Underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay have reached their lowest levels since 2006, according to an annual aerial survey by the Chesapeake Bay Program. Runoff from heavy rains last spring led to abnormally muddy conditions in the Bay, which caused grass acreage to drop by more than 30 percent in some areas, according to the survey. The grasses provide the Bay’s aquatic life with food and a habitat as well as reduce shoreline erosion. Scientists estimate they covered about 63,074 acres in 2011, down from 79,664 in 2010. — Courtney Zott
