Monitoring Stories and Highlights
New monitoring technologies provide agencies with near real-time data to assess fish kills, harmful algal blooms, the effects of storms, and other short-term episodic events. These technologies also provide citizens, students and researchers with an opportunity to explore the dynamic nature of the bays and tributaries, and the problems these ecosystems face.
The following examples demonstrate how new monitoring technologies were used to better understand the complex environmental process of the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and the Coastal Bays.
- 2006 Continuous Monitoring Synopsis (November 2006)
- Impact of Tropical Storm Ernesto and subsequent rain event (September 2006)
- Investigations of Impacts to SAV from June 2006 Rains (August 2006)
- Impacts of June 2006 Extreme Rainfall (July 2006)
- Chesapeake Bay 2006 - Summer Ecological Forecast (2.5MB) (June 2006)
(Produced by the Chesapeake Bay Program Monitoring and Assessment Subcommittee MASC) - Corsica River Fish Kill (October 2005)
- Heavy Rains and Run-off Lower Salinities and Restrict Water Clarity in the Chesapeake Bay (April 2005)
- "Mahogany Tide" Responsible for Coffee-Colored Waters in the Magothy and Patapsco Rivers (December 2004)
- 2003 Water Quality (Chlorophyll) Threshold Data for Maryland's Coastal Bays (July 2004)
- Eyes on the Bay wins a 2003 Notable Government Documents Award (June 2004)
- Chesapeake Bay Dissolved Oxygen Levels Return to Normal in April (April 2004)
- Lower Than Normal Dissolved Oxygen Levels Observed in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay (April 2004)
- Initial Assessment of Hurricane Isabel's Impacts on Aquatic Resources (PDF) (October 2003)
- Post Hurricane Algal Die-Offs Cause Low Dissolved Oxygen Conditions at Some Continuous Monitors (October 2003)
- Hurricane Isabel Water Quality Impacts (September 2003)
- "Black Tide Bloom" in Lower Patuxent River (Summer 2003)
- Lower Patuxent River Experiences Algal Blooms as Indicated by High Chlorophyll Levels (May & June 2003)
- Turville Monitor Observes Effects of Rainfall and Runoff (April 2003)
- Spatially Intensive Monitoring Data Used to Target Restoration Sites for Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (Current Work)
- Water Quality Significantly Impacted by Runoff from Pocomoke River Rain Event (August & September 2002)
- Historical Trends Used to Assess 2002 Drought (Summer 2002)
- Isle of Wight Fish Kill Cause Determined With Continuous Monitoring Data (June 2002)
- Mapping Areas That Are Conducive to Bay Grass Growth (Spring 2002)
- Water Quality Mapping Reveals Salinity Reversal in Severn and Magothy Rivers (April 2001 & 2002)
- Tracking Areas of Habitat Limitation for Yellow Perch (May 2001)
- Continuous Monitors Capture Hurricane Floyd Impacts (September 1999)