Resurgence of Submersed Aquatic Macrophytes in the Tidal Potomac River, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia

Carter, Virginia; Rybicki, Nancy B.

doi:10.2307/1351417

Cited by 54 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…comm.) and CBP and submersed plants from Carter & Rybicki (1986) and CBP. Patuxent data sources were: nutrient loads from D' Elia et al (2003), plankton biomass, O 2 , water clarity and submersed plants from Heinle et al (1980), Stankelis et al (2003) and CBP mer would result in reduced algal biomass (Fig.…”

Section: Examples Of Ecosystem Responses To Reduced Inputs Of N And/or Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eutrophication of Chesapeake Bay: historical trends and ecological interactions

Kemp¹,

Boynton²,

Adolf³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

1,242

1,019

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This review provides an integrated synthesis with timelines and evaluations of ecological responses to eutrophication in Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the USA. Analyses of dated sediment cores reveal initial evidence of organic enrichment in ~200 yr old strata, while signs of increased phytoplankton and decreased water clarity first appeared ~100 yr ago. Severe, recurring deep-water hypoxia and loss of diverse submersed vascular plants were first evident in the 1950s and 1960s, respectively. The degradation of these benthic habitats has contributed to declines in benthic macroinfauna in deep mesohaline regions of the Bay and blue crabs in shallow polyhaline areas. In contrast, copepods, which are heavily consumed in pelagic food chains, are relatively unaffected by nutrient-induced changes in phytoplankton. Intense mortality associated with fisheries and disease have caused a dramatic decline in eastern oyster stocks and associated Bay water filtration, which may have exacerbated eutrophication effects on phytoplankton and water clarity. Extensive tidal marshes, which have served as effective nutrient buffers along the Bay margins, are now being lost with rising sea level. Although the Bay's overall fisheries production has probably not been affected by eutrophication, decreases in the relative contribution of demersal fish and in the efficiency with which primary production is transferred to harvest suggest fundamental shifts in trophic and habitat structures. Bay ecosystem responses to changes in nutrient loading are complicated by non-linear feedback mechanisms, including particle trapping and binding by benthic plants that increase water clarity, and by oxygen effects on benthic nutrient recycling efficiency. Observations in Bay tributaries undergoing recent reductions in nutrient input indicate relatively rapid recovery of some ecosystem functions but lags in the response of others. KEY WORDS: Eutrophication · Nutrients · Chesapeake Bay Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherChesapeake Bay is a large estuary which has undergone many changes in its ecological properties and processes in response to nutrient enrichment over the last 2 centuries. Susceptibility of the Bay to eutrophication arises in part from the long dendritic shoreline that intimately connects it to its large watershed (covering an area 15 times that of the Bay) which contains expanding human population centers and extensive agricultural activities. (Satellite image from MODIS,

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Section: Examples Of Ecosystem Responses To Reduced Inputs Of N And/or Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eutrophication of Chesapeake Bay: historical trends and ecological interactions

Kemp¹,

Boynton²,

Adolf³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

1,242

1,019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Predictable seasonal variations in temperature and flow [14] make Gunston Cove a vital area for fish spawning and juvenile development. Surveys conducted in Gunston Cove in the early 1900s, indicated the presence of large expanses of SAV in its flat, shallow waters [7,8]. During this time, the waters of Gunston Cove were used extensively for recreational and commercial fishing, including seine fisheries targeting river herring [15].…”

Section: Description Of the Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…During this time, the waters of Gunston Cove were used extensively for recreational and commercial fishing, including seine fisheries targeting river herring [15]. However, water quality in Gunston Cove became notably poor by the 1930s, with surveys indicating a state shift to a degraded condition occurred, characterized by no SAV growth, poor water clarity, and high phytoplankton density [7,8,16]. Degraded water quality, preventing SAV growth, was believed to be largely caused by two sources: urbanization and pollution from WWTPs in the watershed [15].…”

Section: Description Of the Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Decreases in water clarity related to eutrophication can reduce or prevent the growth of submerged aquatic vegetation [1,4,5] (SAV). The loss of expansive SAV beds due to eutrophication, as seen in the Potomac River after the 1930's, can be particularly problematic in shallow freshwater ecosystems because of the loss of buffering services provided by the vegetation, which, when not impaired, assimilates N, and reduces turbidity by collecting particulate organic materials [5,[7][8][9]. In the Potomac River, the largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, extensive eutrophication was dominant until the 1970s when active reductions in point source P and N loadings in wastewater treatment were made [5,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Successes of Restoration and Its Effect on the Fish Community in a Freshwater Tidal Embayment of the Potomac River, USA

Mutsert¹,

Sills²,

Schlick³

et al. 2017

Preprint

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After a local pollution control plant significantly reduced phosphorus loading into a phytoplankton-dominated tributary of the Potomac River in the early 1980's, water quality and biological communities were monitored bi-weekly from April-September. After a 10-year time-lag, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), once abundant in this freshwater tidal embayment, returned to the area in 1993. After additional reductions in nitrogen load starting in 2000, the system completely switched to a SAV-dominated state in 2005. Fish abundance didn't change during these distinct phase changes, but the fish community structure did. Increases in SAV provided refuge and additional spawning substrate for species with adhesive eggs such as Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), which is now the most abundant species in the embayment. Other changes seen were a decrease in the relative contribution of open water dwelling species such as White Perch (Morone americana), and an increase of visual predators such as Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). The 30-year record of data from this Potomac River tributary has revealed many important long-term trends that validate the effectiveness of initiatives to improve water treatment, and will aid in the continued management of the watershed and point source inputs.

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“…Much of the Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac River, had shifted from benthic to pelagic primary productivity in the mid-1900s due to eutrophication [5]. The loss of expansive SAV beds due to eutrophication, as seen in the Potomac River after the 1930s, can be particularly problematic in shallow freshwater ecosystems because of the loss of buffering services provided by the vegetation, which, when not impaired, assimilates N and reduces turbidity by collecting particulate organic materials [5,[7][8][9]. In the Potomac River, the largest tributary …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successes of Restoration and Its Effect on the Fish Community in a Freshwater Tidal Embayment of the Potomac River, USA

Mutsert

Sills²,

Schlick

et al. 2017

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

After a local wastewater treatment plant significantly reduced phosphorus loading into a phytoplankton-dominated tributary of the Potomac River in the early 1980s, water quality and biological communities were monitored bi-weekly from April to September. After a 10-year time-lag, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), once abundant in this freshwater tidal embayment, returned to the area in 1993. After additional reductions in nitrogen load starting in 2000, the system switched to an SAV-dominated state in 2005. Fish abundance did not change during these distinct phase changes, but the fish community structure did. Increases in SAV provided refuge and additional spawning substrate for species with adhesive eggs such as Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), which is now the most abundant species in the embayment. Other changes observed were a decrease in the relative contribution of open water dwelling species such as White Perch (Morone americana), and an increase of visual predators such as Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). The 30-year record of data from this Potomac River tributary has revealed important long-term trends that validate the effectiveness of initiatives to reduce excess nutrient inputs, and will aid in the continued management of the watershed and point-source inputs.

show abstract

Resurgence of Submersed Aquatic Macrophytes in the Tidal Potomac River, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia

Cited by 54 publications

References 18 publications

Eutrophication of Chesapeake Bay: historical trends and ecological interactions

Eutrophication of Chesapeake Bay: historical trends and ecological interactions

Successes of Restoration and Its Effect on the Fish Community in a Freshwater Tidal Embayment of the Potomac River, USA

Successes of Restoration and Its Effect on the Fish Community in a Freshwater Tidal Embayment of the Potomac River, USA

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