OUTDOORS MARYLAND IS MADE BY MPT, TO SERVE ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS.

COMING UP... CAPTURING CHESAPEAKE BEAUTY AT THE EDGE OF THE LAND.

DREDGING THE BOTTOM FOR SIGNS OF A COMEBACK.

AND, RESTORING THE BAY FROM THE BOTTOM UP.

NEXT.

OUTDOORS MARYLAND IS PRODUCED IN COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

DNR...INSPIRED BY NATURE, GUIDED BY SCIENCE.

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Man: WE CAN GO UP TO CHICONE CREEK, AND THEN I WANT TO GO UP TO GALES CREEK, WHICH IS THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE CREEK.

Narrator: IT'S EARLY MORNING AND PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID HARP IS WHERE HE LOVES TO BE... TAKING PHOTOS OF THE BEAUTY IN THE MARSHES ALONG THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.

David Harp: JUST BEING OUT IN THE MARSHES, WATCHING THE SUNRISE.

THE WHOLE SMELL OF THE MARSH, BEING AROUND THESE SPARTINA GRASSES.

I COULD GO ON AND ON.

IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

IT'S THREATENED, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS ME GOING.

I WANT TO SAY, DAMN IT, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

WE NEED TO PROTECT THIS.

GOOD.

THIS IS PERFECT.

YOU SEE THESE IRISES OVER HERE?

Narrator: DAVID HAS BEEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF NATURE ALONG THE WATERWAYS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE.

David: I CONSIDER MYSELF MORE LIKE AN ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

IT'S THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN AND NATURE, BETWEEN THE GREAT BLUE HERON AND ITS EDGE, AND THE NESTS, AND WHERE IT LIVES.

WATCHING THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY ALIGHT ON GOLDEN ROD IN SEPTEMBER.

AND THE TUNDRA SWANS COMING IN ON A SNOWY DAY.

I ENJOY NOT JUST A PICTURE OF AN ANIMAL BUT WHAT'S THAT ANIMAL'S RELATIONSHIP TO WHERE IT'S NESTING, WHY IS IT THERE?

IS IT THREATENED?

THERE ARE ALL THESE QUESTIONS THAT I ASK.

I'M A JOURNALIST, I JUST LOVE THE STORY.

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART TO ME, AND HOW TO BRING THAT BACK AND SHOW TO PEOPLE.

Narrator: DAVID LEARNED HIS TRADE AT A YOUNG AGE FROM HIS FATHER.

David: MY DAD WAS AN AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER BUT HE WAS A NEWSPAPER EDITOR.

HE WORKED AT THE HAGERSTOWN MORNING HERALD.

THE DAY THAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS ASSASSINATED, I WAS A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WALKED DOWN TO THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE AND I STAYED THERE UNTIL THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING.

I'VE JUST NEVER LOOKED BACK.

THAT WAS THE DAY.

AND SINCE THEN I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER.

TOM, HOW YOU DOING?

Tom: GOOD.

ARE YOU HEADING UP TO GALES CREEK?

David: YUP.

Narrator: HARP TOOK HIS SKILLS AND LOVE OF JOURNALISM TO THE BALTIMORE SUN, WHERE HE MET WRITER TOM HORTON.

THEY'VE PUBLISHED SEVERAL BOOKS ALL ABOUT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, AND THE EDGE OF WATER AND LAND.

Tom: I THINK IF YOU WERE TO PLUCK OUT AN ESSENTIAL THEME FOR BOTH OF US SINCE WE STARTED WITH THE BAY 30 SOME YEARS AGO, IT WOULD BE THE EDGE.

Narrator: THE EDGE.

THAT MEANDERING, JAGGED TRANSITION WHERE WATER MEETS LAND.

AN ORGANIC ZONE FILLED WITH LIFE AND CRITICAL TO THE CHESAPEAKE'S HEALTH.

David: THIS IS WHERE THE STORIES WERE, THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, AND WHERE THEY WANT TO FOUL IT.

THIS IS WHERE ANIMALS NEST.

THIS IS WHERE OYSTERS, AND CRABS, AND FISH LIVE.

Tom: THERE'S ONLY REALLY THREE MAJOR SPECIES THAT CAN STAND ALL THE FLOODING ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE.

