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| Maryland Coastal Bays - Overview:
Synopsis
Coastal Bays Health Index 54% C | Overall average grade for the Coastal Bays: C
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2010 Coastal Bays health declined slightly from 2009
The overall score for the Coastal Bays was a C in 2010, down from a C+ in 2009. The northern bays and western tributaries continue to struggle and the historically pristine Chincoteague Bay is also declining in health.
Scores for nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and chlorophyll a declined throughout the Coastal Bays region, with the exception of total nitrogen in Assawoman Bay and chlorophyll a in Sinepuxent Bay, which improved slightly. Nutrients come from widespread sources such as septic tanks, runoff from land (e.g., fertilizers), ditches, groundwater, atmosphere (e.g., rainfall), and bay sources), which means it will take longer to see results of management actions. Dissolved oxygen was stable or improved in all regions except Newport Bay, which saw a slight decline.
Seagrass area increased slightly in 2010
Seagrasses were stable or improved slightly in all regions except St. Martin River, which declined from 8% to 3% of the goal. Only 51% of the seagrass goal was reached, up slightly from 50% in 2009, 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.
Hard clams were variable
Clam densities improved in Assawoman and Newport Bays in 2010 but declined in Isle of Wight, Sinepuxent, and Chincoteague Bays.
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 in 2010, down from a C+ in 2009. The northern bays and western tributaries continue to struggle and the historically pristine Chincoteague Bay is also declining in health. 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 stable or improving dissolved oxygen and seagrass, there were widespread declines of the scores for nutrients, chlorophyll a, and hard clams, indicating 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 | Assawoman Bay | Overall Coastal Bays | Isle of Wight Bay | Newport Bay | St. Martin River | |||
 Chlorophyll a | 100 | 95 | 87 | 93 | 86 | 76 | 63 | ||
 Dissolved Oxygen | 40 | 50 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 39 | 50 | ||
 Total Nitrogen | 100 | 82 | 57 | 77 | 63 | 26 | 29 | ||
 Total Phosphorus | 63 | 40 | 50 | 42 | 43 | 36 | 29 | ||
 Seagrass | 69 | 50 | 53 | 51 | 35 | 19 | 3 | ||
 Hard Clams | 21 | 9 | 32 | 13 | 42 | 14 | N/A | ||
 Coastal Bays Health Index | 66 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 35 | 35 | ||
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 | 66 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 only a small impact on the overall grade. Seagrasses, chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen scored higher in this region than any other. Dissolved oxygen was moderate and hard clams were poor. |
| Chincoteague Bay | 54 C | Chincoteague Bay received a grade of C. Along with Assawoman Bay, this region received the second-highest score of all the regions but was still only in moderate health. Chincoteague Bay 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 (total nitrogen and chlorophyll a) to moderate (dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus, and seagrasses) in 2010 except hard clams, which were very poor. This region declined in health from a B- in 2009. |
| Assawoman Bay | 54 C | Assawoman Bay received a grade of C. This region saw improvements in seagrasses, and moderate water quality related to dissolved oxygen and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). Chlorophyll a was very good and hard clams were poor in this region. The grade of this region declined slightly from a C+ in 2009. |
| Overall Coastal Bays | 54 C | Overall average grade for the Coastal Bays: C
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| Isle of Wight Bay | 53 C | Isle of Wight Bay received a grade of C. Isle of Wight Bay received the fourth-highest grade of the reporting regions. Hard clams were moderate and seagrasses were poor, with water quality indicators ranging from moderate to very good. The overall score declined slightly from a C+ in 2009. |
| Newport Bay | 35 D+ | Newport Bay received a grade of D+. This region received the second-worst grade of any reporting region in 2010. Hard clams and seagrasses were very poor, while dissolved oxygen and nutrients were poor and chlorophyll a was good. Scores in this region were very similar to those in the St. Martin River, likely because both regions are heavily influenced by upland runoff. |
| St. Martin River | 35 D+ | St. Martin River received a grade of D+. St. Martin River received the worst grade out of the whole Coastal Bays system. This region had lower scores than any other region for seagrasses (very poor), total phosphorus (poor), and chlorophyll a (good). The dissolved oxygen score was moderate, and nitrogen was poor. The overall score for St. Martin River remained the same as 2009. |
Comparison
Comparison of Coastal Bays Health Index scores for 2010 (
) compared to (
)| Score (%) | |
| Sinepuxent Bay | |
| Chincoteague Bay | |
| Assawoman Bay | |
| Overall Coastal Bays | |
| Isle of Wight Bay | |
| Newport Bay | |
| St. Martin River |
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.