Aquatic life below the water line has a strong influence on the entire ecosystem of an estuary. Submerged aquatic vegitation (SAV) are vital for regulation of the underwater habitat, and influence the life outside it. The SAV are critical for providing habitat for fish and aquatic insects and produce a significant amount of dissolved oxygen.

Scientists from the National Estuarine Research Reserve have been working to further understand SAV dynamics in our rivers and estuaries. In a large project to develop useful maps of underwater vegetation, they hope to help alleviate ecosystems that are suffering from unstable living conditions.