Narrator: RECOGNIZING THAT THE EDGE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY IS UNDER INCREASING NEGATIVE PRESSURES FROM MAN'S DESIRE TO LIVE BY THE WATER, HARP AND HORTON EXPLORE AND CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF THIS WINDING COASTLINE IN "THE RISING TIDE" EXHIBIT AT THE CHESAPEAKE MARITIME MUSEUM.

THE MUSEUM REGULARLY DRAWS VISITORS FROM AROUND T REGION TO SAINT MICHAEL'S ISLAND ON MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE.

THE EXHIBIT INCLUDES HARP'S PHOTOGRAPHS, HORTON'S WRITING, AND AN AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATION.

David: THE RISING TIDE EXHIBIT AT THE MARITIME MUSEUM IS ABOUT THE CULTURES THAT GREW UP AROUND CRAB, AND OYSTER, AND FINFISH.

THESE LITTLE MOSTLY ISLANDS AND LOWLAND AREAS AROUND THE HEART OF THE BAY THAT ARE ENDANGERED BY SEA LEVEL RISE.

Curator: AS THE WATER ERODED THE LAND, LITTLE BY LITTLE, HOUSE BY HOUSE, WAS FALLING INTO THE BAY.

Narrator: ROBERT FORLONEY IS A CURATOR AT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM.

Robert Forloney: THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN HISTORICAL CHANGES ON THE BAY WITH ISLANDS APPEARING AND DISAPPEARING, BUT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN SEA LEVEL RISE, IT'S HAPPENING AT A MUCH QUICKER RATE.

AND THERE'S A STRUGGLE TO CONTINUE A WAY OF LIFE THAT'S DISAPPEARING.

Narrator: HARP AND HORTON DIDN'T INTERVIEW EXPERTS FOR THE EXHIBIT.

INSTEAD, THEY RECORDED THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE WHO GREW UP ON THE ISLANDS, ALLOWING THEM TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES IN THEIR OWN VOICE.

MY NAME'S CAPTAIN LARRY POWLEY, BETTER KNOWN AS BOO.

I LIVE ON AN ISLAND CALLED HOOPERS ISLAND.

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE WATER 35 YEARS, ALL MY LIFE.

Forloney: BY HAVING THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO LIVED THESE EXPERIENCES TELL THEIR STORIES, THERE'S A LOT MORE FEELING, EMOTION, AND AUTHENTICITY BEHIND WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING AN OUTSIDE EXPERT TELL YOU WHAT THEY THINK, OR BELIEVE, OR FEEL.

Powley: ...THEN THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM.

THEN THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE GONNA -- THE WATER'S GONNA GET DEEPER, YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE BIGGER, LARGER SEAS COMING INTO HOOPERS ISLAND THAN YOU DO NOW.

David: IN THE AUDIO TRACK FOR TOMMY, I HAVE HIM TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FISH HE'S CATCHING.

Narrator: TOM HORTON AND DAVID HARP HAVE A NEW AUDIO VISUAL PROJECT WITH A SIMILAR THEME.

IT'S CALLED "VOICES FROM THE EDGE."

EACH ONE IS INTRODUCED BY TOM HORTON.

Tom: WE ALL KNOW THE TIDES THAT EBB AND FLOOD DAILY, ESSENTIAL RHYTHMS OF LIFE ALONG THE EDGES OF CHESAPEAKE AND ATLANTIC.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER GRANDER TIDE, THE TIDE OF LIGHT.

IT CRESTS EACH JUNE AND BOTTOMS OUT IN DARKEST DECEMBER WHEN WINTER OFFICIALLY BEGINS.

Narrator: THE SLIDE SHOWS INCLUDES INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE, PLAY, AND MAKE THEIR LIVING ON THE EDGE OF LAND AND WATER.

David: IT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING FINDING PEOPLE.

A LOT OF THEM ARE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS AND WE RESPECT.

Narrator: LIKE NATURALIST NICK CARTER.

David: SO WE WENT UP TO HIS HOUSE AND WE WALKED BEHIND HIS HOUSE AND HE SAID, HERE IS A FIRST ORDER STREAM.

I'M THINKING, OKAY, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A FIRST ORDER STREAM.

SO THAT BECAME THE STORY.

Carter: THIS FIRST ORDER STREAM, IT'S THE VERY BEGINNING OF ANY WATERSHED'S FLOW, ANY WATERSHED'S STREAM.

