Ground surveys were accomplished by cooperative efforts from a number of agencies and individuals. Although not all areas of Chesapeake Bay were ground surveyed, the data did provide valuable supplemental information. The ground surveys confirmed the existence of some SAV beds mapped from the 2008 1:24,000 scale aerial photography, as well as SAV beds that were too small to be visible on the 1:24,000 scale photography. The surveys also provided species data for many of the SAV beds. Ground survey information supplied to VIMS researchers is included on the SAV distribution and abundance digital maps and included in the VIMS SAV GIS Database. The group that performed each survey is designated by a unique symbol to identify the different methods of sampling. In many cases the symbols on the SAV maps have been offset from the actual sampling point to avoid confusion with the mapped SAV bed. Where species information was available, it is included on the map. Because of space limitations on the maps, occasionally one or more survey points are combined where the information was duplicated. All ground survey data supplied to VIMS are tabulated in the ground survey table.

Ground survey data were obtained in 2008 by:

• Peter Bergstrom of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the Susquehanna Flats; Prospect Bay; Magothy, Patapsco, Severn, Patuxent, and Choptank rivers

• Todd Beser of Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) for Gunpowder River

• Cassandra Carr, Amanda Peñafiel, and Carolyn Blakeney of Maryland Environmental Service (MES) for Back River

• Candace Croswell of Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management (BCDEPRM) for the Middle, Gunpowder, Back, and Patapsco rivers

• Patricia Delgado, Rebecca Golden, and Mitch Tarnowski of Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD-DNR) for Susquehanna Flats; Pocomoke Sound; Broad Creek; and Bush, Elk, Sassafras, Gunpowder, Potomac, Tred Avon, St. Mary’s, Manokin, Big Annemessex, Little Annemessex, and Patuxent rivers

• Renee Gruber and Debbie Hinkle of University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science - Horn Point Laboratory (HPEL) for Broad Creek and Choptank, Honga, and Little rivers

• Terry Willis of Chesapeake College for the Chester River

• Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) for areas of the Chesapeake that include the Broad and Chincoteague bays

VIMS researchers made observations principally from small boats and by diving in areas identified from the aerial photographs.