This is a resource for advisors and students participating in the Maryland State Envirothon competition. It is not inclusive of all content you may need to know for the state competition. Students are expected to have a general understanding of the basics of aquatic ecology and resource management, how to identify common aquatic wildlife and invasive species, and how to assess and improve water quality.

Please feel free to contact Monserrat Pizarro​ at Monserrat.Pizarro@maryland.gov if you have any questions.

Training Resources:

• Maryland Envirothon Aquatic Ecology (PDF)
• Aquatics Training Videos (YouTube)
• Project WET
• WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands
• Eyes on the Bay
• Environmental Concern

​Study Guide:

• Maryland State Envirothon Aquatics Study Guide

Test Question Resources:

Questions for the test were generated from each resource listed below. In the case of web page links, only the opening page of the link was used for question generation unless marked otherwise. With PDF documents, students should study the complete document, unless specific pages are listed.

• Basic Information about Watersheds (home page only)
• Introduction to an Ecosystem generally
• Invasive Description
• Chinese Mitten Crab
• USGS, Water Science School
• Water-Cycle
• Streamflow
• The Global Conveyor Belt – Thermohaline circulation, Effects of Climate Change
• Atmosphere & Water Cycle
• Water Use in the US
• Conservation choices: pages 1-8, 12-14, 16-18, 20, 22-28 (on booklet, not PDF) **focus on descriptions and benefits!!**​
  
• Issues in Ecology:
• Focus on Summary Page
• Page 5, Box 1
• Basic Concepts, focus on Water Cycle section
• Recovery Plan for Threatened Rufa Red Knot
• *How wet is your state?
• Know how to read graph and understand how to get the percent of the state covered in water. Dataset will be provided during test
• Life in the Estuary
• Marine Pollution & Algal Blooms
• Maryland Green Registry
• Bay Food Web
• Conservation Landscaping
• Ecosystems
• Focus on graphics in carousel
• Macroinvertebrate Dichotomous Key​
• Maryland Fish Facts
  
• *Maryland Freshwater Fish Dichotomous Key​
• US Fish & Wildlife Service (US F&WS), federal agency
  https://www.fws.gov/about/mis​sion-and-vision
  https://www.fws.gov/library/categories/laws
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), federal agency
  https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/our-mission-and-what-we-do
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR), state agency
  https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/about_dnr.aspx
  https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2019/09/04/timeline-our-story-begins/
• Maryland Environmental Service (MES), not for profit business unit* of state of MD
  https://menv.com/about/
• Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), state agency
  https://mde.mary​land.gov/Pages/AboutMDE.aspx

* = Provided at State Test

Additional Resources:

In addition to the resources listed above, you can find useful information below about various aquatic topics. Keep in mind that test questions do not come directly from these sources.

• Renewable Energy Rundown: Hydropower
  
• Chesapeake Bay - Official Chesapeake Bay Program Website
• EPA Water Conservation Plan Guidelines
• Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
• Best Management Practices for Water Conservation
• Coral Reef Ecosystems
• ​ Chesapeake Bay-Maryland National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR) sites
• Stroud Water Research Center, River Continuum Concept: https://stroudcenter.org/continuum/

For more information, visit the Maryland Envirothon Website