Alarming 'dead zone' grows in the Chesapeake
By Darrul Fears, July 24,2011 Washington Post
A giant underwater "dead zone" in the Chesapeake Bay is growing at an alarming rate because of unusually high nutrient pollution levels this year, according to Virginia and Maryland officials. They said the expanding area of oxygen-starved water is on track to become the bay's largest ever.
This year's Chesapeake Bay dead zone covers a third of the bay, stretching from the Baltimore Harbor to the bay's mid-channel region in the Potomac River, about 83 miles, when it was last measured in late June. It has since expanded beyond the Potomac into Virginia, officials said.
Especially heavy flows of tainted water from the Susquehanna River brought as much nutrient pollution into the bay by May as normally comes in an entire average year, a Maryland Department of Natural Resources researcher said. As a result, "in Maryland we saw the worst June" ever for nutrient pollution, said Bruce Michael, director of the DNR's resource assessment service.
That's bad news for biologists who monitor the bay and horrible news for oysters and fish. Dead zones suck out oxygen from deep waters and kill any marine life that can't get out of the way.
Nutrient pollution from chemicals such as fertilizers provide a feast for bay algae, which bloom and die in a rapid cycle. They decompose into a black glop that sucks oxygen out of deeper waters. Oysters and other shellfish are doomed in dead zones. Fish and crabs can skitter to surface waters where there's more oxygen, but some don't make it, Michael said.
No one knows how many marine creatures perish in dead zones, "because we just don't know what goes on down there," Michael said.
"We know it's not good habitat for fish," he said. Chesapeake Bay shad, rockfish, oysters and crabs are already threatened species.
"If there's not good habitat, they're stressed and they
won't reproduce,'' Michael said. "They're more susceptible to disease and won't eat. We want them to eat a lot of food and reproduce and grow."
Donald Boesch, president of the Center for Environmental Science at the University of Maryland and an expert on dead zones, said this year's water flow will rank at least among the five largest, a result of heavier-than-normal rains and snow melt mixed with high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment.
Dead zones are a yearly occurrence caused by pollution in water that runs off cities and farms. They form in summer and usually dissipate in fall, sucking oxygen from deep waters and leaving dead oysters, clams, fish and crabs in their wake.
A similar phenomenon is taking shape in the Mississippi River Valley, where tons of chemical fertilizer run off huge industrial farms, the Nature Conservancy announced recently. Findings by researchers at Texas A&M University support predictions that remarkably heavy rains and snow melt in the valley will create the largest-ever dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dead zones run the length of the Atlantic Coast. Environmentalists say they are a testament to reports that pollution loads from ever-expanding cities and suburbs are growing and, in some cases, creating a monster.
Showing posts with label Chesapeake Bay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chesapeake Bay. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Chessie (the manatee) returns to Chesapeake Bay (via Chad Arment)
Famous Manatee Sighted in Chesapeake Bay After Long Absence
Gainesville, Fla. – A manatee spotted this week in Calvert County, Maryland is the same one that first made waves 17 years ago when he appeared in Chesapeake Bay just before the onset of winter and later had to be rescued.
Named "Chessie," the manatee's identity was verified by U.S. Geological Survey biologist Cathy Beck, who used photos taken July 12 and matched them with Chessie's photographic record in a USGS manatee database. Chessie's tell-tale markings include a long, gray scar on his left side.
USGS scientists regularly document manatee sightings to analyze life histories of individuals as part of an ongoing effort to estimate adult survival rates of the endangered Florida manatee. Yet, biologists were surprised to find it was Chessie, a well-known manatee who has not been seen for about 10 years. The last time USGS researchers confirmed a sighting of Chessie was after he swam through Great Bridge Locks in Virginia on August 30, 2001.
By then, Chessie was already well known. After being found in the Kent Narrows area of the Chesapeake Bay in the fall of 1994, researchers became concerned about how he would fare in the oncoming winter. Manatees suffer negative health effects when they endure water temperatures below 68 degrees for any length of time. With water temperatures dropping in the bay, the Marine Animal Rescue Program at the National Aquarium worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Seaworld Orlando, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to rescue Chessie. He was cared for at the aquarium for several days before being successfully flown back to Florida and released.
The current sighting is not driving any plans to rescue Chessie, as the water is still warm and manatees typically work their way back down the eastern seaboard to Florida on their own when cooler weather sets in.
Scientists are not sure whether Chessie visits the Chesapeake Bay every year. After Chessie's 1994 rescue, USGS tagged him and found that he did migrate back to Chesapeake Bay the following spring. Much of what scientists know about manatee migration comes from studies that use radio and satellite tags to reveal key facts about manatees' habitat needs, such as how they use seagrasses and winter refuges.
In general, scientists believe manatee migration from Florida to the Chesapeake Bay may not be unusual, and in fact Chessie was named after legendary sightings of a "sea monster" in the Chesapeake Bay throughout the twentieth century.
