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Resources: York River Water Budget - SAV as an Indicator of Estuarine Conditions
 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) has been considered as an ecological indicator for estuarine health due to its contributions to estuarine productivity, through the support of dense faunal communities and its role as an ecosystem engineer, affecting changes in habitat that impact the entire community, from bacteria to animals.
SAV species in the Bay:
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Zostera marina - lower reaches of the Bay
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Ruppia maritima - marine and brackish water regions
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Hydrilla sp. - upper regions of the
Pamunkey and Mattaponi with pockets of Vallisneria americana.
A number of factors control plant growth along with freshwater flow and salinity:
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temperature,
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light, depth,
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sediment type and
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nutrient supply.
Seasonal changes in the plant community are an important consideration for flow regulation. Seasonal patterns of growth in V. americana in the Chesapeake Bay indicates that late spring and early summer may be the most important time for population establishment and resource procurement.
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