of the Bay’s blue crab population is conducted annually by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).  Since 1990, the survey has employed crab dredges to sample blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. By sampling during winter when blue crabs are buried in the mud and stationary, scientists can develop, with good precision, estimates of the number of crabs present in the Bay.

“The overall crab abundance is down a bit from what it was last year at this time, but let’s keep that in context. We saw a huge bay-wide harvest in 2010, the largest since the early 1990s, and despite that the stock abundance continues to be higher than we’ve seen in many, many years,” Travelstead said.

source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and its partners are calling on the federal government to conduct a comprehensive scientific analysis of  the cumulative impacts of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation in the six Bay states, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia.

The first action was to file a legal petition, under the National Environmental Policy Act, calling for that comprehensive analysis, called a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, of the risks and cumulative impacts of the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation in the Chesapeake Bay states. Once the analysis is complete the petition calls on the government to make appropriate decisions about the need for new regulatory action.

The petition was signed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Shenandoah Valley Network, The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, and Friends of the Upper Delaware River.

CBF also sent a letter to President Obama in support of the legal petition, signed more than 120 businesses, organizations, elected officials, and individuals who are extremely concerned about the unknown consequences and cumulative impacts of natural gas extraction from the Marcellus shale formation on the environment, drinking water and human health, and America’s treasured lands such as our national parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges. Signatories to the letter include Audubon Pennsylvania, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), the Mid-Atlantic Council Trout Unlimited, The Garden Club of America, and American Rivers.

While natural gas in the Marcellus shale offers an abundant source of domestically-produced energy that can create jobs and provide income, the history of resource extraction in this country is littered with long-lasting environmental degradation and risks to human health.

Drilling is already causing damage, to both human health and the environment. There has been contamination of drinking water wells, gas bubbling up into the Susquehanna River, spills of fracking water and diesel fuel, fires, blowouts, and explosions.

“The law is clear that the federal government is required to undertake a comprehensive study if activities like Marcellus drilling are likely to affect the environment through the release of hazardous substances, result in significant cumulative adverse impacts on local air quality, or significantly affect important resources including wetlands, aquifer recharge zones, or fish or wildlife habitat,” said CBF attorney Amy McDonnell. “It is good science and good business to get the facts and that is what we are seeking. Nothing less than human health is also at stake.”

In many of the Bay states, most notably in Pennsylvania, natural gas wells are being permitted at breakneck speed with scant regard to the cumulative damage that is occurring, or support for the affected communities. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the state issued over 1,900 permits for Marcellus shale drilling in 2009. In 2010 it issued over 3,300 more. And, in the first two months of 2011, Pennsylvania issued an additional 590 permits. If that pace continues, Pennsylvania will approve over 3,500 new permits this year alone.

A preliminary report from the Academy of Natural Sciences tested water, and looked for sensitive insects and salamanders in areas with no wells, few wells, and high numbers of wells. It found that as the number of wells in an area increased, water quality deteriorated, and the number of insects and salamanders decreased by 25 percent. In a press statement Dr. David Velinsky of the Academy of Natural Sciences said, “This suggests there is indeed a threshold at which drilling—regardless of how it is practiced—will have a significant impact on an ecosystem.”

“With 35 national parks within or near the Marcellus Shale formation, including nine in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the threats to our national treasures are great,” said Cinda Waldbuesser, senior program manager for NPCA’s Pennsylvania field office.  “The economic benefits of natural gas development must not compromise the long-term benefits of protecting water quality and preserving our national parks, which are already economic generators for local communities.”

The Executive Order issued by President Obama in 2009 says, “Restoration of the health of the Chesapeake Bay will require a renewed commitment to controlling pollution from all sources as well as protecting and restoring habitat and living resources, conserving lands, and improving management of natural resources, all of which contribute to improved water quality and ecosystem health. The Federal Government should lead this effort.”

And though there are several risk assessments underway, none is comprehensive or complete. The cumulative effects of pollution from Marcellus shale drilling activities currently underway or proposed in the future have not been assessed or factored in to any of the state plans to reduce pollution.

source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

On January 20, 2011, the Chesapeake Bay Trust announced its 2011 Annual Awards Program winners, including its Environmental Educator of the Year, Student of the Year and Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship recipient.

At a ceremony held in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis, members of the Maryland General Assembly were joined by Chesapeake Bay Trust partners and supporters as they honored these exceptional individuals and their contributions to environmental education, community outreach and civic engagement.

