Baywide Chesapeake Bay Program Plankton Database

The states of Maryland and Virginia, in cooperation with the US EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, have conducted baseline monitoring of the lower trophic levels in the Chesapeake Bay and it's tidal tributaries since 1984. These programs are designed to give comprehensive spatial and temporal information on phytoplankton composition and abundance; picoplankton abundance; primary production rates; microzooplankton composition and abundance; and mesozooplakton composition, biomass and abundance. All Maryland monitoring program began in July of 1984. The Virginia Phytoplankton and mesozooplankton monitoring programs began in 1985, primary production and picoplankton monitoring began in 1989, and microzooplankton monitoring began in 1993. These monitoring programs are performed in conjunction with the water quality monitoring programs in both jurisdictions.