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AREC200 midterm > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

1
Q

Major Geological Forces that Led to Formation of Current Bay

A

Bolide Meteor Impact
Ice Age
Drowned River Valley

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2
Q

Bolide Meteor

A

35 mya
a rare bolide- comet- or asteroid-like
hit the area that is now the lower tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, near Cape Charles, Virginia
“Exmore Crater”- as large as Rhode Island and as deep as Grand Canyon
(6th largest crater known of the planet)

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3
Q

10-2 Million Years Ago

A

series of ice ages locks ocean water in massive glaciers- mid- Atlantic coastline extends 180 miles farther than its current location
Warmer times, glacier melts carving a valley through Pennsylvania and pushing sediment into the Coastal Plain

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4
Q

18,000 years ago

A

Glacial sheets from the most recent Ice Age begin to retreat
Regions climate begins to warm

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5
Q

Sea levels at last glacial maximum

A

18kya
sea levels were 200 m lower than today
-chesapeake bay was far inland

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6
Q

Ancient Susquehanna River Valley

A

during last Ice Age, mile-thick glaciers began to melt, carving streams and rivers that flowed toward the coast. sea levels continued to rise, eventually submerging the area now known as the Susquehanna River Valley
-This drowned river valley
became the Chesapeake Bay
-The Chesapeake Bay assumed its present shape about 3,000 years ago. Remnants of the ancient Susquehanna River still exist today as a few troughs that form a deep channel along much of the bay’s bottom

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7
Q

Features of the Chesapeake Bay

A 
Tributaries
Bathymetry- the contours of the estuary: large and shallow
Watershed and Airshed
Exchange
Human engineering

50 major tributaries and streams

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8
Q

Coastline

A

11,600 miles (instead of 460 miles)

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9
Q

Depth of Chesapeake Bay

A

mean depth of 6 m

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10
Q

Watershed area/ Volume ratio

A

Very large Watershed area/ Volume ratio

much larger area affecting a relatively smaller volume of water
-leads to management challenges

Our actions on LAND affect the Bay waters

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11
Q

Size of watershed

A

64,000 square miles
11,684 miles of shoreline
150 major rivers and streams
Home to over 17 million people

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12
Q

States of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

A 
Delaware
Maryland
New York
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia
Entire district of Columbia
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13
Q

Major rivers

A 
Susquehanna
Potomac
Rappahannock
York
James
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14
Q

Airshed size

A

much larger than the area of land that is in the Chesapeake Bay

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15
Q

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

A

14 miles long
Authorized by Congress in 1802
Connects upper chesapeake Bay with Delaware Bay

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16
Q

1906 C&D canal

A

President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a commission to establish the feasibility of converting the canal to service larger steam ships

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17
Q

1919 C&D canal

A

federal government purchased it

-Dredged and restructured it

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18
Q

1927 C&D canal

A

reopened to commercial traffic

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19
Q

1954 C&D canal

A

further expansion

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20
Q

Today C&D canal

A

provides for 40% of the ships seeking access to the Port of Baltimore

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21
Q

C&D canal

A 
300 mile shortcut for Baltimore- bound ships
Sea level (no locks)
Carries 40% of the shipping traffic in and out of Baltimore
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22
Q

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

A

called on of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World in its opening year, 1964

  • created in only 42 months (less than 4 years)
  • provides a direct link between the area between points in southeastern Virginia and those found in the Delmarva Peninsula
  • Located where the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean meet
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23
Q

Length shore to shore

A

17.6 miles

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24
Q

Depth

A

25 to 100 feet

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25
Q

Entire Bridge-tunnel complex

A 
23 miles (shore to shore 17.6)
12 miles of low-level trestle
2 separate 1-mile tunnels
2 bridges
2 miles of causeway
4 man-made islands
5 1/2 miles of approach roads
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26
Q

Bay bridge

A

4 mile span (long bridge)

opened in 1952

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27
Q

John Smith

A

took two voyages in 1608

first: around edges
second: middleish

wrote about the life he saw and the clarity of the bay

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28
Q

Animals common to Bay

A 
pilot whales
porpoises
diamondback terrapins
hammerhead sharks
anadromous fish runs
wolves 
bears 
beavers
Oysters
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29
Q

Recent sea level rise

A

since 1990 3mm per year (about 1 ft per century)

- faster than other places because of land surface and sea level movements

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30
Q

Erosion

A

due to
-sea level rise
-wave action: fetch, shore orientation, shore types, nearshore bathymetry)
storm surge

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31
Q

Fetch

A

how far wave reaches

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32
Q

low- energy fetch

A

average fetch exposures of <1 nautical mile; found along tidal creeks and small tributary rivers

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33
Q

medium-energy

A

average fetch exposures of 1 to 5 nautical miles;

occur along the main tributary sub-estuaries

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34
Q

high-energy

A

average fetch exposures of >5 nautical miles; along the main stem of the bay and at the mouths of tributaries

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35
Q

Nautical mile

A

1 mile of latitude: 1.15 miles

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36
Q

Surface waves

A

result of fetch, wind speed, and wind direction

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37
Q

Storm surge

A

funnel-shape of the Bay channels storm surge

+1ft waves in low energy
+2-5 ft waves in medium energy
+5-7ft waves in high energy

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38
Q

Wetlands

A

buffer shorelines from erosion

control erosion in Low Wave environments

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39
Q

Islands

A

At least 13 islands have disappeared entirely
-poplar, barren, hambleton, toyston, cows, punch, herring, powell, swan, holland, and turtle egg (either deserted or disappeared)

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40
Q

Hardened and Living shorelines

A

Bulkheads
Riprap or stone revetment
breakwaters

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41
Q

Future sea level rise

A

~3 million people are currently living in areas less than 3 feet above sea level around chesapeake bay

