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Chesapeake Bay

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The Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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Largest estuary in the United States

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  • Fishing Industry of:

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  • No other American estuary has a higher yield

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Blue Crab

Oysters

Striped Bass

Clams

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The Bay Is Not Healthy

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Nutrient Pollution Causes Algal Blooms and Fish Kills

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Nutrients, Algae and Fish Kills

Fish kill caused by nutrient build-up, Nanticoke River, Chesapeake Bay, 1992

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What causes the excess nutrients?

Rivers and tributaries are bringing the nutrients to the Chesapeake Bay:

      • Sewage
      • Farming

Factory farms discharge 650 million lbs of chicken manure each year

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Have people played a role in changing the ecosystem to make it more vulnerable to algal blooms and dead zones?

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To Investigate this question you will:

  • Analyze historic and modern day food webs
  • Chart trends in harvesting and ocean health using real data on the Chesapeake Bay
  • Draw conclusions from your analyses and make recommendations for restoring Chesapeake Bay ecosystems
  • Watch a short film about the Chesapeake Bay and discuss your seafood consumption choices

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Image Credits

  1. Chesapeake Bay: US Coast Guard
  2. Chesapeake Bay Watershed: US Department of Agriculture
  3. Chesapeake Bay Map: NASA
  4. Blue Crab: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis�Oyster: David Monniaux �Striped Bass: Mike Smedley �Clam: Aung/Wikipedia
  5. Map: NASA
  6. Algal Blooms: Jennifer L. Graham/US Geological Survey
  7. Dead Fish: US Geological Survey
  8. Hog Farm Waste: USDA �Chickens: SRAP�Pigs: Farm Sanctuary
  9. Longshoreman Atlantic City: Isabella & Carroll Walker Collection/The Norfolk Public Library

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