Long-Term Benthic Monitoring and Assessment Program for the Maryland Portion of Chesapeake Bay: Interpretive Report

摘要

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.