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| Maryland Coastal Bays - Overview:
Synopsis
Coastal Bays Health Index 59% C+ | Overall average grade for the Coastal Bays: C+
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2009 Coastal Bays health was similar to 2008
The overall score for the Coastal Bays was a C+ in 2009. While the northern bays and western tributaries continue to struggle, there are signs of improvement in some areas. However, the southern bays—historically the most pristine of the Coastal Bays—are showing signs of degradation.
Underwater seagrass abundance increased by 25% last year, driven mainly by increases in Chincoteague Bay. Acreages in Assawoman and Isle of Wright Bays were high for their regions. Although seagrasses continue to recover from a dramatic loss in 2005, only 50% of the seagrass goal was reaches, indicating there is still work to be done to restore this vital habitat. Boaters should be careful to avoid damaging seagrass beds while boating around Ocean City.
Shifting water quality
Although water quality did not change significantly from the 2008 report card, long-term data show significant trends occurring. Improving nitrogen and phosphorus trends have been observed in Kitts Branch and Trappe Creek as a result of removing wastewater discharge from the Berlin treatment plant. However, Chincoteague Bay water quality continues to decline. Nutrients in Chincoteague are from widespread sources such as septic tanks, runoff from land (e.g., fertilizers), ditches, groundwater, atmosphere (e.g., rainfall), and bay sources (sediments and inputs from Newport Bay), which means it will take longer to see results of management actions.
Shellfish were a mixed bag
Clam densities were up in Assawoman, Isle of Wright, and Sinepuxent Bays in 2009. In contract, clam numbers were only half the 13-year DNR average in Newport and Chincoteague Bays. Relative to historic bay levels, clam levels were the lowest in the Maryland portion of Chincoteague Bay. In addition, scallops have not been found in Chincoteague Bay since 2005—likely the result of brown tide blooms.
Health Index Map
This map shows the Coastal Bays Health Index for all reporting regions. You can also access individual reporting region summary pages by clicking on them, or mousing over for quick summaries.
Region Rankings
The overall score for the Coastal Bays was a C+ but there were distinct differences among reporting regions. For instance, the northern bays and western tributaries continue to struggle, whereas the southern regions had the highest grades. Because St. Martin River and Newport Bay ranked the lowest of all regions, this suggests that the aquatic health of the Coastal Bays is strongly affected by nutrient loading from upland areas. Despite the moderate to good health scores in the other regions and an increase in the area of seagrasses—which is likely due in part to lower than average rainfall in 2009—recent increasing trends in nutrient concentrations indicate that development in the watershed poses a serious threat to the health of this ecosystem.
This table shows the indicators and the overall Coastal Bays Health Index for all reporting regions. Mouseover the index values to see the values of the component indicators/index. You can also access individual reporting region summary pages by clicking on their name, or indicator details by clicking on their icons.
| Sinepuxent Bay | Chincoteague Bay | Overall Coastal Bays | Isle of Wight Bay | Assawoman Bay | St. Martin River | Newport Bay | |||
 Chlorophyll a | 97 | 99 | 97 | 90 | 97 | 75 | 77 | ||
 Dissolved Oxygen | 37 | 48 | 47 | 51 | 47 | 42 | 43 | ||
 Total Nitrogen | 100 | 95 | 88 | 70 | 54 | 37 | 45 | ||
 Total Phosphorus | 69 | 63 | 61 | 50 | 66 | 36 | 40 | ||
 Seagrass | 69 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 50 | 8 | 17 | ||
 Hard Clams | 28 | 10 | 14 | 61 | 23 | 5 | |||
 Coastal Bays Health Index | 67 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 56 | 39 | 38 | ||
Excel SpreadsheetRegion Summaries
Listed in order of Coastal Bays Health Index from best to worst. You can access more detailed information on each reporting region by click on the region names.