Chessie was spotted and identified this year due to the help of two bystanders who took pictures of him and contacted Jennifer Dittmar, the National Aquarium's Coordinator for the Northeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Dittmar forwarded Beck photos of the manatees head and back.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2855
Gainesville, Fla. – A manatee spotted this week in Calvert County, Maryland is the same one that first made waves 17 years ago when he appeared in Chesapeake Bay just before the onset of winter and later had to be rescued.
Named "Chessie," the manatee's identity was verified by U.S. Geological Survey biologist Cathy Beck, who used photos taken July 12 and matched them with Chessie's photographic record in a USGS manatee database. Chessie's tell-tale markings include a long, gray scar on his left side.
USGS scientists regularly document manatee sightings to analyze life histories of individuals as part of an ongoing effort to estimate adult survival rates of the endangered Florida manatee. Yet, biologists were surprised to find it was Chessie, a well-known manatee who has not been seen for about 10 years. The last time USGS researchers confirmed a sighting of Chessie was after he swam through Great Bridge Locks in Virginia on August 30, 2001.
By then, Chessie was already well known. After being found in the Kent Narrows area of the Chesapeake Bay in the fall of 1994, researchers became concerned about how he would fare in the oncoming winter. Manatees suffer negative health effects when they endure water temperatures below 68 degrees for any length of time. With water temperatures dropping in the bay, the Marine Animal Rescue Program at the National Aquarium worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Seaworld Orlando, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to rescue Chessie. He was cared for at the aquarium for several days before being successfully flown back to Florida and released.
The current sighting is not driving any plans to rescue Chessie, as the water is still warm and manatees typically work their way back down the eastern seaboard to Florida on their own when cooler weather sets in.
Scientists are not sure whether Chessie visits the Chesapeake Bay every year. After Chessie's 1994 rescue, USGS tagged him and found that he did migrate back to Chesapeake Bay the following spring. Much of what scientists know about manatee migration comes from studies that use radio and satellite tags to reveal key facts about manatees' habitat needs, such as how they use seagrasses and winter refuges.
In general, scientists believe manatee migration from Florida to the Chesapeake Bay may not be unusual, and in fact Chessie was named after legendary sightings of a "sea monster" in the Chesapeake Bay throughout the twentieth century.
Chessie was spotted and identified this year due to the help of two bystanders who took pictures of him and contacted Jennifer Dittmar, the National Aquarium's Coordinator for the Northeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Dittmar forwarded Beck photos of the manatees head and back.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2855
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Two Million Fish Found Dead In Maryland
Around two million fish have died in the Chesapeake Bay area in Maryland, just days after two similar incidents elsewhere in the US baffled scientists.
Officials are now trying to find out what happened.
Maryland Department of the Environment spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus told Sky News Online that at the moment it does not look like pollution is to blame.
She said: "The dead fish are mainly juvenile spot fish, and they can't survive very cold water temperatures. Typically they should have left the bay by now.
"Our working theory, that looks pretty strong, is that it's been caused by cold water stress."
This mass "fish kill", as it is called, happened after water temperatures plunged to near record lows in the area in late December, but scientists have yet to prove conclusively that this was the cause.
Elsewhere in the US, large numbers of sudden bird and fish deaths have perplexed biologists.
Just days ago, an estimated 500 small birds, mostly blackbirds, fell out of the sky in Louisiana.
On New Year's Eve in Arkansas, thousands of the same species were found, followed by the discovery of around 100,000 dead fish in a river about a hundred miles away.
Officials think that power lines may be to blame for the Louisiana deaths, and fireworks or lightning could have been responsible for what happened in Arkansas.
The events are not being linked, but similar scenarios across the world are adding to the mystery.
Officials reported around 50 jackdaws had been found dead on a street in Sweden, and other unexplained mass fish deaths have occurred recently in Brazil and New Zealand.
Large fish kills have happened before in Chesapeake Bay, most notably in 1976 and 1980. Officials acknowledged that the most recent incident is the biggest since those events.
Hannah Thomas-Peter, Sky News Online
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Two-Million-Fish-Found-Dead-In-Chesapeake-Bay-Maryland-After-Birds-Die-In-Arkansas-And-Louisiana/Article/201101115880847?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15880847_Two_Million_Fish_Found_Dead_In_Chesapeake_Bay_Maryland_After_Birds_Die_In_Arkansas_And_Louisiana
Officials are now trying to find out what happened.
Maryland Department of the Environment spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus told Sky News Online that at the moment it does not look like pollution is to blame.
She said: "The dead fish are mainly juvenile spot fish, and they can't survive very cold water temperatures. Typically they should have left the bay by now.
"Our working theory, that looks pretty strong, is that it's been caused by cold water stress."
This mass "fish kill", as it is called, happened after water temperatures plunged to near record lows in the area in late December, but scientists have yet to prove conclusively that this was the cause.
