Journal of Emerging Scholarship

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) refers to the rooted, vascular plants that are important for the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the organisms that reside in this environment. Our goal was to identify SAV in Maryland using DNA barcoding and survey genetic information from different locations. SAV samples were collected from Cattail Creek and the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC). DNA was extracted, amplified, and sequenced. Sequences were compared with a database to obtain identification of our samples. The Rubisco gene was used to successfully identify the SAV at the genus level. Future work could include modifying the protocol to identify at the species level.