Harp to Carter: SO THIS BECOMES THE CHOPTANK RIVER, WHICH BECOMES THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.

...JUST CHRONICLED THIS COUPLE HUNDRED SQUARE METERS OF WETLAND THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF CHESAPEAKE BAY, THE ESSENCE OF THE EDGE.

Narrator: TOM HORTON BRINGS SOME OF THE LESSONS HE LEARNED FROM NICK CARTER INTO HIS COLLEGE CLASSROOM.

Tom: THIS IS A STRAIGHT OUT OF NICK CARTER FIELD TRIP I TRY TO TAKE EVERY CLASS ON.

WE PLUNK OUR CANOES IN THE BIGGEST AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE DITCH ON THE DELMARVA PENINSULA.

80 FEET WIDE, STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW.

AND IT'S PRETTY BORING.

IT DOES ITS JOB, IT DRAINS WATER OFF 100,000 ACRES OF FARMS.

AND WE PADDLE UNTIL THEY STOP DITCHING.

AND THEN IT STARTS TO WIND AROUND, AND IT STARTS TO GET SWAMPY, AND YOU START TO SEE OTTERS, AND BIRDS, AND ALL SORTS OF LIFE.

WE TALK ABOUT HOW PEOPLE MAKE STRAIGHT LINES AND THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET FROM A TO B. AND WE TALK ABOUT CURVES AND HOW MAYBE THE BEST WAY FROM A TO B ISN'T THE FASTEST WAY FROM A TO B. AND WE TALK ABOUT HOW A DITCH DOES ONE THING VERY WELL AND NATURE DOESN'T DO ANY ONE THING VERY WELL, IT MAXIMIZES LIFE.

THAT'S THE MESSAGE NICK WAS GIVING ME 35 YEARS AGO, AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE I'M TRYING TO PASS ON TO MY KIDS.

David: I'VE ALWAYS SAID THE EASIEST PART OF THESE SHOWS IS ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND PHOTOGRAPHING AND DOING THE ORIGINAL SOUND.

Tom: SO, WHAT DID YOU GET ON THE CALLOWAYS?

DID YOU HAVE GOOD MORNING LIGHT?

David: YEAH, IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.

WE HAD A NICE BLUE SKY.

IT'S LIKE THE OLD DAYS OF DOING A MAGAZINE STORY AND KNOWING THAT THEY ARE ONLY GOING TO USE SIX PHOTOGRAPHS, AND YOU SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, I'VE GOT ABOUT 17 OR 18 HERE THAT ARE REALLY GOOD!

I TRY TO GET SOME LOW SHOTS SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT HIM THROUGH THE NET.

Tom: I JUST THINK THAT GUY'S BENT OVER PULLING ON A NET IS JUST THE QUINTESSENTIAL WATERMAN.

Narrator: DAVID HARP STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING WATERMEN IN THE 1970s WITH THE SKIPJACKS.

HE CHRONICLED THREE GENERATIONS OF ONE WATERMAN FAMILY, THE CALLOWAYS, WHO FISH WITH POUND NETS, THE SAME WAY AS THEIR FATHERS, GRANDFATHERS, AND GREAT GRANDFATHERS.

Tom: I THINK WHAT THE CALLOWAYS ILLUSTRATE IS A WAY OF LIFE THAT ONCE WAS MORE COMMON.

THEY'RE VERY MODERN PEOPLE.

THEY DON'T FARM WITH MULES LIKE THE AMISH.

THEIR FISHING REALLY IS NOT THAT FAR REMOVED FROM VERY EARLY ERAS.

David: THESE ARE NETS THAT HAVE BEEN THE SAME PROCESS AS THE INDIANS USED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO.

IT'S A VERY PRIMAL FORM OF FISHING, BUT VERY EFFECTIVE.

Narrator: THE CALLOWAY WATERMEN ARE PROFILED IN "VOICES FROM THE EDGE."

Calloway: YOU CAN'T JUST SET NETS ANYWHERE IN THE RIVER.

IT'S CERTAIN SPOTS THAT WILL CATCH BETTER, AND IF YOU MOVE IT AS MUCH AS 100 FEET, IT PROBABLY WILL NOT CATCH RIGHT OR IT WILL MULCH UP ON YOU.

WE'VE FISHED ON THE NANTICOKE RIVER FOR FOUR GENERATIONS, AND I'VE GOT A SECOND GRANDSON, SO THAT WOULD BE THE 5TH GENERATION IF BOTH OF THEM WILL FISH FOR US.