Elsewhere in the US, large numbers of sudden bird and fish deaths have perplexed biologists.
Just days ago, an estimated 500 small birds, mostly blackbirds, fell out of the sky in Louisiana.
On New Year's Eve in Arkansas, thousands of the same species were found, followed by the discovery of around 100,000 dead fish in a river about a hundred miles away.
Officials think that power lines may be to blame for the Louisiana deaths, and fireworks or lightning could have been responsible for what happened in Arkansas.
The events are not being linked, but similar scenarios across the world are adding to the mystery.
Officials reported around 50 jackdaws had been found dead on a street in Sweden, and other unexplained mass fish deaths have occurred recently in Brazil and New Zealand.
Large fish kills have happened before in Chesapeake Bay, most notably in 1976 and 1980. Officials acknowledged that the most recent incident is the biggest since those events.
Hannah Thomas-Peter, Sky News Online
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Two-Million-Fish-Found-Dead-In-Chesapeake-Bay-Maryland-After-Birds-Die-In-Arkansas-And-Louisiana/Article/201101115880847?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15880847_Two_Million_Fish_Found_Dead_In_Chesapeake_Bay_Maryland_After_Birds_Die_In_Arkansas_And_Louisiana
Two Million Fish Found Dead In Maryland
Around two million fish have died in the Chesapeake Bay area in Maryland, just days after two similar incidents elsewhere in the US baffled scientists.
Officials are now trying to find out what happened.
Maryland Department of the Environment spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus told Sky News Online that at the moment it does not look like pollution is to blame.
She said: "The dead fish are mainly juvenile spot fish, and they can't survive very cold water temperatures. Typically they should have left the bay by now.
"Our working theory, that looks pretty strong, is that it's been caused by cold water stress."
This mass "fish kill", as it is called, happened after water temperatures plunged to near record lows in the area in late December, but scientists have yet to prove conclusively that this was the cause.
Elsewhere in the US, large numbers of sudden bird and fish deaths have perplexed biologists.
Just days ago, an estimated 500 small birds, mostly blackbirds, fell out of the sky in Louisiana.
On New Year's Eve in Arkansas, thousands of the same species were found, followed by the discovery of around 100,000 dead fish in a river about a hundred miles away.
Officials think that power lines may be to blame for the Louisiana deaths, and fireworks or lightning could have been responsible for what happened in Arkansas.
The events are not being linked, but similar scenarios across the world are adding to the mystery.
Officials reported around 50 jackdaws had been found dead on a street in Sweden, and other unexplained mass fish deaths have occurred recently in Brazil and New Zealand.
Large fish kills have happened before in Chesapeake Bay, most notably in 1976 and 1980. Officials acknowledged that the most recent incident is the biggest since those events.
Hannah Thomas-Peter, Sky News Online
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Two-Million-Fish-Found-Dead-In-Chesapeake-Bay-Maryland-After-Birds-Die-In-Arkansas-And-Louisiana/Article/201101115880847?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15880847_Two_Million_Fish_Found_Dead_In_Chesapeake_Bay_Maryland_After_Birds_Die_In_Arkansas_And_Louisiana
Officials are now trying to find out what happened.
Maryland Department of the Environment spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus told Sky News Online that at the moment it does not look like pollution is to blame.
She said: "The dead fish are mainly juvenile spot fish, and they can't survive very cold water temperatures. Typically they should have left the bay by now.
"Our working theory, that looks pretty strong, is that it's been caused by cold water stress."
This mass "fish kill", as it is called, happened after water temperatures plunged to near record lows in the area in late December, but scientists have yet to prove conclusively that this was the cause.
Elsewhere in the US, large numbers of sudden bird and fish deaths have perplexed biologists.
Just days ago, an estimated 500 small birds, mostly blackbirds, fell out of the sky in Louisiana.
On New Year's Eve in Arkansas, thousands of the same species were found, followed by the discovery of around 100,000 dead fish in a river about a hundred miles away.
Officials think that power lines may be to blame for the Louisiana deaths, and fireworks or lightning could have been responsible for what happened in Arkansas.
The events are not being linked, but similar scenarios across the world are adding to the mystery.
Officials reported around 50 jackdaws had been found dead on a street in Sweden, and other unexplained mass fish deaths have occurred recently in Brazil and New Zealand.
Large fish kills have happened before in Chesapeake Bay, most notably in 1976 and 1980. Officials acknowledged that the most recent incident is the biggest since those events.
Hannah Thomas-Peter, Sky News Online
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Two-Million-Fish-Found-Dead-In-Chesapeake-Bay-Maryland-After-Birds-Die-In-Arkansas-And-Louisiana/Article/201101115880847?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15880847_Two_Million_Fish_Found_Dead_In_Chesapeake_Bay_Maryland_After_Birds_Die_In_Arkansas_And_Louisiana
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