Prevention is necessary to control many problems in the Chesapeake Bay. Prevention can range from something as big as a government issue or as small as a single person helping out. The greatest chance at total protection for water quality is when many people and organizations work together to prevent problems. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Federal, state and non-profit Bay Program partners are working with farmers, developers, homeowners and local governments to reduce pollutants from multiple sources and restore water quality for all to enjoy” (Chesapeake Bay Program).
The Chesapeake Bay Program is doing many things to help with prevention of water quality. Extreme amounts of nutrients and sedimentation are entering the water and causing major pollution issues (Chesapeake Bay Program). One of the things they have been focusing on is erosion prevention. “In 2003, Bay Program partners agreed to cap sediment loads coming from watershed sources so that no more than 4.15 million tons of sediment are delivered to the Bay per year by 2010” (Chesapeake Bay Program). According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “As of 2006, 62 percent of the sediment reduction goal had been achieved” (Chesapeake Bay Program). Another thing they are working on is improving the quality of wastewater treatment. Many wastewater treatment facilities throughout the Chesapeake Bay region are being upgraded with new technology to reduce the amount of nutrients that are being put into the bay (Chesapeake Bay Program).
There are many non-native invasive species that have invaded the Chesapeake Bay. One type of invasive species that has recently shown up in the Bay is Didymo. Didymo is an invasive diatom (a microscopic algae) that is native to fa...
... middle of paper ...
... from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ehost/detail?hid=110&sid=f7af2c46-9d70-42be-a216-639a3ca96e73%40sessionmgr15&vid=6&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=27265426
Chesapeake Bay Program [homepage on the internet]. Annapolis, (MD) Restoring Water Quality. [cited 2011 Feb 19]. Available from: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/restoringwater.htm
[Anonymous]. [homepage on the internet]. Annapolis (MD). “DNR Presents to Monkton Fly Shop Owner. [cited 2011 Feb 19] Available from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=/docview/851596375?accountid=13158
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay [homepage on the internet]. Baltimore, (MD): More Examples of What You Can Do to Prevent Nonpoint Source Pollution From the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. [cited 2011 Mar 2]. Available from: http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/abc.cfm
One of the Bays biggest resources is its oysters. Oysters are filter feeders which mean they feed on agley and clean the water. The oysters feed on agley and other pollutants in the bay turning them into food, then they condense the food down to nutrients and sometimes developed pearls. Filtering the water helps the oysters to grow, and also helps clean the Chesapeake Bay. One oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day, Oysters used to be able to filter the Bay in about a week. However, these creatures are now scarce in the bay. The Chesapeake Bays Oyster (crassostrea virginica) Population has declined severely because of over harvesting, agricultural runoff, and disease. Now the Chesapeake Bay is becoming polluted without the oysters and the water is not nearly as clean as it once was. The Chesapeake Bay was the first estuary in the nation to be targeted for restoration as an integrated watershed and ecosystem. (Chesapeake Bay Program n/d). This report will show the cause and effect of the Chesapeake Bay's Oyster decline on the Bay.
Every day many species are slowly becoming either endangered or extinct and recently an endangered bird species called piping plovers, started nesting on Revere Beach. What would seem as a miraculous discovery, many are averse to their new inhabitants on the beach. Many Revere residents are complaining because the piping plovers now occupy parts of “their” beach. But in the article “Revere Beach should welcome the piping plover” The Editorial Board believes that the presence of the piping plover could be greatly beneficial to the city of Revere and I certainly agree. What led me to select this particular article is my concern for the many endangered species in the world like the piping plover. Human hands have led many species to become endangered
For many years now scientists and researchers have been paying their attention to the bay. Millions of dollars and hundreds of hours have been spent to return the bay to its glory. However, with all that has been done the bay is still in danger and the work is no where near complete. In 2005 the bay's health was evaluated at a “D”. (Chesapeake Bay Restoration)
The tidal salt marshes make vital contributions to the ecosystem in Jamaica Bay. The marshes help spawning processes and are primary nursery for species important to both recreational and commercial uses, providing protection from storm surges, and also removing pollutants and other toxic substances, which as a result, acts as a natural filter, improving the water quality in the bay. Salt marshes are low lying, grasslands that periodically become overwhelmed and drained by high tides. The fish and shellfish nurseries and are also a feeding ground for various species of wildlife in the ecosystem. They support a variety of invertebrates such as mussels, shrimp, oysters and horseshoe crabs that are key elements of the estuarine ecosystem. However, throughout the past few decades, the salt marshes at Jamaica Bay has significantly declined which created a tremendous negative impact on the general public in addition to the deterioration on the living habitats in the area. Many factors contribute to the decline such as sediment depletion, neighboring developments, increased tidal ranges, and especially nitrogen loading from untreated sewage. Although the damages done were unintentional, much of it was occurred due to negligence. As awareness has increased, restoration efforts have escalated as well as various groups respond well to mitigate the losses.
WaldGeorge G., Erin P. Voigt, Heather Bergschneider, Mark A. Green Roger I. E. Newell et al. “Biocalcification in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Relation to Long-term Trends in Chesapeake Bay pH.” Estuaries and Coasts (2011) 34:221–231.