Tom: THESE PEOPLE REALLY ARE, IF NOT NATIONAL TREASURES, THEY'RE CERTAINLY REGIONAL TREASURES.

SO I THINK PARTLY WE WANT TO RECORD THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE WAYS OF LIFE ARE FADING PERHAPS.

YOU KNOW, LIFE WILL GO ON, BUT IT WILL BE DIFFERENT.

David: IF I CAN COME BACK FROM A PLACE AND SHOW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO BE THERE INSTEAD OF JUST WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, THEN I'VE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT I'VE GONE OUT TO DO.

Narrator: WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL AMAZED, CONTENT, CONCERNED OR DELIGHTED, DAVID HARP'S PHOTOGRAPHS OFFER A UNIQUE WINDOW INTO THE CHESAPEAKE LANDSCAPE AND WAY OF LIFE.

Narrator: THE CRAB SEASON IS LONG OVER.

THE ICE IS FORMING ON THE BAY, MOST OF THE CRABBERS HAVE PUT UP THEIR BOATS FOR THE WINTER, AND THE CRABS HAVE BURIED THEMSELVES IN THE MUDDY BOTTOM TO KEEP WARM.

BUT WATERMAN DONALD WARREN IS ALREADY THINKING ABOUT NEXT SEASON.

Warren: THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS WE HAVEN'T GOT A VERY GOOD PRICE FOR OUR PRODUCT SO IT'S BEEN MORE DIFFICULT.

WE HAVEN'T MADE THE MONEY THAT WE USED TO MAKE AT IT.

YEARS BEFORE THAT WE MADE A PRETTY GOOD LIVING AT IT.

IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.

I BELIEVE IT'S COMING BACK.

Narrator: WARREN HAS SPENT THE LAST 10 WINTERS WORKING WITH THE DNR WINTER CRAB DREDGING SURVEY.

HE TRANSPORTS SCIENTISTS THROUGH THE ICY WATERS TO MORE THAN 1,000 PREDETERMINED SITES.

Warren: THE WEATHER GETS BAD SOMETIMES, BUT THE JOB'S PRETTY GOOD.

I LIKE GOING OUT AND TRY AND FIND CRABS.

THAT'S THE REWARD.

I CAN GET A REAL GOOD PICTURE OF HOW MANY CRABS ARE IN THE BAY.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW EXACTLY RIGHT DOWN TO THE NUMBER, BUT IT GIVES A GOOD INDICATION WHAT THE CRAB POPULATION IS.

Narrator: THE WORK ON THE WINTER DREDGE SURVEY ACTUALLY BEGINS MONTHS BEFORE IN A SMALL SHACK ON THE EASTERN SHORE.

THE TEAM HAS DEVELOPED A COMPUTER PROGRAM SELECTING, AT RANDOM, 1,500 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE BAY.

Man: LET'S SELECT EASTERN BAY, THE MILES RIVER, AND THE WYE.

Narrator: THE RANDOM SAMPLING PROVIDES A SNAPSHOT OF THE BAY POPULATION.

BIOLOGIST GLEN DAVIS... Glen Davis: THE WINTER GIVES US A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SAMPLE CRABS, CRABS ARE VERY DYNAMIC DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THEY'RE ALWAYS GROWING, THEY'RE BEING CAUGHT, AND THEY'RE MOVING AROUND QUITE A BIT.

AND SO IN THE WINTERTIME, THEY'RE STATIC.

THEY BURY IN THE SEDIMENT, THEY DON'T GROW.

SO WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS ESSENTIALLY GET A SNAPSHOT OF THE ENTIRE BAY, BUT WE CAN TAKE THREE MONTHS TO DO IT.

Narrator: THE DAYS ARE LONG FOR THE DREDGE TEAM.

IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THEIR SURVEY THEY MUST VISIT SEVERAL DOZEN SIGHTS A DAY.

Man: WE'RE DOING 28 TODAY.

WE'RE GOING TO START IN THE HONGA RIVER AND MOVE OUR WAY SOUTH INTO FISHING BAY.

GONNA BE QUITE BUSY.

WE SHOULD SEE A LOT OF CRABS TODAY.

8.9 PARTS PER THOUSAND.

Narrator: ONCE THEY GET TO THEIR PREDETERMINED LOCATION, THE DREDGING OPERATION BEGINS.

