Below normal dead zone predicted for Chesapeake Bay in 2020. For example, researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have hypothesized that the Bay’s dead zone contributes to stress and disease in striped bass, loss of animals from the bottom of the Bay’s food chain, and a reduction in nutrition for predators, as bottom dwellers’ growth is stunted by lack of oxygen. The observation that this year’s dead zone started later and ended earlier than normal is consistent with this change. Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States and the third largest in the world, is particularly vulnerable to human impacts and has been severely affected in recent decades. Pollution from human activities has created large areas in the Bay where fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic animals can no longer survive. In response to the news about the small dead zone, CBF Director of Science Beth McGee issued the following statement: Dead Zones   Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported, Virginia Institute of Marine Science reported. Oysters and Coddies—Out of the Cellar. The annual dead zone report for the bay, issued by … Direct your rain spouts into a rain barrel, rain garden, gravel swale, or—at the very least—onto your lawn, instead of your driveway. Share this . Restoring the Bay and preventing future dead zones go hand in hand. The Bay Program attributed the decrease in the dead zone to ongoing state pollution reduction efforts as part of the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint as well as a cool spring and summer rains that helped mix oxygen into the water. Dead-zone conditions in the Chesapeake Bay were "considerably less" in 2020 than in previous years, thanks in part to cool temperatures, a new report concluded. Researchers from the University of Michigan, the Chesapeake Bay Program and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science are forecasting a slightly smaller-than-average Chesapeake Bay “dead zone” this year, due to reduced rainfall and less nutrient-rich runoff flowing into the bay from the watershed this spring. The Bay’s “dead zone,” an area with little or no oxygen, is expected to be slightly smaller this summer thanks to spring rains bringing less pollution into the water. The Annual Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card summarizes dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Bay as estimated by the team's 3-D, real-time hypoxia forecast model. The Bay Program also announced that researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reported the dead zone there was smaller than 80 percent of dead zones reported in the 35 previous years. Efforts by bay states, including Virginia, to reduce nutrient pollution throughout the watershed under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement are designed to minimize and eventually eliminate dead zones. Further, an excess in these nutrients also fuels the growth of dense algae blooms that block sunlight that underwater grasses need to grow in order to continue providing food for waterfowl and shelter for blue crabs and juvenile fish. Anne Arundel County; 06/17/2020; By Press Release, Chesapeake Bay Program For example, wind can mix oxygen from the surface into deeper water and help break up dead zones. In their 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card, researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science also reported that throughout the entire Bay this year’s dead zone … Although different types of nutrients contribute to the annual Chesapeake Bay dead zone, it is nitrogen—which enters the bay from January through May—that is a key driver in how hypoxic conditions can vary from year to year. Graphs from the 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report illustrate the hypoxic volumes for 2015 to 2020 and air temperature over the Bay for 2019 and 2020 for the months of May to November. Shrinking the dead zone is one of the primary goals of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, the federal/state partnership to reduce pollution and restore the Bay to health. Yes, I would like to receive e-mail from The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, CBF's 2020 State of the Bay Score Down Slightly, CBF Statement on 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone, CBF Issues Statement on the Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Forecast, CBF Statement on Final Virginia Clean Water Blueprint, CBF Assesses PA, MD, VA Plans to Achieve 2025 Pollution Reduction Goals, CBF Calls on EPA to Hold States Accountable to Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. With little or no oxygen, fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic animals literally suffocate. The low oxygen areas are inhospitable to marine life such as crabs and fish. In Maryland, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) report s the second-smallest dead zone seen since monitoring began in 1985. Dead zones are caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorous pollution from human activities, including: When there are excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, algae can bloom to harmful levels. Shrinking the dead zone is one of the primary goals of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, the science-based plan to reduce pollution and restore the Bay to health. In a 2018 paper, University of Maryland scientists detected that as the dead zone grows smaller, bio-chemical changes result in less fuel for algae and oxygen-consuming bacteria, and therefore more oxygen in bottom waters. Fish, crabs, oysters and other aquatic life literally suffocate in these zones. 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report October 2020 Hypoxia Background The “Dead Zone” of the Chesapeake Bay refers to a volume of bottom water that is characterized by dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 2 mg/L, which is too low for aquatic organisms such as fish and blue crabs to thrive. Each year, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Anchor QEA, LLC release a retrospective seasonal analysis of the severity of hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay. Your donation helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come. Today, the Chesapeake Bay Program announced that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that the 2020 dead zone is the second smallest observed in the Maryland portion of the In the Chesapeake Bay, the resulting dead zone has been estimated in many years to cover as much as 40 percent of the area of the estuary’s mainstem. Annapolis, Md. The modeling team also generates the same dissolved oxygen statistics for previous years for comparative purposes. 