The Chesapeake Bay is polluted with agricultural waste. We see things like 1.5 billion pounds of chicken waste that no one wants to take responsibility for. Ignoring standards, a waterway was tested for E. coli; the standard is 125 FCU/100ml of water. Yet this waterway’s level was at 48392 FCU/100ml. An industry that will go to great lengths to make sure that Congress doesn’t impose sanction against them.
Michigan has its fair share of environmental issues. Among the state’s biggest issue concerns water quality. Pollution is enormous within the Great Lakes, as can be seen in Lake Michigan and several rivers such as the Kalamazoo and Grand River. The contamination of water includes such things as sewage, dumping of toxic chemicals, garbage, and mercury emissions from power plants and factories. According to Brandon Howell of Mlive Michigan news, who discusses the issues of mercury, “Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that harms growing children and pollutes our environment” (2). Factors like toxins and sewage, pose a threat to the wildlife that depend on the lakes and rivers. Poor water quality could very well possibly be related to poor economic conditions that the state is currently suffering from right now. The quality of water is a major problem in Michigan that should be brought to attention so that citizens can understand the pollution risk factors if they want to contribute to the solution of cleaner water.
Ocean Pollution is a serious issue in today's global politics. The delicate balance of Earth's ecosystem is put in jeopardy when the ocean is not clean. Problem evolving from ocean pollution directly harm marine life and indirectly affect human health and the Earth's many valuable resources. Ocean Pollution is a Broad term that encpompasses any and all foregin matter that directly or indirectly makes its way into the ocean. This includes everything from the extreme: oil spills, Toxic Waste dumping and industrial dumping-- to the small scael: human activities and basic carelessness. Because the oceans and all other water bodies are invariably, somehow connected, and because they account for 3/4 of the Earth's surface, they are an ideal method of transportation for pollution, allowing the rapid spread of seemingly far away toxins into a river near you! It is increasingly important that we educate ourselves as to what, exactly, ocean pollution is, so that we can identify the causes at their source and take action in small and large ways, and hopefully, prevent this terrible form of pollution from getting any worse than it is today.
---. “The Clean Water Act—Is it Successfully Reducing Water Pollution?- Final Draft.” UTSA: WRC 1023, 11 Apr 2014. Print.
Smith, Gene. "Lost Bird." American Heritage 47.2 (1996): 38. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
Water pollution has had devastating effects on the environment, which include irreversible effects on the oceans ecosystem. People often underestimate the importance of the ocean. They don’t realize how much damage pollution has caused to the ocean and the thousands of creatures that inhabit it. Earth is a huge place, but resources are actually very limited and will not last forever unless there is a balance. We must protect the resources we have in order for them to last into the next generation.
Pollution comes in many forms. In the ocean we dump a variety of substances, including human wastes, chemicals from fertilizers, oil, and trash such as plastic which all contribute to the growing issue of our ocean pollution. In addition to, our usable waters are finite. More than 97.5 percent of the water on this planet is undrinkable salt water; the remaining 2.5 percent has two-thirds of the usable fresh water locked up in glaciers, snow, and permafrost. Of the one-third of freshwater that is available for human use, 20 percent is used for industrial use. (“Water Pollution”) “In effect, water pollution reduces the volume of water available for use by human and other populations.” (Robin Clarke, Jannet King) Knowing that there are approximately 7.2 billion people and growing on this planet with only 0.83 percent of available for our use wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to help put an end to water pollution? (worldometers)
Water Pollution is a current issue that has serious consequences; it progresses everyday in our lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.
The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems are suffer and become endangered along with lives of people and of marine life. Surfrider Foundation recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world's coasts because they are truly irreplaceable. There is also historical evidence of ocean pollution being present in the past, but the problem still lingers today. Heal the Bay discovered that,“Did you know there is a DDT and PCB hot spot off the coast of Palos Verdes? This superfund site (which indicates it's one of the most polluted places in the United States), is left over from a 1930's era chemical plant. Because DDT takes so long to break down in the marine environment, it persists to this day, contaminating certain species of fish. There are also highly polluted sediments in the Long Beach area, a sign of the heavy shipping in the port. Heal the Bay works on developing effective capping and removal plans to keep those toxins from spreading” (Heal the Bay). DDT is still highly concentrated in the South Bay area and still contaminating different species of fish. Even after more than 80 years DDT, a toxic insecticide, is still very concentrated and during upwellings, DDT particles come back up and continue to harm marine life. If humans are careless about what is thrown on the floor or sprayed on lawns, it can lead to disastrous affects when it comes to the condition of the ocean's ecosystems, and can endanger life itself leading to a problem that only we can mend.
...s to take action on contaminated beaches nearby are to speak out, attend public meetings, and/or volunteer. To reduce the contaminants in the ocean, everyone can plant trees, dispose chemicals and pet waste in the correct designated areas, prevent waste from going into seward and storm drains, prevent the clogs in storm drains, organize neighborhood cleanups, recycle paper, plastic, and glass, and maintain cars from oil leaks. To give a helping hand, there are many volunteer programs for people to clean up waste on the shore lines. They have a website where people are able to help out along the coastlines of California near them; www.cacoastkeeper.org/take-action/volunteer. We have created this problem, we should be able to resolve it. Either we change what we’re doing on land, or face the future extinction of many animals and people due to the cause of one species.