Summary of Existing Conditions of the Biota of Chesapeake Bay

Abstract

researchers has undergone exponential growth. The increased numbers of individuals involved, with their collecting tools and vessels, has led one wag to comment that the research effort itself constitutes an environmental threat. Indeed, one zooplankton specialist has earned the reputation of a super predator in that he collected over 5 million fish eggs and larvae in a single year. On the serious side, much information is available and much has been published. However, the sheer volume of extant data precludes adequate and worthwhile coverage in brief form in a restricted time period. An alternative solution, to ask competent and experienced workers to give a precis of the state of knowledge within their area of interest, was chosen to accomplish this task. These summaries have been composited, reviewed, and presented altogether as an estimate of the current state of the art. Such a composite allows areas of "amazing ignorance" to be quickly assayed. Specialists for a diverse group of taxa including bacteria, parasites, plants, and animals were contacted and requested to provide a summary statement touching on five general areas: (a) status of taxonomical knowledge, (b) status of knowledge concerning distribution and abundance, (c) status of biological knowledge (autecology), (d) status of knowledge about the role of the taxon in the Bay ecosystem (synecology) and (e) status of knowledge of the sensitivity of the group to man-induced environmental changes. Cooperators were not compensated for their time or effort. Without their cooperation this report 'Contribution No. 506, Natural Resources Institute, University of Maryland; Reference No. 72-id, Oceanography Limnology Program, Smithsonian Institution; Contribution No. 482, Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 2Present address: Office of Technical Analysis, Room 3211 F-Waterside Mall, Environmental Protection Agency, 410 M Street, Washington, D.C. 20460.