Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers

Become a Chesapeake Bay SAV Watcher!

Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers is the first official volunteer submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) monitoring program developed by the Chesapeake Bay Program. This hands-on citizen science initiative gives volunteers an engaging, educational experience in Bay habitats while generating valuable data used by scientists and resource managers.

SAV Watchers collect information on underwater grasses, such as species diversity and habitat conditions. Monitoring occurs at sites throughout the Bay and its tributaries. Volunteers submit photos and observations using a standardized datasheet or an easy ArcGIS Survey123 form. The data they collect form Tier II of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s three-tiered SAV monitoring system. This data complements the Bay-wide Aerial Survey (Tier I) and the SAV Sentinel Site Program (Tier III).

The program is coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Program’s SAV Workgroup and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Volunteer groups are active across Maryland and expanding into Virginia, where trainings are supported by The Nature Conservancy.

Whether you’re a paddler, shoreline resident, student, or simply someone who cares about the Bay, you can help track the health of this critical underwater habitat.

Learn more:
www.chesapeakebaysavwatchers.com
Chesapeake Bay Program SAV Watchers page: https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/programs/monitoring/sav-monitoring-program/tier-ii-chesapeake-bay-sav-watchers-program

Maryland volunteers: Brooke Landry — brooke.landry@maryland.gov
Virginia volunteers: Kati Booth — kati.booth@tnc.org

Help us keep a finger on the pulse of the Bay — one blade of grass at a time.