• Erosion
The wearing away of land surfaces by the movement of water, wind,
or waves.
• Estuary
A special ecosystem formed where fresh water and sea water meet and
intermingle
• Filter
To clean water or other liquid by removing particles
• Hatchery
A place where scientists can hatch and raise fish and shellfish
• Nutrient
A nourishing substance. Too many nutrients in the Bay cause algae to
grow, which is harmful to other plants and animals living in the Bay.
• Oyster Dredge
A harvesting tool that is dragged along an oyster bed to collect oysters.
Oyster dredges can damage Bay grass beds.
• Oyster Bed
A flat area on the Bay floor where oysters are clustered
• Runoff
Precipitation or other water that flows off the land into streams, rivers,
and the Bay
• SAV (Submerged Aquatic Vegetation)
Another name for grasses that grow under the water
• Sediment
Rocks and dirt that run off into the Bay
• Shad
A type of fish that lives in the Chesapeake Bay
• Tributaries
Streams or rivers that flow into another body of water
• Waterman
A person who earns his livelihood by fishing, crabbing, or oystering
on the Chesapeake Bay.
• Watershed
All the land that drains rainfall into a waterway
