The purpose of water quality testing is to monitor specific parameters in bodies of water such as the Chesapeake Bay. Changes in these parameters may be harmful to the organisms in and around the Bay. Many factors can affect the quality of the water in a ecosystem including discharges of industrial or agricultural wastes. Field observations and measurements allow NOAA scientists to look for links between land use and its effects on water quality. During NOAA Restoraiton Day in Virginia, NOAA and Virginia Institute of Marine Science staff taught volunteers the importance of water quality protection and the science behind water monitoring. Volunteers tested water from the James River for pH, temperature, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen.

NCBO's Education Coordinator Jill Bieri prepares water quality testing kits for use by volunteers at NOAA Restoration Day in Virginia.	Students from I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, test and record water quality from samples collected from the James River. unteers at NOAA Restoration Day in Virginia.