BALTIMORE — Environmental organizations are joining forces to boost the growth of underwater grass in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, aiming to improve the health of the ecosystem.
The Arundel Rivers Federation’s Underwater Grass Restoration Program, supported by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, focuses on creating habitats for aquatic life and filtering the water.
“Restoring the Bay means bringing back our grasses and oysters,” said Matthew Johnston, Executive Director of Arundel Rivers.
This summer, Arundel Rivers has teamed up with the Department of Natural Resources and Anne Arundel County Community College. They are collecting submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) stems from healthy tributaries to harvest seeds using a turbulator.
Johnston explained, “We use our SAV turbulator to separate seeds from stems. It works like a jacuzzi, pushing water and air to do the job.”
The goal is to restore up to 185,000 acres of SAV in the Bay, according to Mark Lewandowski, a biologist with Maryland DNR.
The process and equipment are provided by the environmental center at Anne Arundel County Community College.
Michael Norman, lab manager at the center, said, “We can collect millions of seeds for restoration efforts.”
So far this year, nearly two million seeds have been processed. Arundel Rivers plans to store these seeds until spring when they will be planted in the South, West, and Rhode rivers.
Johnston added, “The restoration will create SAV meadows, which will support fish populations and improve water clarity.”
At South River Farm Park, South River High School sophomore Addison Binko is helping process the seeds. “I’m passionate about marine biology and helping with the ecosystem,” Binko said.
