Chesapeake Bay Environmental Analysis

It is their home, their thriving place. According to the National WIldlife Federation, ¨The Bay supports 3,600 species of plant and animal life, including more than 300 fish species and 2,700 plant types.”. Not only does the wildlife depend on the bay, but humans do as well. The Chesapeake Bay contains a 64,000-square-mile watershed, this watershed provides large amounts of drinking water for us in Maryland, along with several other states. Everyday, the condition of the water declines, meaning the home for wildlife and our drinking water does too. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation pointed out that, ¨Toxic chemicals are constantly entering the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams via wastewater, agriculture, stormwater, and air pollution. These harmful chemicals, such as mercury, PCBs, and PAHs, do not break down easily and persist in the environment for many years, impacting not just fish and birds, but humans as well.¨. How important does the restoration of the bay sound

Scientists and researchers began giving a large volume of effort and look into the extremely complex problems that face the Chesapeake Bay. When research for the improving and saving of the Bay’s overall health began it seemed very simple and there were only a couple of problems. The problems included nutrients from agricultural runoff; these nutrients were phosphorus and nitrogen. The combination of the nutrients in the Bay caused a large volume of algae that choked some of the marine life. While bringing in algae the nutrients also killed grasses on the seafloor. These seafloor bed grasses that once covered more than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s floor now only covered a tenth of their original area. Though the estuary was having problems it did not receive the terrible pollution from industries that many large rivers and lakes do in other urban areas (Brown, p. 397).

Between 1813 and 1962, steamboats ruled the Chesapeake Bay, reflected in a fascinating and important era, in which trade and travel were made more convenient with steamers that linked parts of Maryland and Virginia, with distant and isolated rural communities along the Eastern Shore, in particular, including Piankatank River and Occohannock Creek in Virginia, Hudson Creek off the Little Choptank River in Maryland, Bushwood, and Rock Point It made possible access to certain goods and services typically unavailable east of the Bay, along with opportunities for leisure and entertainment.

With the algae growing so close to the edge or shoreline they are constantly taking in the run-off or whatever may be on the shoreline. This makes it very bad for not just the algae but also the the water and species living down under. A lot of this pollution may come from the big city plants. Their disposals might just be fed right into the Chesapeake Bay and they probably do not care. This is a big problem all over the world, not just the Chesapeake Bay. (Decline of Submerged Plants in the Chesapeake Bay) Another reason to why there is such a decline in not just algae but other grasses is that the warming trend over the last 20 years, global warming. By the looks of it, the warming trend is not going to stop, so this may be a problem to deal with for a longer time. Natural diseases is another way the decline in algae and other grass plants is happening. Mostly dead organisms is the reason for these natural diseases. Once you get a bunch of bacteria and fungi, you will hope to get rid of the algae or grasses because it will most likely just end up making the Bay worse, and turning away species. The number of hurricanes the Chesapeake Bay takes does not help the cause. Hurricanes are affecting the salinity of the Bay. The salinity affects the growth and the amount that grows in a plant as well. (Decline of Submerged Plants in the Chesapeake Bay) The pollution can fall down into the water and you may find pollutants in the sediment. The sediment is home to many species. It can be very protective to large predators and large predators can possibly hide in there while they wait for an attack. Ways the pollutants are getting down there is carelessness by the fisherman and the people in charge of it to take

The Chesapeake colonial region was largely influenced by its geography. With open fields, fertile soil, and conducive weather, farming was a significant part of life in the Chesapeake area. Farming not only constituted for large part of the economy, but was also an attraction to many young men trying to make money. The economy of the region was primarily based on tobacco, indigo, and rice. The main religion upheld was Protestant Christianity. The government of the colonies was run by a councillor who was appointed by the king, and a “House of Representatives” elected by the people. Given that a major part of the colonies were farming, the region quickly transitioned from using indentured servants to using slaves. Hierarchically, men were the

"The Long Island Sound is a national treasure, to be prized for its beauty, abundant and diverse resources, and recreational and commercial opportunities" (Long Island Sound Study). It is true that for many of the residents of the area the Long Island Sound is a source of inspiration and renewal. The Sound is widely believed to be the most substantial natural component adding to the beauty of the entire island. The Long Island Sound provides more then just beautiful scenery, but crucial natural elements that aide both human and animal residents. Despite all that the sound provides, it suffers many of the same problems as most natural features, pollution. The sound is a crucial part in maintaining the quality of life on Long Island, so its

Atmospheric deposition is the process, long recognized by scientists, whereby precipitation (rain, snow, fog), particles, aerosols, and gases move from the atmosphere to the earth's surface. Materials reaching the earth in precipitation or as dry deposition originate from a variety of air pollution sources and can be harmful to the environment and public health. Acidic deposition is the most widely acknowledged form of atmospheric deposition, with well-known effects on lakes, streams, and forests. More recently, atmospheric contributions of nutrients have received increasing attention, particularly as a source of excessive nitrogen entering the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, atmospheric deposition may be a significant source of environmental

