Leight, A., Jacobs, J., Gonsalves, L., Messick, G., McLaughlin, S., Lewis, J. 2014. Coastal Ecosystem Assessment of Chesapeake Bay Watersheds: A Story of Three Rivers – the Corsica, Magothy, and Rhode. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 189. NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

Agriculture, Analysis, Assessment, Climate change, Coastal, Estuary, Eutrophication, Fish, Habitat, Nutrients, Shellfish, Suburban, Urbanization, Water quality, Watershed, Climate, Land use, Sources, Aquatic community, Biodiversity, Wildlife, Aquatic ecosystems, Biology, Hypoxia

This report describes an assessment of three subwatersheds of the Chesapeake Bay (U.S.): the Corsica (largely agricultural), Magothy (largely suburban), and Rhode (mixed-use). The assessment evaluated the relationship between land use and the overall health of the aquatic ecosystem. Habitat health was evaluated using water quality metrics and observations of the growth, abundance, diversity, and disease incidence of fish and shellfish in the study areas.