Beneath the surface of the Chesapeake Bay, a vibrant community teems with diverse life, a world where scores of aquatic organisms, such as the world famous Chesapeake blue crab and juvenile fish like spot and croaker, take refuge among the green, lush Bay grasses. Also called submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), underwater grasses have always been an essential part of the Bay’s fragile ecosystem. SAV also absorb excessive nutrients, release oxygen into the water, and reduce wave energy that contributes to erosion.

Despite a modest resurgence of SAV in some areas of the Bay, overall there are only about 69,000 acres remaining, which is approximately 12 percent of the historic level of 600,000 acres. In the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) 1998 State of the Bay Report, SAV scored a mere 12 out of 100. By restoring and protecting SAV, CBF believes water quality will increase and important fisheries, like blue crabs, will stabilize and increase as well.

Until recently, it was a commonly held belief that the only way to resuscitate SAV in the Bay was to improve water quality. CBF and its partners, however, have proven that it is possible to restore Bay grasses by transplanting them to diminished areas or by growing grasses from seed and planting them in designated areas.

Although the technology is still experimental, there have been modest successes. Last year, CBF and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) worked with 12 schools in Maryland to grow wild celery (a type of SAV) from seed in tanks. With the help of the students, CBF and DNR then planted it in appropriate areas. This year, as part of the "Bay Grasses in Classes" program, more than 2500 students from Maryland and Virginia will grow underwater grasses that will be used as part of a Bay-wide restoration initiative.

CBF’s BaySavers Institute, which engages and trains adults to help save the Bay, is also using this SAV-growing technology. In the fall of 1998, CBF kicked-off the “Grasses for the Masses” program by potting wild celery seeds at the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Plant Materials Center. Volunteers monitored the plants there until they were ready for their permanent home in the Bay.

In March, CBF will train volunteers to grow SAV in tanks in their homes. The plants will grow for up to six months before BaySavers plant them in suitable restoration sites. Volunteers will also be trained to monitor the success of the project. Currently, CBF is working with 100 volunteers from Pennsylvania and Virginia to grow underwater grasses for restoration projects in their area. By improving water quality and refining SAV planting techniques, CBF is working toward its goal of having a Bay with 225,000 acres of SAV by the year 2005.

There are other ways to protect existing SAV beds from man-induced damage. CBF, Maryland Department of the Environment, and other environmental groups provided critical support for the Maryland law that prohibits use of hydraulic clam gear in SAV beds. There was also joint support for regulations that outlaw clam dredging in SAV beds on the Atlantic seaside.

Through innovative techniques and the efforts of trained and environmentally aware citizens, CBF and its partners work to restore the Chesapeake Bay to its rightful place as one of the world’s greatest estuaries.