Long-term benthic monitoring and assessment program for the Maryland Portion of Chesapeake Bay: Interpretive report. Final report, 1984-1988

Technical Report · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5163973

Holland, A F; Shaughnessy, A T; Scott, L C; Dickens, V A; Gerritsen, J

Long-term monitoring of macrobenthic resources was carried out for the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries. Sampling covered 70 stations, some with a data record going back to 1971. Macrobenthic animals fill several trophic and functional roles in the Bay ecosystem, including suspension feeding, surface deposit feeding, subsurface deposit feeding, and predation. Macrobenthos equal zooplankton in overall importance as primary consumers and as a trophic link in Bay food webs. Operations of three large power plants on the Chesapeake Bay have had a negligible effect on macrobenthic resources. The benthic monitoring study shows that macrobenthic organisms are sensitive indicators of environmental status.

• Research Organization: Versar, Inc., Columbia, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5163973
• Report Number(s): PB-90-110446/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540310* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ABUNDANCE
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BAYS
BENTHOS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CHESAPEAKE BAY
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FISHES
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
MONITORING
POWER PLANTS
PROGRESS REPORT
SALINITY
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
VERTEBRATES