The Health of the Chesapeake Bay
Photo courtesy of NASA
Video courtesy of EPA
Scientists studying the Chesapeake Bay use many measures to determine the health of the Bay. The interaction of biological and physical forces in the Bay is a complex process, but the health of the Bay can be thought about in simpler terms related to the amount of light and oxygen available to the plants and animals that live below the surface of the water.
The high level of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus added to and recycled within the Bay is a primary cause of declining Bay health and is the focus of the Chesapeake Bay game. Within the pages of this website, you can explore how:
- Excess nutrients in the Chesapeake Bay cause areas of low dissolved oxygen, which can harm marine life including sea grasses, crabs, and fish.
- Physical processes in the Bay, including the flow of water contribute to the development of areas of low dissolved oxygen.
- Biological processes, including the movement of nutrients through the food web, also contribute to areas of low dissolved oxygen.
- You can help improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing the amount of nutrients flowing into its waters each year.
2009 Bay Update
The video below presents EPA's 2009 update on the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. Dissolved oxygen specifically is discussed starting at 1:55.
Video courtesy of the Chesapeake Bay Program.
For more information on the Chesapeake Bay and its health, visit the Chesapeake Bay Program website.
The information presented in this website is adapted from Oxygen Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay: A Synthesis of Recent Research and from the Chesapeake Bay Program website. Symbols used on this site are courtesy of the Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.