Reference no: EM133495478
In 2008, a federal disaster was declared, but most people outside of the Maryland area in the northeastern U.S. probably had no idea. The problem? A severe decline in the population of the blue crab, Maryland's state crustacean and a famous resident of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Poor water quality and low oxygen levels had become severe in the Chesapeake Bay, causing crabs to sometimes crawl ashore seeking oxygen. In 2008, scores of blue crabs crawled onto pilings, docks, and the shore as dead fish floated nearby, killed by the lack of oxygen. This event is called a jubilee because people nearby can collect all the crabs they can eat, but it indicates a serious problem in the ecosystem.
There were many reasons for the blue crab decline, including overfishing. However, the larger contributor was pollution. Chesapeake Bay water quality scores, in the years leading up to 2008, showed nutrient pollution was a continual problem for the Chesapeake Bay region. This type of pollution led to harmful algal blooms, creating low-oxygen conditions that killed blue crabs and their seagrass vegetation habitat. Underwater images of seagrass cover from 1992 and 1997 showed a significant decline in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), such as seagrass, in the Chesapeake Bay region. Research indicates young crabs require this type of vegetation for shelter and food while they are developing.
1. Identify two likely non-point source pollutants of the Chesapeake Bay.
2. Describe two human activities that have impacted the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
3. Lead is a common endocrine disruptor found in wastewater. Water that flows over lead-contaminated soil often finds its way into bay waters. Describe the effects an endocrine disruptor could have on human populations surrounding the Chesapeake Bay.
4. Explain the environmental effects excessive pollution has had on the Chesapeake Bay.
5. The Clean Water Act and subsequent legislation mandated that industries stop dumping wastes directly into bodies of water by building sewage treatment facilities to clean sewage water before it is discharged into lakes, rivers, and oceans. An average wastewater reclamation plant treats 50 million gallons a day. Calculate the amount of pollution-free water it could release into the Chesapeake Bay in a year.