by Joy Zhang ’14

On May 6, a group of AP Environmental Science students will go to the Chesapeake Bay to restore the shoreline on the South River-side of Thomas Point. AP Environmental Science teacher Laura Dinerman organized the project, which has been going on for six years.

Since the beginning of the school year, Dinerman and a group of students have maintained an aqua-ecosystem in the K-wing courtyard. In this ecosystem, 10 rockfish are housed in a 250 gallon tank which is biologically filtered by the salt marsh grass. During the May trip, students will plant the salt marsh grass and release the rockfish at Thomas Point.

The project is meant to help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Plants that were previously along the South River were smothered and killed by sediment. Planting salt marsh grass will stabilize the damaged shoreline by holding soil in place, preventing erosion. The grass will also become home to a number of new organisms. Releasing the rockfish is an effort to replenish their population, which suffered greatly years ago due to overfishing. Rockfish are crucial to the Chesapeake because they are an important predator, which keeps the populations of other organisms at a sustainable size. Ultimately, this project will greatly improve the water quality and ecosystems of the Chesapeake, and help it move toward a cleaner future.