Bad news for the Chesapeake Bay: It's getting hot
Global warming is increasing ocean temperatures at a rate that could have dire consequences for the largest estuary in the United States, according to a new study from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
The study estimates the Chesapeake Bay area could have marine heat wave conditions for about a third of the year by the end of the century. That's an increase from the 22 days a year the bay now sees long periods of unusually high water temperatures.
Specifically, the study focuses on estuaries — areas where freshwater meets salt water, such as the lower Chesapeake Bay. Researchers looked at estuaries across the U.S. to analyze trends in marine heat waves.
These extended heat waves can have negative effects on local wildlife, especially if prolonged. That couild include mass mortality of local species, habitat loss, species migration and increased ocean stressors such as low pH and dissolved oxygen. Heat waves can critically disrupt essential processes in an ecosystem, according to VIMS.
Piero Mazzini, a professor at VIMS and coauthor of the study, said the research should 'serve as a warning' for local leaders in charge of taking care of environmental assets.
Environment | 'I've got fish on my roof': Fierce weather brings more than rain for Hampton man
Environment | First national analysis finds America's butterflies are disappearing at 'catastrophic' rate
Environment | Help could be on the way for Chincoteague water wells contaminated by PFAS
Environment | Scientists raise concerns as the US stops sharing air quality data from embassies worldwide
Environment | Trump wants to use the 'God Squad' to increase logging, but it must follow strict rules
'The Chesapeake Bay, for example, currently experiences marine heat wave conditions approximately 6% of the year — 22 days per year — and that is already placing stress on the ecosystem,' Mazzini said. 'Our study shows that estuaries across the East Coast could experience these conditions for more than 100 days of the year by 2100.'
Estuaries serve as important nursery habitats for nearly 75% of all fish species and support more than 54 million jobs, according to the study. East Coast areas also were found to fare worse than the West Coast, where winds can churn cooler water toward the surface.
A previous study from VIMS found the bay has warmed by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, or about .07 degrees each year, since the mid-1980s. Hot summer days already bring problems with low oxygen, and heat excites oxygen molecules so they leave the liquid more easily. This results in 'dead zones,' areas where oxygen is removed faster than it can be replenished. Animals need healthy levels of oxygen in the water to survive.
In 2024, environmental groups reported that the Chesapeake Bay dead zone was at a near-average size, but despite progress, officials still warn that the bay will not meet 2025 goals for restoration.
If actions do not change, the study found that warming trends in climate are expected to persist throughout the 21st century, and some projections suggest that much of the open ocean could be in a 'near-permanent' marine heat wave toward the end of the century. The rise of sea-surface temperatures is a main driver of issues for estuaries, and environmental scientists are looking to reducing greenhouse gases and increasing tree canopy as potential solutions.
Ricardo Nardi, lead author on the study, said open ocean temperatures have a long history of being studied, but estuaries are often overlooked. Longer heat wave conditions could have 'disastrous ecosystem consequences,' so more research is needed to understand how conditions in the ocean and estuaries affect each other.
'These are critical ecosystems, and future conservation efforts will depend on our understanding of the factors influencing them,' Nardi said.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
21 hours ago
Sunrise at Stonehenge draws druids, pagans, revelers to celebrate summer solstice
LONDON -- As the sun rose Saturday on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, a crowd erupted in cheers at Stonehenge where the ancient monument in southern England has clocked the summer solstice over thousands of years. The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone, the entrance to the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the center of one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitors are allowed to walk among the stones, which are otherwise fenced off. The crowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, beating the heat during the U.K.'s first amber heat-health alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Surrey, 80 miles (128 kilometers) east of Stonehenge, the hottest temperature recorded in the U.K. so far this year. About 25,000 sun devotees and other revelers, including druids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up, according to English Heritage which operates the site. More than 400,000 others around the world watched a livestream. 'This morning was a joyous and peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise," said Richard Dewdney, head of operations at Stonehenge. 'It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchant and connect people.' Stonehenge was built in stages 5,000 years ago on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of London. The unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C. Some of the so-called bluestones are known to have come from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles (240 kilometers) away, and the altar stone was recently discovered to have come from northern Scotland, some 460 miles (740 kilometers) away. The site's meaning has been vigorously debated. Theories range from it being a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events. The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.
The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
Sunrise at Stonehenge draws druids, pagans and revelers to celebrate the summer solstice
LONDON (AP) — As the sun rose Saturday on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, a crowd erupted in cheers at Stonehenge where the ancient monument in southern England has clocked the summer solstice over thousands of years. The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone, the entrance to the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the center of one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitors are allowed to walk among the stones, which are otherwise fenced off. The crowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, beating the heat during the U.K.'s first amber heat-health alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Surrey, 80 miles (128 kilometers) east of Stonehenge, the hottest temperature recorded in the U.K. so far this year. About 25,000 sun devotees and other revelers, including druids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up, according to English Heritage which operates the site. More than 400,000 others around the world watched a livestream. 'This morning was a joyous and peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise,' said Richard Dewdney, head of operations at Stonehenge. 'It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchant and connect people.' Stonehenge was built in stages 5,000 years ago on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of London. The unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C. Some of the so-called bluestones are known to have come from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles (240 kilometers) away, and the altar stone was recently discovered to have come from northern Scotland, some 460 miles (740 kilometers) away. The site's meaning has been vigorously debated. Theories range from it being a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events. The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sunrise at Stonehenge draws druids, pagans and revelers to celebrate the summer solstice
LONDON (AP) — As the sun rose on the longest day of the year Saturday, a crowd erupted in cheers at Stonehenge where the ancient monument in southern England has clocked the summer solstice over thousands of years. The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone, the entrance to the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the center of one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitors are allowed to walk among the stones, which are otherwise fenced off. The crowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, beating the heat during the U.K.'s first amber heat-health alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Surrey, 80 miles (128 kilometers) east of Stonehenge, the hottest temperature recorded in the U.K. this year. About 25,000 sun devotees and other revelers, including druids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up, according to English Heritage which operates the site. More than 400,000 others around the world watched a livestream. 'This morning was a joyous and peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise," said Richard Dewdney, head of operations at Stonehenge. 'It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchant and connect people.' Stonehenge was built in stages 5,000 years ago on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of London. The unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C. Some of the so-called bluestones are known to have come from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles (240 kilometers) away, and the altar stone was recently discovered to have come from northern Scotland, some 460 miles (740 kilometers) away. The site's meaning has been vigorously debated. Theories range from it being a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events. The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.