“Educating and engaging the next generation of Bay stewards is crucial to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams,” said Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “This Maryland teacher and these two talented Maryland students exemplify what it means to be environmentally literate: every day, they translate scientific knowledge and environmental values into actions that are making a difference for the Bay and their local communities.”

The Trust awarded its 2011 Environmental Educator of the Year to Susie Peeling, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Resource Teacher at Pleasant Plains Elementary, Lutherville Lab and Halstead Academy in Baltimore County.  Peeling is an educator who uses the rigorous STEM curriculum and outdoor educational experiences on school grounds and through field trips as a platform for increasing environmental literacy and improving student achievement.  Working with diverse student populations in Title I schools, Peeling’s approach is yielding measurable results.   In addition to a cash award of $2,500, Peeling also has an opportunity to apply for a $5,000 grant to be used for environment projects and programs within her schools.

The Trust’s Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship was awarded to Jillian Tse, a senior at Paint Branch High School in Montgomery County, for her exceptional work at Paint Branch and throughout the broader community.  The $5,000 Arthur Dorman Scholarship is presented each year to a minority student who shows an exemplary commitment to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and who exhibits leadership in promoting diversity, inclusion, and tolerance for individuals of all backgrounds.  Tse, an honors student, is an active member of Eco-exist, the environmental club at her school and has, both as a volunteer and an employee, helped advance local environmental education and community-clean up efforts.

The recipient of the Trust’s 2011 Student of the Year Scholarship is Emily Peterson, a senior at South Carroll High in Carroll County, who is honored for her outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, Chesapeake Bay restoration, and civic engagement at South Carroll High and throughout her local community.  Peterson, the winner of this $5,000 scholarship, is an accomplished honors student, the founder of her school’s environmental club, a national leader for the Green Schools Youth Summit and Vice President of Sustainability for Venturing Crew.

Each year the Trust makes six awards to Marylanders for a variety of environmental leadership roles and educational achievements.  In addition to the Teacher of the Year, Student of the Year and Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship, the Trust announces recipients of its Dr. Torrey Brown Award (for Bay leadership), the Ellen Fraites Wagner Award (for an exceptional Bay Steward) and the Melanie Teems Award (for an outstanding Trust grant project) in the spring. The Trust’s awards program was launched in 1998 with each year more and more applications being submitted to the program.

“We are thrilled to recognize these exceptional individuals not only for the work they are doing to improve Chesapeake Bay and its waterways, but also for their efforts to educate others on the importance of civic involvement and community activism,” said Tara Potter, Trust Board Chair and Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs for Verizon.  “These awardees aren’t just sitting around waiting for change to happen; they are out there doing it, making a difference and inspiring others to act.”

NOAA has awarded a team of researchers, led by the Smithsonian Institution, $634,047 as part of a planned five-year grant, estimated at nearly $1.6 million, to predict the impact of hypoxia on commercially and ecologically important finfish and oysters living in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

Results of this study will help Bay area officials pinpoint key areas for habitat and fisheries restoration, and better protect shallow water habitat that serves a critical nursery function.

Hypoxia is a condition in which dissolved oxygen in the water becomes too low to support most life or compromises the growth, reproduction and immune responses of organisms. Although hypoxia can occur naturally, it is often worsened or caused by excess nutrients from human activities such as agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels.

The deep waters of the Chesapeake’s main stem, as well as some of its tributaries, experience hypoxia every summer. As oxygen monitoring has increased in shallower, near-shore areas of the estuary, it has also become apparent that many of these habitats experience day-night “swings” in oxygen concentrations that result in low oxygen during night and early morning hours.

The study will examine whether daily hypoxia can result in declines in fish production and biomass. The study will focus on species with significant commercial value for the region, including summer flounder, striped bass, white perch and the eastern oyster, as well as important prey fish such as weakfish and mummichog.

Researchers also plan to study acidification in the Chesapeake Bay, which is linked to hypoxia and may exacerbate its impact on fish and oysters.

“This research will enhance our efforts to accelerate the restoration of Chesapeake Bay and contribute to the re-establishment of fisheries that have suffered steep declines during the past decades. The Bay provides thousands of jobs to the region, and we have a responsibility to improve the health of this treasured resource for generations to come,” Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) said.