ITS VERY PRECISE.

THEY DRAG THE BOTTOM FOR EXACTLY ONE MINUTE, THEN BRING UP THEIR CATCH.

BRENDA DAVIS, DNR CHIEF MARINE BIOLOGIST... Davis: THE SURVEY GIVES US A REALLY GOOD INDICATION OF HOW MANY CRABS THERE ARE IN THE BAY IN ALL THE DIFFERENT SIZE CATEGORIES SO THAT WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT CRABBING SEASON.

THE RESULTS ARE CRITICAL TO HOW MANY CRABS CAN BE HARVESTED THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

THIS IS THE ONLY BAY WIDE SURVEY THAT ENCOMPASSES BOTH MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA, AND THE BLUE CRAB POPULATION IS A BAY WIDE POPULATION.

SO WE GET A CLEAR PICTURE OF HOW MANY CRABS THERE ARE AND IT ALLOWS US TO SET HARVEST LIMITS.

YOU MADE ME PUT READING GLASSES INTO THE BUDGET SO YOU COULD FIND THOSE?

Narrator: ONCE THE DREDGE IS ON BOARD, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF COUNTING AND MEASURING.

Man: WE HAVE A MALE CRAB AT 83 MILLIMETERS.

CRAB WEIGHS IN AT 50 GRAMS.

MALE AT 31.

THAT CRAB WEIGHS IN AT TWO GRAMS EVEN.

ANOTHER MALE CRAB, 67 MILLIMETERS, 21 GRAMS.

Narrator: SURVEY MANAGER CHRIS WALSTROM... Walstrom: THE CRABS THAT ARE COLLECTED AND SAMPLED, THE YOUNG OF THE YEAR, THAT HAVE MOVED UP IN THE LATE FALL GIVES YOU SOME IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT THE FOLLOWING LATE FALL IN TERMS OF LEGAL CRABS.

THE AMOUNT OF FEMALES THAT WE SEE SPAWNING STOCK GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S OUT THERE.

JOE, WE HAVE A SOOK AT 135 MILLIMETERS, AND SHE WEIGHS 110 GRAMS.

THE SURVEY'S NUMBERS ARE USED TO GAUGE THE HEALTH OF OUR CRAB STOCK, AND THEREFORE MANAGEMENT SUGGESTIONS AND REGULATIONS CAN BE PUT IN PLACE TO KEEP OUR STOCK HEALTHY.

SOOK, 134.

Narrator: BY THE END OF THE DAY, THE CREW IS TIRED AND COLD, BUT THEY WILL START ALL OVER AGAIN TOMORROW TO ASSURE THAT THE CRABS CONTINUE TO ESCAPE THE DANGER OF OVER FISHING.

Diver: WE'VE GOT EXCELLENT VISIBILITY.

Captain: THERE'S A GOOD HEALTHY OYSTER.

Narrator: MAJOR EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO RESTORE THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, IMPAIRED BY MANY KINDS, MANY SOURCES, AND MANY DECADES OF RUNOFF AND POLLUTION.

SCIENTISTS ARE MONITORING THE BAY'S DAY-TO-DAY VITAL SIGNS THROUGH AN ARRAY OF DATA-GATHERING SURVEYS AND SAMPLING BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE SURFACE.

ALL THE DATA IS ANALYZED TO TRACK THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTORATION EFFORTS.

THEY ALSO USE NATURE'S OWN BEST METRICS.

THESE ARE INDICATOR SPECIES, LIKE UNDERWATER GRASSES AND OYSTER REEFS.

FOR DECADES, THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS MONITORED WATER QUALITY IN THE BAY.

BRUCE MICHAEL IS DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SERVICE.

Bruce Michael: WE'RE LOOKING FOR NITROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS, SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS.

NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS ARE THE KEY POLLUTANTS THAT ARE CAUSING OUR PROBLEMS WITH LOW DISSOLVED OXYGEN, WITH ALGAL BLOOMS, AND POOR WATER CLARITY.

Narrator: THE SCIENTISTS SAMPLE AT VARIOUS DEPTHS, AN ANALYSIS BEGINS RIGHT ON THE BOAT, A FLOATING LABORATORY.

WATER CLARITY READINGS ARE LESS HIGH TECH, BUT NO LESS EFFECTIVE IN MEASURING HOW DEEP THE DISK GOES BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS IN THE MURKY SEDIMENT-LADEN WATER.