| Region | Score (%) | Comments |
| Sinepuxent Bay | 67 B | Sinepuxent Bay received a grade of B. This reporting region had the highest grade of all the regions, yet it comprises only about 5% of the area of the entire Coastal Bays system and therefore had a small impact on the overall grade. Seagrasses and total nitrogen scored higher in this region than any other, and chlorophyll a was also very good. In contrast, dissolved oxygen dropped from good in 2008 to poor in 2009. Hard clams were also poor, but were the second highest score of any region for this indicator. |
| Chincoteague Bay | 61 B- | Chincoteague Bay received a grade of B-. This region received the second highest score of all the regions. It is the largest of the six reporting regions, comprising about 64% of the total Coastal Bays area. Because the overall grade for the Coastal Bays is area-weighted, this region had the largest influence. Most indicators were generally very good to moderate in 2009, except hard clams, which were very poor. Similar to Sinepuxent Bay, a marked decrease in dissolved oxygen from 2008 to 2009 was seen. |
| Overall Coastal Bays | 59 C+ | Overall average grade for the Coastal Bays: C+
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| Isle of Wight Bay | 59 C+ | Isle of Wight Bay received a grade of C+. Isle of Wight Bay received the third-highest grade of all the reporting regions. Hard clams improved from poor in 2008 to good in 2009. Seagrasses were poor, but the water quality indicators ranged from moderate to very good. The overall score increased slightly from 2008. |
| Assawoman Bay | 56 C+ | Assawoman Bay received a grade of C+. This region saw improvements in seagrasses, and moderate water quality related to dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen. Chlorophyll a was very good and hard clams were poor in this region. The grade of this region improved slightly from a C in 2008. |
| St. Martin River | 39 D+ | St. Martin River received a grade of D+. This region had lower scores than any other region for seagrasses and nutrients, ranging from poor to very poor. The dissolved oxygen score was moderate, and chlorophyll a was good. Despite a lack of data on hard clams this year, the overall score increased slightly from 2008. |
| Newport Bay | 38 D+ | Newport Bay received a grade of D+. This region received the worst grade of any reporting region in 2009. Hard clams and seagrasses were very poor, while dissolved oxygen and nutrients were moderate. Scores in this region were very similar to those in the St. Martin River, likely because both regions are heavily influenced by upland runoff. |
Comparison
Comparison of Coastal Bays Health Index scores for 2009 (
) compared to (
)| Score (%) | |
| Sinepuxent Bay | |
| Chincoteague Bay | |
| Overall Coastal Bays | |
| Isle of Wight Bay | |
| Assawoman Bay | |
| St. Martin River | |
| Newport Bay |
Background
These resources provide detailed background information on the ecology and health of the coastal bays.
Shifting Sands: Environmental and cultural change in Maryland's Coastal Bays
William C. Dennison, Jane E. Thomas, Carol J. Cain, Tim J.B. Carruthers, Matthew R. Hall, Roman, V. Jesien, Catherine E. Wazniak, and David E. Wilson
Referring to both the dynamic nature of the barrier islands forming the coastal lagoons of Maryland’s Atlantic Ocean coastline and also the changing cultural landscape, Shifting Sands is a richly illustrated, multi-authored introduction to Assawoman Bay, Isle of Wight Bay, St. Martin River, Sinepuxent Bay, Newport Bay, and Chincoteague Bay. This book leads the reader on a voyage of discovery, providing a user-friendly guide to the history, setting, context, and ecology of these waterways nestled behind Assateague, Fenwick, and Chincoteague Islands. Photographs, conceptual diagrams, maps, and graphs are used to showcase the key features of and major threats to these magnificent bays, watersheds, and islands, with recommendations for how to preserve them for future generations.
State of the Maryland Coastal Bays 2004 (Report)
Wazniak, C., M. Hall, C. Cain, D. Wilson, R. Jesien, J. Thomas, T. Carruthers, and W. Dennison
This report summarizes monitoring data collected over the past several years for water quality, aquatic living resources, and habitat categories. It utilizes conceptual diagrams for each reporting region to highlight the key ecosystem processes, biota and estuarine health problems.
Maryland Coastal Bays Ecosystem Health Assessment 2004
Maryland’s Coastal Bays, the shallow lagoons nestled behind Ocean City and Assateague Island, comprise a complex ecosystem. These estuarine bays, at the interface between fresh and saltwater, provide habitat for a wide range of aquatic life. But like many coastal systems, they face threats from intense development, nutrients, sediments, and other stresses associated with human activities. This report documents the most up-to-date status of water quality and living resources in the Coastal Bays and highlights management steps being taken to reserve them.