the environmental protection agency's draft on how to clean up the chesapeake bay (this time) is due this week. sediment samples from the 180-mile long estuary are being analyzed to pinpoint dead zones and help determine where actions need to be taken first. above is a photo of the vessel rachel carson carrying out research for the project by locating dead sediments, which are basically mud with little or no oxygen. Clams and worms and microscopic plants at the bottom of the food chain — down in the mud — need that oxygen and it isn't there. in oxygen's place is extra nitrogen and phosphorous, mostly from sewage, cars and fertilizer. The nitrogen and phosphorous act as food for algae, which eat them and grow into huge floating blooms. oxygen is removed from the water when the algae die and decompose: that's deadly.
read more or watch the video here.
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