Michael: GRASSES NEED ABOUT A METER, THREE FEET DEPTH OF GOOD WATER CLARITY SO THESE GRASSES HAVE ENOUGH LIGHT.

Narrator: THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS ROUTINELY SAMPLED DOZENS OF SITES ON THE BAY'S MAIN STEM AND TIDAL TRIBUTARIES SINCE 1985.

THIS AND OTHER MONITORING DATA IS PUBLISHED ONLINE AT THE "EYES ON THE BAY" WEBSITE, ACCESSIBLE TO OTHER SCIENTISTS, FISHERMEN, BOATERS AND THE PUBLIC.

ALL THE DATA IS PUT TO WORK GUIDING FAR-FLUNG EFFORTS WHICH CONVERGE IN RESTORATION.

REBOUNDING BAY GRASSES ON THE SUSQUEHANNA FLATS IN UPPER BAY IS A STORY OF SUCCESS.

LEE KARRH, CHIEF OF LIVING RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND HIS TEAM ARE FINDING FLOURISHING GRASS BEDS HERE.

Lee Karrh: WE'RE SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SINGLE LARGEST BAY GRASS BED IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.

FROM WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, GRASS EXTENDS THREE MILES THAT WAY, AND THEN ANOTHER THREE MILES OFF THE OTHER SIDE TOWARDS HAVRE DE GRACE.

THIS IS A NAIAD.

THEN WE HAVE HYDRILLA, COONTAIL, AND THEN WILD CELERY.

THE AMOUNT OF GRASS HERE NOW IS PROBABLY A HUNDRED TIMES GREATER THAN IT WAS IN THE MID-'90s.

Narrator: DIVER MARK LEWANDOWSKI SURVEYS THE UNDERWATER MEADOW NEAR A "FIXED MONITORING STATION," ONE OF DOZENS THROUGHOUT SHALLOW BAY WATERS.

Karrh: BAY GRASSES ARE AN EXCELLENT INDICATOR OF HOW BAY RESTORATION IS GOING.

WHEN THE BAY GRASSES START TO RECOVER IN AN AREA THAT'S BEEN RESTORED, IT SHOWS THAT OUR RESTORATION EFFORTS HAVE WORKED.

BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, WHEN WE START LOSING BAY GRASSES FROM AN AREA, WE KNOW THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS DEGRADING AND WE NEED TO PUT MORE EFFORT INTO THAT AREA.

Narrator: IT'S A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP: CLEAN WATER HELPS BAY GRASSES TO GROW, GRASSES HELP ABSORB NUTRIENTS AND SETTLE OUT SEDIMENTS.

MEANWHILE, ANOTHER ASSESSMENT ARRIVES TO SWAP OUT THE CONTINUOUS MONITORING DEVICE FOR THIS STATION.

BIOLOGIST JOHN ZIMMERELLI... John Zimmerelli: WE WANT TO TRY AND SEE WHAT WATER CHEMISTRY IS GOING ON THAT PROMOTES ALL THIS GRASS GROWTH SO WE CAN TRY AND DUPLICATE IT IN THE LOWER BAY, WHERE THERE'S VERY SPARSE GRASS BEDS.

Narrator: THROUGHOUT THE BAY, SCIENTISTS ARE ALSO TRYING TO RESTORE OYSTERS, ANOTHER BAY SPECIES HIT HARD BY DISEASE, SILT FROM RUNOFF, AND OVER HARVESTING.

ONE PROMISING EFFORT IS THE MARYLAND ARTIFICIAL REEF INITIATIVE, OR "MARI," A COALITION OF OVER 60 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS ALL DEDICATED TO RESTORING FISH AND OYSTER HABITAT BY PLANTING ARTIFICIAL REEFS IN AREAS WHERE THEY USED TO FLOURISH.

STEVE ALLEN DIVES FOR THE OYSTER RECOVERY PARTNERSHIP, ONE OF MARI'S KEY PLAYERS.

Steve Allen: IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE IN THE BAY, TO HELP CLEAN UP THE WATER, AND ALSO PROVIDE HABITAT FOR OTHER ORGANISMS, SUCH AS CRABS AND ROCKFISH.

