Chesapeake Bay Program Benthic Monitoring Database

Benthic Monitoring studies were in progress before the signing of the 1983 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. In Virginia, historically much of the research focused on documenting the condition and dynamics of benthic communities. In Maryland, a series Power Plant monitoring studies were conducted which had significant benthic components.

In 1983, the Chesapeake Bay Agreement was signed laying the ground work for the current EPA Chesapeake Bay Environmental Monitoring Program. The current long-term benthic community monitoring programs are run by the states of Maryland and Virginia, have been instrumental in development of the Chesapeake Bay Program Benthic Restoration Goals and the Chesapeake Bay Index of Benthic Integrity. The study of the benthos in Chesapeake Bay has had a long dynamic history.

Many diverse types of data collected and various data collection protocols employed in the past. This trend is anticipated to continue as technology and scientific knowledge about the benthos evolves. Therefore, the final database design had to be suitable for storing data from historic studies, current Monitoring Programs as well as have the flexibility to accommodate any future data forms.

The data housed in the current benthic database includes species abundance and composition counts, biomass determinations, sediment and water quality analyses and photographic images and other multimedia material.