Audrey Hales - Dead Zones in the Chesapeake Bay
Dead Zones in the Chesapeake Bay are areas of water with little to no oxygen which kills lots of wildlife. This is caused by agricultural runoff, water treatment wastewater, and air pollution. Those non-point source polluters bring large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into the water which cause large algae blooms. The algae blocks sunlight which prevents the underwater grasses from growing, and when it dies and sinks to the bottom and decomposes, a process which strips all the oxygen out of the water. Any aquatic life in these dead zones can not survive, hence the name. Where the dead zones do not directly affect humans, any people relying on seafood to eat or for the local economy are affected. It is fixable however, and by reducing the amount of agricultural runoff and advocating for better management practices for the wastewater, it can be done. The dead zones this year have reaches a record low, and the overall water quality in the Chesapeake Bay is better than its been in nearly 40 years (earning a C+). (https://www.cbf.org/issues/dead-zones/ )
Comments
Post a Comment