Chesapeake Bay ’dead zone’ predicted to be 13% lower than average

This summer's Chesapeake Bay "dead zone” is expected to be smaller than the long-term average, according to a forecast released today by researchers from the University of Michigan, Chesapeake Bay Program, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and U.S. Geological Survey. This is due to a below average amount of water entering the bay from the watershed's tributaries this past spring, as well as decreased nutrient and sediment pollution from jurisdictions within the watershed. Areas of low oxygen, also known as hypoxic regions, are primarily caused by excess nutrient pollution flowing into the bay. These regions can result in the loss of habitat for various types of marine life, including fish, blue crabs, oysters and underwater grasses. Compared to the previous 36 years, this year's Chesapeake Bay hypoxic volume, or "dead zone,” is predicted to be 13% lower than the long-term average, similar to the measured dead zones of the past two years. The model used to generate these hypoxia forecasts has been accurate in 13 of the last 14 years. "In addition to this year's forecast, the measured dead zone has been below the long-term average in eight of the past 10 years,” said University of Michigan aquatic ecologist Don Scavia , who leads one of several research teams partnering with the federal government on the annual forecast.