Maryland is a beautiful place with pretty landforms lakes,etc. Coastal Plain. The fall line separates the Piedmont Plateau from the third major geographic landform in Maryland, the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This flat landscape borders both sides of the Chesapeake Bay and encompasses the entire Eastern Shore.There were conflicts in maryland about religions and stuff like that, “Religious conflict was strong in ensuing years as the American Puritans, growing more numerous in Maryland and supported by Puritans in England, set out to revoke the religious freedoms guaranteed in the founding of the colony.” In 1649, Maryland Governor William Stone responded by passing an act ensuring religious liberty and justice to all who believed in Jesus Christ.”

Chesterfield Inlet and Wager Bay are located in northwestern Hudson Bay within the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut (63°20'N 90°40'W and 65°08'N 87°56'W, respectively). The region is best described as continental-arctic with short cool summers and long cold winters with minimal precipitation (Dufresne, 2013). Average summer temperatures can reach up to 20ºC, while average winter temperatures range from -30ºC to -35ºC. Sea ice forms by December and breaks up by mid-June (Dufresne, 2013). However, ice in Wager Bay according to Canadian Parks Service (1977), can last longer than that of Chesterfield Inlet. The average depths encountered during the sampling program at both Wager Bay was 217 m and Chesterfield inlet was 42 m.

The bay has a history of eutrophication due in part on its water circulation pattern and vertical stratification, but also due to the enhanced loads of nitrogen and phosphorous flowing into the Chesapeake Bay originated by agricultural activities. With the problems of the Chesapeake Bay in mind, the Chesapeake Bay Program Agreement was signed in 1983 and in the implementation of the consequent management program. This program has been an attempt to improve the health of the Bay. However, due to the delay in the implementation and the increase in population, the results are not as significant as they should be, as it can be seen in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation report that show a very slow progress in the indicators (Pollution, habitat and fisheries) of the State of the Bay.

There are several environmental concerns affecting the community of Lusby, Maryland, but of main concern is the cyanobacteria growing in the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River surrounded the peninsula town on Lusby and numerous lakes and creeks are embedded in the town as well, creating breeding ground for the blue-green algae, cyanobacteria and a hazard for the community. According to National Geographic, the Chesapeake Bay was one of the first waterways recognized in the 1970s that had overgrowth of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria contains both an algae and a bacteria and when growth exceeds space and the algae begins to die, two issues occur: toxins are produced and released which are harmful to both humans and animals and hypoxia follows as oxygen is consumed in excessive creating a dead zone in the water for all other living organisms in the bay (“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Ecological Effects, Nutrient Pollution Policy and Data,” n.d.).

Our children and grandchildren deserve a clean harbor—one where they can swim, play, and explore without fear. This vision for the future will be a reality if we negotiate with the EPA to amend their Record of Decision with more efficient cleanup

The rich habitats of the Gulf of Mexico help make it one of the most ecologically and economically productive bodies of the water in the work. The meeting of land and sea along more than 16,000 miles of coastline from Texas to Florida creates a wealth of ecosystems (National Geographic Society, 2010). The dynamic mixing of saltwater and freshwater and the daily infusions of sediments from rivers nourish areas that provide habitat for wildlife and protection from pollution and storms (National Geographic Society, 2010).

Many habitats in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are degrading by time and losing their functionality. Because it sounds as “Utopia” to conserve and protect all the habitats in such a complex ecosystem, the most important habitats shall be targeted. These specific habitats are the wetlands, riparian forest and streams. Each of these habitats represents one of the essential landscape ecology principles. Wetlands act as buffer zone and provide critical habitat to some species in the Bay. It is important to sustain the Estuarine Emergent Wetlands in order to provide a place for breeding, nursery and reproduction. The riparian forest buffer represents the patch edge which normally functions as a filter that reduces the surrounding influence on the interior patch, the Bay and wetlands (Dramstad, Olson and Forman, 1996:29). The forests filter

The D’Olive Creek and Fly Creek Watersheds are both connected to Mobile Bay and integral parts of the environmental health of the bay (Figure 1). The network of habitats found in Mobile Bay supports the greatest diversity of species out of all states east of the Mississippi River (Swann and Herder, 2014). Regarding discharge, Mobile Bay is the fourth largest estuary in the U.S. at 1800 m3/s (Ellis et al, 2011). Over the past few decades, Mobile Bay has experienced much environmental stress related to anthropogenic activities (Ellis et al, 2011). This environmental stress has affected many important, natural systems in the area: wetlands, streams, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), longleaf pine forests, and maritime forests (Swann and Herder,