Potomac River Grasses on Rebound, Study Finds

WASHINGTON - A new study finds underwater grasses in the Potomac River are rebounding as restoration efforts are cutting pollution in the waterway.

Grasses are a key habitat for many species and an indicator of waterway health.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday that coverage in the lower Potomac has doubled since 1990. The study by researchers from the USGS and England's National Oceanography Centre appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Researchers also found native plants had increased with more than a dozen species now found in a stretch that was almost barren during a 1978-1981 USGS study.

USGS scientist Dr. Nancy Rybicki says the increases have occurred as cuts have been made in sediment and pollutants such as nitrogen from sewage.

Online:

USGS release: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/