A new study has provided a roadmap for improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and mitigating the impacts of humanity on the local ecosystem.

Published in the highly-regarded scientific journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” the piece represents the culmination of research from the 1980s to the present by a team that includes Virginia Institute of Marine Science researcher Robert “JJ” Orth.

The team’s results have been met with “overwhelmingly positive” feedback in the field and garnered the attention of national outlets like The Washington Post and NPR.

The study examines the relationship between nutrient pollution and SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) using aerial surveys from 1984-2015, taking into account biochemical data, fertilizer application, historical records, and watershed model estimates for nutrients and sediments.

In layman’s terms, the study found that a reduction in the amoun...