Low Oxygen in Chesapeake Bay

[Crabpop]

Watermen, Scientists: Low Oxygen Is Big Bay Problem
Scientists Blame 'Dead Water' On Heavy Snows, Rain

POSTED: 4:41 p.m. EDT August 6, 2003

SOLOMONS, Md. -- Maryland watermen and scientists agree that low oxygen levels in portions of the Chesapeake Bay are a bigger problem than usual this year.

The dead water is blamed on the heavy snows and rain this past winter and spring, which flushed excessive amounts of nutrients into the bay. That encourages the growth of algae, which remove oxygen from the water as they die.

Watermen and charter boat captains spoke to reporters today about the problem on a tour arranged by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.


Larry Powley said three weeks ago, his pound net in the Patuxent River off Solomons was filled with dead fish. He said he hasn't seen water that bad in 30 years, saying it even killed the fish in the net.

Stay with TheWBALChannel.com and WBAL-TV 11 News for the latest news updates.

Crabpop

[Steve]

From: Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Newsletter
http://www.cbf.org

Ever heard of a "crab jubilee"? It may sound like fun, but it isn't. Crab jubilees occur when the Bay's water is so anoxic (deprived of oxygen) that crabs literally come crawling onto shore to breathe and escape the bad water. And there is plenty of bad water in the Chesapeake this summer.

If you've heard about or seen firsthand some of the recent fish kills that have happened around the Bay, you aren't alone. This year watermen are reporting significant numbers of fish kills and dead fish and crabs in their nets and pots, along with crab jubilees. Boaters and recreation fishermen are also seeing the effects of bad water and reporting fish kills, algae blooms, and crab jubilees.

What's causing our beaches to be strewn with dead fish and our watermen to pull up nets and pots full of dead fish and crabs? Toxic algae blooms, fueled by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution mainly from sewage, agriculture, and air emissions, have led to fish kills, beach closures, and public health advisories. This year's wet weather has made matters even worse.

Today, CBF staff, leaders from the Maryland Watermen's Association, and representatives from charter fishing industry and recreational fishing groups went out on the Bay and talked to working watermen to find out what they're seeing and how bad things really are. We also invited more than a dozen members of the media along to focus the public's attention on the Bay's poor water quality--because we cannot continue to ignore an unhealthy Bay.

Check your local TV channels (13, 2 in Baltimore, MD, and 7 in DC) this evening and tomorrow's newspapers to find out what the watermen had to say, and visit our website often for updates and other Bay news.

How can you help? Here are some ways:

Forward this email to a friend and help us alert other people about the recent fish kills and the Bay's poor health.

Report any fish kills or crab jubilees to CBF using our fish kill monitoring form, and in MD call 1.888.584.3110, in VA call 1.888.238.6154.

Consider volunteering with CBF or making a donation to help us in our important work to fight nitrogen pollution and clean up the Bay.

Thank you for helping us leave a healthy Bay for future generations.