Narrator: THE ARTIFICIAL REEFS ARE BUILT BY RECYCLING SCRAPPED CONCRETE OR STEEL, EVERYTHING FROM OLD SHIPS TO THE DEMOLISHED WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE.

SIMILAR TO THE BAY GRASSES SURVEY, MARI DIVERS ARE SURVEYING FISH AND OYSTER POPULATIONS AT THESE REEFS TO GAUGE THE SUCCESS OF THE RESTORATION EFFORT.

WESTERN SHORE REEFS, LIKE THIS ONE OFF HOLLAND POINT, ARE LAGGING DUE TO UNRESTRAINED SILTING FROM RUNOFF.

Man: THERE'S SOME OYSTERS RIGHT THERE.

Narrator: BUT MANY EASTERN SHORE ARTIFICIAL REEFS, LIKE THIS ONE OFF TILGHMAN, ARE FLOURISHING.

DOUG WILSON IS AN OCEANOGRAPHER WITH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.

HE'S PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE CHESAPEAKE "INTERPRETIVE BUOY" SYSTEM.

Doug Wilson: THE BUOYS THEMSELVES COLLECT OBSERVATIONS OF WIND, WEATHER, WAVES, CURRENTS AND WATER QUALITY.

YOU CAN ACCESS THE DATA ON THE INTERNET, BUT YOU CAN ALSO FIND OUT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AT THAT LOCATION, THE HISTORY OF THAT LOCATION.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POWER TO THAT, A LOT OF ABILITY TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.

Narrator: THIS INTERPRETIVE SMART BUOY IS BEING DEPLOYED ABOVE THE HUGE ARTIFICIAL DOMINION REEF, BUILT AT HISTORIC "GOOSES FISHING REEF" OFF THE CHOPTANK RIVER.

THE EFFORT IS SPONSORED BY DOMINION ENERGY.

Erick Zlokovitz: HISTORICALLY, THERE WERE A LOT OF OYSTER REEFS ALL AROUND THIS AREA.

Narrator: ERIK ZLOKOVITZ IS ARTIFICIAL REEF COORDINATOR FOR MARYLAND DNR.

Zlokovitz: THIS BUOY IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY COLLECTS SURFACE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS, BUT IT ALSO COLLECTS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE A GOOD FEEL FOR THE WATER QUALITY, INCLUDING THE DISSOLVED OXYGEN, SALINITY, AND TEMPERATURE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM CLOSE TO THE REEF MATERIALS.

Doug Wilson: WE'RE BUILDING A HABITAT FOR FISH AND OYSTERS.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO CORRELATE THOSE CONDITIONS WITH THE FISHING CONDITIONS, AND THE MONITORING OF OYSTER RESTORATION EFFORTS.

Narrator: DIVERS WILL COECT THE DEEP WATER MONITOR TO THE SURFACE BUOY.

Mark Trice: FOR DNR, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS.

Narrator: MARK TRICE IS CHIEF OF WATER QUALITY "INFOMATICS", MARYLAND DNR.

Trice: HOW CAN WE IMPROVE HOW WE MANAGE THE BAY?

HOW CAN THE REEF PERHAPS AFFECT WATER QUALITY IN THE BAY?

IF WE GET OYSTER GROWTH ON THESE REEFS, HOW CAN THAT AFFECT THINGS LIKE WATER CLARITY?

SO REALLY, THIS IS THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF MONITORING.

Narrator: WITH SO MUCH DATA AND SO MUCH EFFORT - IS THERE HOPE FOR THE BAY?

NICK CALOYIANIS, MARINE BIOLOGIST AND UNDERWATER CINEMATOGRAPHER, HAS BEEN DIVING IN THE BAY FOR DECADES.

Caloyianis: SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THE BAY IS GONE AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TO BRING IT BACK.

BUT IT ISN'T GONE.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE "FIELD OF DREAMS," YOU KNOW, BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.

YOU KNOW, THE MARINE LIFE HAS COME BACK.

IT'S NOT DEAD AND GONE, FOR SURE.

Announcer: DROP INTO OUR WEBSITE TO SEND US YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

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[OWL HOOTS] LEARN MORE ABOUT MARYLAND'S DIVERSE NATURAL BEAUTY ON OUR WEBSITE AND IN OUR MAGAZINE.

DNR...INSPIRED BY NATURE, GUIDED BY SCIENCE.

OUTDOORS MARYLAND IS MADE BY MPT, TO SERVE ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS.