Chesapeake Bay

Largest estuary in the United States Land and Ocean Meet Protected High Nutrients One of the most productive ecosystem in world!

Widely Known Fishing Industry of Blue Crab Oysters Clams Striped Bass No other American estuary has a higher yield

The Bay Is Not Healthy Notice the green throughout the bay.

Causes of algal blooms Excess nutrients in the water leads to an explosion of algae the availability of nitrogen is no longer a limiting factor holding their growth in check.

What causes the excess nutrients? Rivers and tributaries are bringing the nutrients to the Chesapeake Bay. Farming Fertilizers Animal waste – 650 million lbs of chicken manure each year in just MD. Sewage http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/us/29poultry.html – good article on chicken manure in MD

The problem of excess nutrients and algae Algae die  detritus Detritus  decomposed by microbes Microbes explode They have a lot of detritus to eat Microbes use oxygen Use up the oxygen in the water. (Now low dissolved oxygen) Less oxygen  kills fish and other organisms that need the oxygen to live Dead zone Fish kill caused by nutrient build-up, Nanticoke River, Chesapeake Bay, 1992