“Finding out when and where low oxygen ‘swings’ occur will help state and federal agencies make important management decisions related to the Bay’s coastal and marine ecosystems,” said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office and chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Fisheries Goal Team. “I’m pleased that this research will draw on some of the top-notch scientists from academic institutions and federal and state governments to more clearly define the effects of hypoxia on finfish and oysters, enabling us to better protect and restore their habitats.”

The research team, led by Denise Breitburg, Ph.D., of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, includes scientists from the University of Delaware and Louisiana State University who will collaborate closely with state and federal management agencies, including NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office, EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.

First-year funding has been awarded to the University of Delaware ($246,844), Louisiana State University ($74,834) and the Smithsonian Institution’s Environmental Research Center in Maryland ($312,369).

source: NOAA

State, regional and University leaders dedicated a new $11 million Oyster Setting Facility at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Laboratory. Once fully operational, this new facility will more than double the laboratory’s annual production of oyster spat for Chesapeake Bay restoration, setting the stage for a significant expansion of the State’s aquaculture and environmental restoration programs.

When fully operational, the new facility should allow the Horn Point Laboratory Shellfish Cultivation Program to produce up to two billion spat-on-shell for Chesapeake Bay restoration. In a decade’s time, scientific advancements and the adoption of new technologies have expanded annual production from 50 million to a record 750 million oyster spat in 2009. This new facility sets the stage for much greater advancements.

The new Oyster Setting Facility improves the efficiency of the oyster hatchery by allowing researchers to more easily “set” hatchery-reared larval oysters on oyster shells for transplanting in the Bay. By minimizing the number of times the spat on shell need to be handled, reducing pumping costs, and providing better quality water from the Choptank River to the tanks, production of seed oysters will improve and should result in more cost effective production.

“When combined with pioneering techniques that have increased the percentage of spat that successfully set, UMCES and its partners hope to bring oyster restoration efforts to the next level,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Dr. Michael Roman. “By working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, Federal sponsors and others that share the goal of restoring healthy oyster populations to Chesapeake Bay, our work will lead to greater ecological and economic benefits to the State.”

Constructed by Cianbro Corporation under the direction of the Maryland Department of General Services, the pier measures approximately 300 feet long by 70 feet wide and utilizes reinforced concrete decking to hold fifty-two 12 feet diameter by 4.5 feet deep circular setting tanks. The mechanical area includes pumps capable of circulating 2,500 gallons of seawater per minute. This provides high quality water to support the growing oyster spat. A small wet lab allows scientists to monitor spat before they are deployed by vessels to restoration sites across Chesapeake Bay. The Shellfish Culture Facility at the Horn Point Laboratory contains the largest oyster hatchery on the East Coast and largest Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) hatchery in the world.

The goals and objectives of the shellfish culture program at the Horn Point Laboratory have evolved over the years to meet the needs of the Center’s mission and the crisis with our troubled oyster populations. Early efforts aimed at identifying oyster culture techniques appropriate for use in the Mid-Atlantic region successfully demonstrated the possibility of using hatcheries for restoration. UMCES has used innovative approaches to incorporate its oyster culture program into its mission of research, education and outreach.

By incorporating the research and production capabilities into a coordinated program that follows the oysters from spat to adult, we can better develop guidelines that allow the State of Maryland and our partners to conduct not just oyster restoration but “smart restoration.” By incorporating the concept of smart restoration – and at the same time promoting active partnerships – UMCES is ushering into a new and exciting era of oyster restoration.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland’s environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through five research centers – Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, and the Maryland Sea Grant College in College Park.

The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, has awarded a $200,000 grant to the Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD) to purchase an open-water monitoring buoy for placement over the Dominion Reef at the Gooses, an artificial reef in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.

The effort is a partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office, the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative (MARI), the Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail and other Chesapeake Bay organizations.

CCA MD has placed the grant funds with MARI.

“The buoy at the Dominion Reef at the Gooses offers something for everyone who loves and values the Chesapeake Bay,” said William C. Hall Jr., a vice president for Dominion Resources and president of the company’s Dominion Foundation. “It provides educational opportunities for students, vital data for scientists working to restore the Bay, and weather, wave and water information for boaters and anglers. As part of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake Trail, it even has something for the history buff. Dominion is honored to be a partner in this important project.”

The buoy will monitor the health of local Bay waters and help assess benefits to fish populations that are created by the Dominion Reef. A wide variety of environmental measurements important to scientists, students and anglers will be collected during the coming years. The buoy also will be part of the Captain John Smith Trail, the nation’s first national water trail covering 3,000 miles of the historic route Smith took in 1607-08.

