Environmental Grants Department Offers Grant for Assessing Secondary Production in Lynnhaven River’s Restored SAV Beds

“THIS IS A 2 PHASE APPROACH. SOI DUE: 30 November 2023 and FULL PROPOSAL DUE: 08 January 2024”

The objectives are to monitor and estimate secondary production at the restored SAV beds, plus compare secondary production associated with the two SAV species habitat patches and to control sites in the Lynnhaven River. This should be done by sampling of all epifauna, infauna, and motile larger fauna within the SAV beds and at several unvegetated control sites outside the SAV beds with similar bottom conditions (sand to silty sand).

Specifically, sampling work shall include:

·        Conduct physical sampling within both SAV species beds to assess the benthic infauna, epifauna, and larger motile fauna.

·        Fish and crabs can be sampled using a variety of methods, including but not limited to nets, traps, and/or underwater video or direct observational methods that can provide quantitative data. 

·        Fauna will be classified according to broad taxonomic groups (polychaetes, nematodes, shrimp, amphipods, isopods, etc.). Fish will be classed to species, if possible, otherwise to the nearest taxonomic group. Blue crabs and hard clams will be processed separately for an individual secondary production estimate for each of these two commercially important species.

·        Samples shall be processed in a lab to estimate tissue dry weigh and ash free dry weight of fauna per unit area of SAV bed. Overall estimates of secondary production per acre of each species of SAV can then be estimated. 

·        Produce a report summarizing the methods and results, with recommendations as appropriate.

There are multiple restored SAV sites that will need to be assessed. The pilot study area, Phase 1, consists of two-acres of eelgrass and widgeongrass constructed in 2021. An addition five-acres of test plots were constructed in 2022. Over the course of the performance period, approximately 20 additional acres are planned in a phased approach (10 acres in 2023 and 10 acres in 2024) and should be incorporated into the secondary production assessment following their construction.

All work shall be performed in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.