1. Engineer Research and Development Center
Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration Research Program
Deborah Shafer
Engineer Research and Development Center

2. SAV Program Coordination
Chesapeake Bay Program
Corps of Engineers
CE Baltimore District
CE Norfolk District
Other Federal Agencies-
NOAA
EPA
Academic
University of Maryland
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Anne Arundel Community College
ERDC
Role: Provides leadership and coordination at the national level
State Agencies
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
Congressional Staff

3. Funding Authorization
Year
Funding Level
Project Summary
FY 03
$500K (less S&S)
1 focus area, 3 projects, all in MD plus Regional Workshop
FY 04
$ 0 ($163K restored from S&S)
Continuation of previous year’s projects (3)
FY 05
$ 1 M (less S&S)
2 focus areas, 7 projects, both MD and VA
FY 06
$ 500 K (no S&S)
Continuation of previous year’s projects, MD and VA (6)

4. Ability to Leverage Funds Through Links to Other Corps Programs
● Section 206 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration
Section 204 Beneficial Uses of Dredged Materials
Section 227 Shoreline Erosion Control
Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program (EMRRP)
Regional Sediment Management Program (RSM)
Dredging Operations and Environmental Research Program (DOER)

5. Initial Interagency Planning Meeting
Priority: Consistency with CBP SAV Protection and Restoration Strategy
Initiative 3. Accelerate SAV restoration by planting 1, acres of new SAV beds by December 2008.
What are the most cost-effective methods for large-scale planting?
“Strategy to Accelerate the Protection and Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay” Chesapeake Bay Program--January 14, 2003

6. Consistency with CBP SAV Protection and Restoration Strategy
Initiative 4. Enhance SAV research, citizen involvement and education.

7. Research Approach Program Focus Areas:
● SAV Production and Planting (FY 03-FY06)
Includes issues related to plant supply and propagation (ACTION 3.2 in CB SAV STRATEGY)
● Engineered SAV Habitats (FY 05-FY06)
Wave energy thresholds for created and restored SAV beds—design critieria for wave attenuation structures

8. Initial Program Focus Area: SAV Production and Planting
Eelgrass seeds
Moving away from a focus on planting adult plants towards development of an agricultural system
“crops of wild communities” Mark Fonseca
Problem: Basic information on seed germination and storage requirements generally not available
Eelgrass seedlings

9. FY 03 Accomplishments
1. Initial interagency meeting to establish program research priorities.
2. Development of capability for large-scale seed collection and storage
Funding Recipient: MDDNR
SAV Species: Zostera marina (eelgrass)
3. Protocols for Using Seeds of Mesohaline SAV Species in Large-Scale SAV Restoration
Funding Recipient: Anne Arundel Community College
SAV Species: Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass) and redhead grass (Potomogeton perfoliatus)
4. Demonstration Planting: Potomac River
Comparison of hand-planting adult plants with direct seeding
5. Hosted Regional SAV Restoration Workshop (Baltimore, Sept 2003)
6. Established web site

10. Focus Area: SAV Production and Planting
FY 04 Projects
Focus Area: SAV Production and Planting
No New Starts—continuation of existing projects from FY 03
1. Development of capability for large-scale seed collection and storage
Funding Recipient: MDDNR
SAV Species: Zostera marina (eelgrass)
2. Protocols for Using Seeds of Mesohaline SAV Species in Large-Scale SAV Restoration
Funding Recipient: Anne Arundel Community College
SAV Species: Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass) and redhead grass (Potomogeton perfoliatus)
3. Demonstration Planting: Potomac River
Comparison of hand-planting adult plants with direct seeding

11. FY 05-06 Projects Funding Recipient Project Title SAV Species
Anne Arundel Community College
Development of a Protocol for Large-Scale Restoration of Ruppia maritima and Potamogeton perfoliatus by Seed
Ruppia maritima
Potamogeton perfoliatus
University of Maryland
Production and Field Planting of Vegetative Tubers for Restoration of Redhead Grass and Sago Pondweed in Chesapeake Bay
Stuckenia pectinata
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Development of Techniques for the Use of Seeds in the Large Scale Propagation and Restoration of Low Salinity SAV
Valisneria americana
Technology Development for Achieving Critical Thresholds in Large Scale SAV Restoration
Zostera marina
A Comparative Test of Mechanized and Manual Planting of Eelgrass Seeds
Seagrass Habitat Engineering: Defining the Needed Balance in Wave Attenuation
MD Dept. Natural Resources
Comparison of Hand-planting and Seeding in the Potomac River, MD (Ended in FY 05)

12. SAV Technical Note Products
TITLE
STATUS
Restoration Potential of Ruppia maritima and Potamogeton perfoliatus by Seed in the Mid-Chesapeake Bay
Available online
Buoy Deployed Seeding: A New Low-Cost Technique for Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation From Seed
FINAL
Applications and Limitations of Micro-propagation for the Production of Underwater Grasses
Protocols for Large-Scale Collection, Processing, and Storage of Seeds of Two Mesohaline Submerged Aquatic Plant Species
Reproductive ecology of the freshwater macrophyte Valisneria americana: A review
In review
Additional publications will include journal articles and conference and workshop presentations
Web link:

13. Benefits
State-of-the-art technical standards and guidance for planning, implementing, and monitoring submerged aquatic vegetation restoration projects will:
● Provide resource managers with the necessary tools to help meet targeted SAV restoration goals
● Contribute to improved success rates and predictability for submerged aquatic vegetation restoration projects
● Provide practical guidance on selection of appropriate methods for SAV restoration
● Improve coordination between Corps and other stakeholders involved in SAV restoration

14. Q & A?