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CHESAPEAKE BAY

CHESAPEAKE BAY. Chesapeake as an Estuary. An estuary is: a semi-enclosed body of water that has a free connection with the sea where seawater is mixed with freshwater runoff from the land. -4- Estuary Types. Drowned River Valley Bar-Built Estuary Tectonic Estuary Fjords. Estuary Types.

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CHESAPEAKE BAY

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  1. CHESAPEAKE BAY

  2. . Chesapeake as an Estuary An estuary is: • a semi-enclosed body of water that has a free connection with the sea • where seawater is mixed with freshwater runoff from the land.

  3. -4- Estuary Types • Drowned River Valley • Bar-Built Estuary • Tectonic Estuary • Fjords

  4. Estuary Types

  5. Drowned River Valley This is the most common type of estuary. • Forms during an ice age from glacial melt. • The Chesapeake Bay is a drowned river valley (Susquehanna) • 12,000 – 18,000 years ago

  6. Bar-Built Estuaries • Found where sand bars and barrier islands form. (Outer Banks of NC)

  7. Bar-Built Estuaries • The shallow water behind these barrier islands forms low salinity estuaries.

  8. Tectonic Estuaries • These estuaries form where the land sank (subsided).

  9. Fjords! • Fjords were created when retreating glaciers cut deep in the earth.

  10. Fjords! • Where in the United States might we find fjords?

  11. A watershed is the drainage area for a region.

  12. Virginia’sWatersheds There are 3 Different Watersheds in VA. • The Chesapeake Bay • The Gulf of Mexico • The North Carolina Sounds

  13. Chesapeake Bay North Carolina Sounds Gulf of Mexico

  14. Facts About The Chesapeake Bay

  15. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States.

  16. Can you name the 6 states that make up the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay?

  17. Virginia Maryland West Virginia Delaware New York Pennsylvania

  18. Chesapeake Bay Watershed New York Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware District of Columbia West Virginia Virginia

  19. The water from over 50 rivers empties into the Bay. Can you name the 5major rivers that flow into the bay?

  20. From South to North • James • York • Rappahannock • Potomac • Susquehanna (JYRPS!)

  21. Susquehanna River Potomac River James River Rappahannock River York River

  22. The Susquehanna River provides about 50% of the fresh water coming into the Bay. • The river empties an average of 19 million gallons of water per minute. • The Bay holds 18 trillion gal.

  23. The bay is shallow. Can you guess its average depth? • 106 ft. • 21 ft. • 9ft.

  24. THE ANSWER! • 21 feet is the correct answer. • The deepest spot in the bay is 174 feet near Annapolis Md.

  25. Colonization of Estuaries

  26. For those organisms that can survive the extremes of the estuary, (temp., salinity, oxygen) there is a great deal of food.

  27. Bay Organisms • The Bay is home to over 3600 living organisms! 2700 – plants 348 – finfish 173 - shellfish

  28. Marsh Dwellers • Marsh dwellers are located in and around tidal mudflats. They include small fish, birds, and marsh grasses.

  29. SAV Communities • Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Communities are important for many reasons. They provide shelter for organisms including fish ducks, crabs, and eelgrass.

  30. Plankton Community • The plankton community includes the drifters of the Bay.

  31. Plankton Community Includes phytoplankton, bacteria, and zooplankton.

  32. Benthic Communities • Benthic refers to the bottom of the Bay. Benthic organisms include oysters, clams, barnacles, and mud crabs.

  33. Nekton Communities • Nekton refers to the swimmers of the Bay, many of which use the Bay as a nursery

  34. The Bay area is home to over 15,000,000 people! • About 50,000 commercial vessels enter the Bay each year.

  35. All of these people and activities put a strain on the Bay ecology.

  36. Bay Problems Nutrient Pollution • Fertilizers, manure & sewage add nitrogen and phosphorus to the Bay. • These cause increased algae growth (algal bloom)

  37. Algae blocks sunlight from bottom dwellers. • As the algae dies, it uses up oxygen. • Not enough oxygen left for animals.

  38. Sources of Nutrients Urban Areas Farms Wastewater treatment plants

  39. Bay Problems Loss of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) • Plants that are found on the bottom of the bay provide food and shelter for organisms • These plants are dying because of pollution and sedimentation.

  40. Bay Problems Toxins • Harmful chemicals can be added to the bay from industries, roads, farms and homes. Examples: pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, oil products

  41. Pollution Sources • Point Sources-pollutants that come from a specific source that can be identified (factories, sewage outflows)

  42. Non-point Sources-pollutants that come from a large region and can’t be identified from a specific site (ex- farm runoff or sediments Lawns Parking lots Pesticides)

  43. Bay Problems Exotic Species • Some plants and animals are accidentally or intentionally introduced into the Bay Area (ex. Zebra mussel, snakehead, water milfoil, Rapa whelk) • Have no natural predators so they are hurting the ecosystem.

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