Chesapeake Bay - Indicator Details:

This map shows the overall Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (Benthic IBI) scores for each of the 15 reporting regions in 2009. Benthic IBI evaluates the health of the benthic, or bottom-dwelling, community (soft-bottomed areas only). Overall, benthic condition within Chesapeake Bay during 2009 was moderate, which was a slight improvement from 2008. The highest scoring region in 2009 was the Lower Bay, where benthic condition was classified as good. Second best Benthic IBI occurred in the Upper Bay region where conditions were also classified as good. The lowest score occurred in the Patuxent River, where the Benthic IBI condition was classified as very poor.

This map shows the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (Benthic IBI) values for the summer of 2009. This Benthic IBI evaluates the health of the benthic community, or bottom-dwelling, community (soft-bottomed areas only). Values between 1 and 3 are considered to be degraded relative to reference communities, while values between 3 and 5 are considered to be close to reference community condition. Stations with relatively good benthic community health tended to be in the Upper Bay, Upper Western Shore, Lower Bay, and Lower Eastern Shore (Tangier) regions. Areas with poor Benthic IBI scores can be seen in many regions including the upper Rappahannock River, Patuxent River, and the smaller tributaries within the Lower Western Shore (MD) region.