It is amazing, but considering the abuse that the Bay has 
taken, particularly in the last century, it's as beautiful and 
as healthy as we see it to be when we visit it on some crisp, 
clear morning and watch all the myriad wonders of the Bay coming 
to life, waking up and beginning a new day. And that beauty and 
that vitality have to be preserved. That life has to be 
protected. And that life is in our hands. And the interests of 
groups like yours can be enormously effective and powerful in 
preserving it for all time. 
Thank you very much. 
Dr. Thomas: Senator Mathias, thank you very much for 
coming here today and presenting us with such a truly fine 
overview of the Bay. I think many of us can relate rather 
directly to your great love for Chesapeake Bay and the message 
you carry. Thank you. 
It is a pleasure for me to introduce Dr. Chris D'Elia and 
thank him for organizing today's seminar. Dr. D'Elia is an 
Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Center for 
Environmental and Estuarine Studies, Chesapeake Biological 
Laboratory, located at Solomons Island, Maryland. He has been 
with the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory since 1977 and has had 
major research interests in nutrient enrichment and the degrada¬ 
tion of Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, he has served on a number 
of environmental groups and panels at the State and the national 
level dealing with the Chesapeake Bay in the field of biological 
oceanography. Dr. D'Elia will be taking charge of today's 
program, including the Panel Discussion at the end of the day. 
I encourage everyone to stay through the Panel Discussion in 
order that we might learn what data and information gaps exist 
and what we might do to help improve the management of our 
Nation's estuaries. 
Chris, we're pleased to have you and your speakers today. 
I'm pleased to introduce Dr. Chris D'Elia. 
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