many other forms of marine life occurring in these bays, VTigeongrass has 

 "begun to aippear on many of the shoals formerly covered with Zostera and 

 on a few of them it is already fairly abundant. This adaptable and widely 

 distributed plant seems far more able to tolerate a sandy bottom than does 

 eelgrass or most of the other pondweeds. 



Chesapeake Bay 



CJhesapeake Bay is by no means a uniform body of water. Along the 

 southern part, south of Pungoteague Creek, 7a., is a sandy beach, which 

 probably never had more than a few small patches of eelgrass or other sub- 

 merged aquatic plants. Along the shore from Pungoteague Creek northward 

 nearly to the mouth of Chester River, eelgrass apparently has long been 

 abundant. North of Chester River to and including the famous Susquehanna 

 Plats, the normal salinity of the water is below the tolerance of eelgrass. 

 Slightly brackida and fresh-water plants are usually abundant throughout 

 appropriate sections of this area. 



When eelgrass began to disappear, it was noted that destruction 

 was slowest and least complete in areas of reduced salinity. Furthermore, 

 the first and best returns were noted in such places. It would seem then 

 that the devastating organism is not tolerant of a low saline content and 

 consequently is less effective in such an area. Because of the small area 

 for run-off, but little fresh water enters the extensive coastal bays of the 

 Delmarva Peninsula. This may be a partial explanation of v*iy eelgrass has 

 made little or no return in that area. 



Prom personal inspection and from reports of other observers, it 

 appears that in the southern part of the eelgrass zone of Chesapeake Bay, 

 especially in the area from Pungoteague Creek, Va. , northward at least 

 to Crisfield, Md. , the eelgrass suffered an unusually severe parasitic 

 attack during the middle and latter half of the past summer. The quantity 

 of drift was unusually large. The numerous leaf bases on surviving plants 

 would seem to indicate severe loss and would account for the unusual ex- 

 tent of drift. It was encouraging to note from an inspection late in 

 December that the surviving green leaves speared comparatively healthy, 

 although some of the characteristic brown or black blotches and streaks 

 were in evidence on both the leaves and the rhizomes. 



An inspection at Taylors Bridge, Md. , in September and December 

 revealed that conditions are still encouraging. Eelgrass, which was grow- 

 ing in water up to 5 feet deep, was abundant and fully 12 inches long. 

 Most of the rhizomes appeared to be normal, although some spotting was 

 noted and numerous bases of detached leaves were seen. A few plots were 

 observed in which there were numerous dead rhizomes. The new growth seemed 

 to be comparatively healthy. 



A little farther south at Tarr Bay and Honga River, adjacent to 

 Hoopers Island, where the salinity normally is higher, more dead roots 

 were seen and the surviving plants were generally shorter, although near 

 the Hooper River draw bridge some were found 18 inches' long and of more 

 than the average width for the southern variety of Zostera marina . Al- 

 though there was evidence of much defoliation, all new growth seemed to 



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