“Maryland is pleased to continue to have Dominion as a partner in our efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. “In addition to providing critical water quality data, this project will aid anglers and promote boating safety by providing real-time water and weather conditions.”

“Partnerships such as this harness the strengths and creativity of corporations, government agencies and non-profit organizations to address the bay’s restoration,” said David O’Neill, President of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail. “We are very pleased that the Dominion Foundation has asked that the buoy be tied into the country’s first all-water National Historic Trail.”

As part of the Maryland Artificial Reef System (MARI), the Dominion Reef at the Gooses covers a 320-acre site with approximately 80 acres of concrete that serves as habitat for fish and other Bay life. Dominion provided a $250,000 grant in 2008 to pay for building the reef and seeding it with oysters and oyster shell. It is located about 10 miles southeast of Chesapeake Beach and northwest of Lusby, Calvert County, where Dominion’s liquefied natural gas storage facility is located.

The buoy, which will be installed by next spring, will provide real time data through DNR and NOAA Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) websites: www.eyesonthebay.net and www.buoybay.org, respectively. Additionally, up-to-date data and interpretive information will be available via the CBIBS 877-BUOYBAY telephone service.

The buoy system will be similar to those currently used by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Interpretative Buoy System (CBIBS) and water quality, waves, currents, and meteorological sensor packages and a telemetry package to relay the data to websites in real-time.

“We appreciate this opportunity to augment observing capabilities in Chesapeake Bay, particularly to serve an area where we don’t currently collect such measurements” said Peyton Robertson, Director of NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office.

Both DNR and CCA believe this collaboration will benefit thousands of Maryland citizens.

“This grant will allow a broad cross section of Marylanders to become aware of current information through easily accessible websites,” said Tony Friedrich, CCA MD executive director. “Not only will recreational anglers and boaters find information such as wind conditions, but any citizen will be able to learn about the life on this reef. Monitoring results will lead to greater public awareness of the value of projects such as oyster restoration to improve water quality in the Bay.”

Participants in this project include: Dominion – www.dom.com; DNR- www.dnr.maryland.gov; NOAA – www.noaa.gov; CCA MD – www.ccamd.org; MARI – www.ccamd.org/MARI; The Chesapeake Bay Foundation – www.cbf.org; Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail – www.friendsofthejohnsmithtrail.org: Chesapeake Bay Observing System – www.cbos.org. Many of these groups and others will use their websites to communicate data from the buoy to their members and the general public.

source: DNR press relese

LEADERS FROM MARYLAND’S academic, scientific, and public policy communities welcomed the Research Vessel Rachel Carson as the flagship of the Chesapeake Bay research fleet. The 81-foot, $4.6 million University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) research vessel expands scientists’ abilities to track the pulse of the Chesapeake Bay and pays homage to one of the nation’s environmental pioneers.

Christened by First Lady Katie O’Malley on November 16, 2008 at the Annapolis City Dock, the Rachel Carson is a state-of-the art research platform specifically tailored to the needs of Chesapeake Bay scientists. Designed from the ground-up, the ship is large enough to transport research teams up and down the Bay’s entire 184-mile length, yet runs shallow enough to allow scientists access to the smallest of critical Bay tributaries.

In addition to her shallow draft, the Rachel Carson is specifically designed to provide a solid foundation for decades of service to UMCES scientists. A state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system allows the vessel to “hover” motionless over one spot regardless of wind and current. A trio of powerful winches allows scientists to launch and retrieve multiple buoys and sampling devices over the side or stern. Built-in electronic sensors will continuously measure the Bay’s water quality, biology, and currents whether underway or on station.

The Rachel Carson is named in honor of the world-renowned marine biologist and nature writer who wrote her most influential books while a resident of Maryland. Carson wrote articles about the Chesapeake Bay and the best-seller, The Sea Around Us, which inspired a generation of marine scientists. Ms. Carson is best known for her book Silent Spring, which is credited as being a “wake-up call” for environmental concerns in the United States.

The vessel will replace the aging R/V Aquarius which has ably served Bay scientists since 1972. The Carson begins service in early 2009 and is stationed at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons. For more about how the ship was built and about the kinds of research at UMCES, visit www.umces.edu.

source: Chesapeake Quarterly – Maryland Sea Grant