PROJECT SUMMARY FORM

3. Project description (100 words or less)

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is proposing a broad partnership to stimulate interest in, develop knowledge about, and inspire stewardship of seagrass habitats and their inhabitants. An exhibit of seahorses and their relatives is a keystone of this project. Along with the exhibit, a field project is also being planned to restore a 2-acre eelgrass bed in the lower Chesapeake Bay which will include the testing of reintroduction of a native species of seahorse to this restored bed.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

The eelgrass restoration will hopefully succeed in reintroducing the native seahorse to the Chesapeake Bay. It will also provide essential fish habitat for summer flounder, juvenile red drum, black sea bass, and cobia, as well as providing spawning area for the Bay's blue crab population. The other goal of this project is to change human behavior. It is believed that the world-class exhibit will heighten the awareness of the public to human pressures on the Chesapeake Bay.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

	  Federal 		Lead
					 Department of Defense
				Others
					NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Field Office
					Langley Air Force Base
					US Fish and Wildlife Service
	  Non Federal	State government 
				Local government
				Private industry
					RKK Engineers
				Public interest 
					 International Union for the Conservation 
					of Nature
					Project Seahorse
				Educational Facility
					University of Maryland
					Virginia Institute of Marine Science
					Morgan State University
					National Aquarium in Baltimore

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

	  Cash	Federal- Sea Grant: $180,000
				   Department of Defense
			Non Federal 	State government
					Local government
					Private industry
					Public interest groups
					Educational Facility- National Aquarium in Baltimore
			Total	$275,000


	

	  In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar 	 value)
	
	          	
	  Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

• Initiation date 1999
• Completion date
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C) I

9. Contacts

10. Any additional information/comments

None