Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

Changes in the ecological characteristics and aerial extent of vegetated habitats and communities can provide a sensitive indicator of the health and vitality of the estuarine ecosystem. This element includes periodic assessments (e.g., biomass, growth, and species distribution) of estuarine plant communities at a series of representative study sites. Monitoring of biotic communities occurs in close association with the collection of abiotic data, and done in conjunction with high-resolution mapping to quantify the larger scale spatial extent of vegetative communities in the watershed. The sampling approach adopted by SWMP has been used to assess a variety of vegetative communities. 

Currituck Banks Reserve

Reserve Stewardship and Research staff have been collaborating with colleagues at Chowan University to study SAV within the Currituck Banks Reserve. Yearly surveys of established transects are tracking how the SAV community is changing through time.