ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Seagrasses suffered sharp losses in coastal bays on the Eastern Shore, according to survey results released by Maryland and Virginia officials.
Seagrass acreage dropped 35 percent between July 2010 and May
2011, according to the figures released Tuesday. Water quality and high summer temperatures were blamed for the drop, which coincided with decreases in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Seagrasses are important because they provide food and shelter for many species and are an indicator of water quality.
The Chincoteague Bay lost the greatest amount with a decline of
more than 2,700 acres or about 27 percent of grasses, split nearly equally between Maryland and Virginia. Assawoman Bay and the Isle of Wight, meanwhile, lost nearly all of their grasses and the St. Martin River lost its last 1.6 acres.
