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Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay. Largest estuary in the United States. 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.

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Chesapeake Bay

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  1. Chesapeake Bay

  2. Largest estuary in the United States

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

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

  5. 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.

  6. 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

  7. The problem of excess nutrients and algae Fish kill caused by nutrient build-up, Nanticoke River, Chesapeake Bay, 1992 • 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

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