28 Oct 2020. Don't over-fertilize your lawn (or don't fertilize at all!). — Researchers are predicting a slightly smaller-than-average oxygen dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay … Want to stay up-to-date on all news and happenings in your region and across the Chesapeake watershed? The only year in which the dead zone was smaller was in 2012. Press Statement (ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Today, the Chesapeake Bay Program, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the University of Michigan, and the U.S. Geological Survey released the forecast for the Chesapeake Bay dead zone this summer. READ THE PRESS RELEASE. Your donation helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come. Below normal dead zone predicted for Chesapeake Bay in 2020. Annapolis, MD – Experts from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources report that the 2020 dead zone is the second smallest observed in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay since monitoring began in 1985. "Experts from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources report that the 2020 dead zone is the second smallest observed in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay since monitoring began in 1985. The best way we can reduce algal blooms and dead zones is to implement the Blueprint by putting in place best management practices that control pollution from urban and agricultural lands, as well as wastewater treatment plants and septic systems. And in their 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card, researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science also reported that throughout the entire bay, this year's dead zone was smaller than 80% of those recorded in the past 35 years. These areas are caused when algae blooms fed by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution decompose, removing oxygen from the water. If you do fertilize, do so when your grass is actively growing and absorbing the fertilizer (think spring and summer). Researchers at the Virginia Institute for Marine Science also reported this month that the dead zone … Join our digital community. Download a printable pdf copy of the VIMS 2020 report card. By U-Michigan. In their 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card, researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science also reported that throughout the entire Bay this year’s dead zone was … The Bay Program also announced that researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reported the dead zone there was smaller than 80 percent of dead zones reported in the 35 previous years. Founded in 1967, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest independent conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Bay. Long-term data trends show a shrinking dead zone, and … Algal Blooms   Dead Zones. In spring 2020, Chesapeake Bay received levels of nitrogen pollution that were 17% below the long-term average. But a leading environmental group is quick to add this news is “nothing to cheer.”. News Update: On October 28, 2020, the Chesapeake Bay Program announced that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that the 2020 dead zone is the second smallest observed in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay since monitoring began in 1985. The Bay Needs You. NOW PLAYING: US Report: Chesapeake Bay Dead-Zone Conditions Reduced 'Considerably' In 2020 … You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" at the bottom of any e-mail you receive from us. On average, the Chesapeake Bay dead zone covers between 0.7 and 1.6 cubic miles during the summer months, when the water is warmest and oxygen levels are historically lowest. In their 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card, researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science also reported that throughout the entire Bay this year’s dead zone was smaller than most recorded in the past 35 years (80%). It’s unhealthy for the Bay, it’s harmful to local economies, and it’s fixable. This includes things like planting trees as buffers along rivers and streams, improving soil health on farms, reducing the amount of hard surfaces in cities, and upgrading wastewater treatment plant technology. This year’s small dead zone is another positive sign that watershed-wide Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts are working. Yes! In their 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card, researchers from the Virginia Institute of … The nitrogen loads included 111 million pounds recorded at … Make changes that reduce the amount of pollution that runs off your property. 17 Jun 2020. Dead zones form in both the Bay’s mainstem and its tidal rivers, typically in deeper water near the bottom. Note the cooler temperatures in May 2020, with later onset of hypoxia, in addition to the decrease in hypoxia starting at the end of July 2020, in response to Hurricane Isaias. In 2020, the score declined one point to a 32, largely due to ineffective management of the Bay's striped bass. Here are actions you can take to fix the dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay: The 2020 State of the Bay Report makes it clear that the Bay needs our support now more than ever. Nitrogen and phosphorus scores improved. The dead zone is composed of portions of the Bay that have little or no dissolved oxygen. Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has been advocating for states to ramp up pollution reduction efforts ahead of the cleanup’s 2025 deadline. Recent … Slightly smaller-than-average 2020 ‘dead zone’ predicted for the Chesapeake Bay. Thanks to a cool spring, early fall temperatures and the arrival of Hurricane Isaias in August, the Chesapeake Bay dead zone was less severe and lasted for a shorter time in 2020 than in previous years. July 27, 2020 Giacomo Abrusci, SEVENSEAS Media Editor-in-Chief Issue 63 - August 2020, News, Terrestrial Topics. Of the 13 indicators CBF assesses, four showed declines. Donations are tax-deductable as allowed by law. CBF Statement on 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone. Over time, the Bay’s dead zones are getting smaller, but there can be significant variation from year to year due to changes in weather. Donations are tax-deductable as allowed by law. Anne Arundel County; 06/17/2020 Dense algal blooms also block sunlight, which prevents underwater grasses from growing. The Chesapeake Bay, on the East Coast of the United States, has one of the first dead zones ever identified, in the 1970s. In the annual Dead Zone Report Card, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) announced that the The better oxygen conditions recorded during the summer of 2020 are in agreement with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report, which stated that in terms of total annual hypoxic volume for the full bay, this year the dead zone was smaller than 80% of years since observations began in 1985. Chesapeake Bay’s “dead zone” is an area with little to no oxygen where fish, shellfish, and crabs are often unable to survive. In June 2020, researchers from the Chesapeake Bay Program, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, University of Michigan, … In turn, the animals that depend on these grasses for food and shelter suffer, as well. Shrinking the dead zone is one of the primary goals of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, the federal/state partnership to reduce pollution and restore the Bay to health. June 17, 2020. 2020 Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Near Historic Lows; Truck Driver Presumed Dead after Crash off Bay Bridge-Tunnel; VIDEO: All-Volunteer Marine Emergency Team Patrols… Three Boaters Presumed Dead in Potomac River; VIDEO: 10K Fish Dead on Severn River Due to Isaias; Post navigation. In June 2020, researchers from the Chesapeake Bay Program, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, University of Michigan and U.S. Geological Survey forecasted that the Bay would see a slightly smaller than average dead zone this year, due to reduced spring rainfall and less nutrient-rich runoff flowing into the Bay from the watershed. A cool spring followed by summer storms help keep the 2020 dead zone small. Dead zones are areas in bodies of water like the Chesapeake Bay that have little to no oxygen. Today, the Chesapeake Bay Program announced that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that the 2020 dead zone is the second smallest observed in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay since monitoring began in 1985. Stand with CBF as we restore and protect vital animal habitats throughout the watershed. Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from human activities cause "dead zones"—or areas with low amounts of oxygen in the Bay. Anacostia River Puts New Muscle into Mussel Population. Slightly smaller-than-average dead zone predicted for Chesapeake Bay A more normal spring rainfall brings less pollution into the Bay Download .