Chesapeake Bay Dead Zones

This is a very interesting article from the Miami Herald about how different causes are having an effect on the Chesapeake Bay. Some scientists now think winds may also be having an effect on dead zones in the bay. Essentially what happens is that some of the deeper salt water does not receive enough oxygen. They now think that winds may have more to do with than tides. Some of this is because of the nutrient rich waters from the tributary rivers that contain an excess of fertilizers. This then causes algae blooms on the bay which block sunlight from reaching below. A new grant will allow scientists to better monitor the bay for a variety of conditions to better make recommendations.



In the articles it also discusses how lobbying groups like American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of Home Builders are trying to get the EPA to change their models. Their contention will be that the fertilizer and storm runoffs are not that big of a cause for the dead zones. This article though from the Washington Post discusses how high nutrient levels from fertilizers are causing one of the biggest dead zones the bay has ever seen. They talk about how by May the bay had already received the amount of nutrients from its tributary rivers that it would normally get in a full year. These dead zones stress the marine life and then they are less likely to reproduce further hurting populations in future years.


The EPA limits being installed for the Chesapeake Bay region could have far reaching effects once installed. If this helps to improve aquatic life in the bay there is a likelihood that similar restrictions may be placed on states in the Mississippi River basin. The improved EPA restrictions are in part a result of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation suing the EPA for weak regulations over the past decades.