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Chesapeake Bay ecosystem health 2009 summer review

Low winter and spring Susquehanna flow and loads led scientists to forecast smaller-than-average anoxia and hypoxia for 2009 summer season. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) were also forecasted to be less severe than usual, but still present. However, observed summer conditions were worse than what was predicted, due to higher precipitation amounts in Maryland and Virginia tributary watersheds compared to the Susquehanna River watershed, which falls mainly in Pennsylvania. HABs in the Bay were average this year, but interestingly, there was a large macroalgal bloom in Tangier Sound. Here we summarize summer conditions and offer some explanations as to why they may have occurred.

For a comparison of summer conditions to the forecast made this past spring visit the Forecast Accuracy page.

Click on the icons below for more information on this summer's conditions.

summer review map Sea Nettles Harmful Algal Blooms Dissolved Oxygen River Flow Dissolved Oxygen - Hypoxia Dissolved Oxygen - Anoxia


Acknowledgements:
The following individuals are acknowledged for their contributions: Mark Trice (MD Dept. Natural Resources), Cathy Wazniak (MD Dept. Natural Resources), Richard Lacouture (Morgan State University), Harold Marshall (Old Dominion University), Maggie Sexton (UMCES/HPL), Jon Anderson (Morgan State), Don Scavia (U of Michigan), Rick Hoffman (VA Dept. Env. Quality), and Jeni Keisman (CBP/UMCES).