Report on nitrogen source assessment for Maryland Coastal Bays available

Ben FertigIAN graduate student Ben Fertig assessed nitrogen sources in Maryland's Coastal Bays. Partnering with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and the Department of Natural Resources, this study focused on four regions—St Martin River, Public Landing, Johnson's Bay, and Chincoteague Island, which were found to be nitrogen 'hotspots' by a 2004 assessment. Two biological indicators, the macroalga Gracilaria and the native oyster Crassostrea virginica, were used to integrate nitrogen over short and long term time periods, respectively. Ben is exploring the potential of these indicators to determine and monitor nutrient sources to augment conventional water quality monitoring. This report details the study's findings.