Griffin Schutte 3B

Things that go Bump in the Bay

The problem with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is its inability to talk. It cannot shout
out to random passersby and plead for assistance. The Bay cannot bemoan its maladies nor
can it implore assistance. Therefore, the duty of rescuing the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
from the dire ramifications of pollution and acidic pH falls to scientists. Ecologists and
conservation biologists alike must conduct research to understand the issues of pollution and
acidity that plague the area. Multiple waterways that have found themselves on Virginias
official list of polluted waterways are now being investigated to determine the pollutions
source. By carefully scrutinizing a myriad of water samples, scientists will be able to identify
probable sources. However, conducting these examinations will take time and, more
importantly, money. The state is only funding the investigation of the waterways. Making
significant progress towards repairing the waterways after the investigation will require a
government grant which, in the current state of the economy, is extremely unlikely. This shows
the states lack of willingness to fund actual cleanup efforts. In addition to dealing with
pollution, scientists will need to develop a solution to the changing acidity in the watershed. A
worldwide increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has been causing a rise in the acidity of the
ocean. However, the changes observed in the watershed are too great to come only from a
rise in CO
2.
The acidity has caused a negative effect on the oyster population. Oyster shells
are becoming thinner making the oysters more susceptible to predators. A deficiency in the
oyster population is detrimental to the Bay ecosystem as a whole because oysters act as
natural filters. If there arent enough oysters to effectively filter, the water becomes unfit for
other organisms. It has been determined that the fluctuation of acidity that poses such a threat
to the bay has originated from sewage and agricultural runoff into watershed tributaries. This
Griffin Schutte 3B

presents an issue that is both environmental and ethical. The health of a watershed is the
responsibility of those who occupy the area near it. How is it that people can justify harming an
ecosystem for personal profit? It will become the job of dedicated scientists to make the
culprits accountable for their actions.