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42
Q

Impervious cover and storm water runoff

A

various indicators of stream quality begins to decline with 10% impervious cover
-more impervious cover = greater flash floods

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43
Q

Water quality trouble in Chesapeake Bay

A

decrease in forest cover + increase in impervious cover + greater fertilizer use on land = higher nutrient influx to the Bay
= water quality trouble

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44
Q

Wetlands and nutrient filtration

A

flood, runoff buffer + carbon sink

  • microbial processing of organic and inorganic waters
  • erosion control by binding sediments
  • nursery grounds for commercial and recreational fish and shellfish
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45
Q

Loss of oysters

A

= loss of the Bay’s filtration capacity
-takes more days to filter the Chesapeake bay
in 1880 took 3.6 days
in 2003 took 700 days

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46
Q

Double trouble

A 
increasing nutrients (> fertilizer application (& human and animal sewage discharge), >runoff, > impervious cover)
-reducing the Bay's capacity to process nutrients (fewer oysters, wetland loss)
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47
Q

Planktonic

A

water column-dwelling
Centric diatoms: generally planktonic
-more prevalent in eutrophic waters

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48
Q

Benthic

A

bottom-dwelling

Pennate diatoms: generally benthic

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49
Q

Indicator of eutrophication

A

change in diatom community

increase centric:pennate diatom ratio

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50
Q

Eutrophication

A

an enrichment in nutrients
-results in poor living conditions at the estuary floor, favoring water-borne or planktonic forms of algae, among other effects

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51
Q

Nitrogen

A

amino acids, “the building blocks” of proteins
2 times N inputs since 1950
-slight decrease recently as a result of watershed management

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52
Q

Phosphorus

A

metabolic energy (ATP, ADP) and DNA

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53
Q

Limiting nutrient in freshwater

A

Phosphorus

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54
Q

Limiting nutrient in marine waters

A

Nitrogen

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55
Q

Phytoplankton

A

waterborne

responsive-fast growing, fast nutrient uptake, short lifespan

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56
Q

types of phytoplankton

A

Green algae, brown algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria
Lifespan often 1-2 days

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57
Q

Seagrasses

A

rooted, bottom-dwelling
nursery habitat, predation refuge
oxygen producing

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58
Q

Species of seagrass

A

Eelgrass, wild celery, pondweeds, turtle grass

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59
Q

Secchi depth

A

measure of light trasmission

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60
Q

Light

A

secchi depth: common measurement
-suspended sediment: scatters and reflects light
phytoplankton: absorbs light for photosynthesis
Seagrass: need light to penetrate to the bottom for photosynthesis

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61
Q

Microbes

A

sediment is rich in microbes that feed on organic matter (dead material)
Dying phytoplankton = holiday feast for microbes
use oxygen and respire carbon dioxide for growing , reproducing, consuming dead organic

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62
Q

Oxygen

A

most estuarine oxygen comes from dissolution from the surface

  • some is produced in water column by plant respiration (ex. seagrass, phytoplankton)
  • necessary for nearly all marine life (anaerobic microbes are an exception)
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63
Q

Eutrophication in the Bay

A

with increased nutrient inputs in the Bay
- more phytoplankton
chlorophyll a, a proxy for phytoplankton has double in past 50 years
- less light transmission

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64
Q

Harmful algal blooms

A 
magnitude has increased
Pfiesteria piscicida (toxic dinoflagellate)
cochlodinium polykrikoide (red tide culprit)
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65
Q

Struggling seagrasses

A

various factors influence how much light is absorbed in the water column before reaching seagrasses on the bottom. these include phytoplankton, humics (organic matter), suspended sediment, and epiphytes growing on the seagrass leaves

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66
Q

Hypoxic/anoxic dead zones

A

result of farming sewage treatment and powerplants, development, and roadways creating nutrient-laden runoff which is entering the bay

  • creates excess nutrients to stimulate algae blooms which then die off, sink to bottoms, and decompose
  • decomposition uses up dissolved oxygen in Bay
  • low oxygen levels, called “hypoxia”, cause shellfish to die and fish and crabs to leave habitat or die, creating “dead zones”
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67
Q

Dead zone extent

A

tied to climate change conditions, larger dead zone with rain: jan-may rainfall
low wind (cannot mix in oxygen)
high temperature
fewer storms

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68
Q

Diel cycling

A

hypoxia in shallow areas
diel cycle = daily rhythm
nighttime oxygen consumption exceeds daytime production
Mobile animals: behavioral and reproductive modifications
Sessile animal: lethal and sublethal effects

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69
Q

Positive feedbacks

A

seagrasses can’t survive in poor water quality/ loss of seagrasses reduces benthic oxygen production and worsens water quality
-oysters experience lethal and sublethal effects of the dead zone/ fewer oysters to filter sediment and phytoplankton out of the water column

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70
Q

Poor water quality and oysters

A

stressed oysters do not improve the water quality
-salinity too high/low
-high temperature
-low dissolved oxygen
-incoming silt buries reef faster than it can grow
loss of spawning due to low density

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71
Q

How many years to see improvement in Phosphorus reductions

A

10-15 years

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72
Q

Eutrophication increasingly common

A

Early observations in the Chesapeake focused national attention on the issue
why nutrient management efforts are particularly well developed

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73
Q

Watershed population

A

has more than doubled since 1950

-18 million people

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74
Q

How algal blooms harm the Bay

A

cloud the water and block sunlight, causing underwater bay grasses to die
-bay grasses provide a home for many bay creatures
Deplete oxygen in water
-when the algae die and decompose, they use up oxygen needed by other plants and animals living in the Bay’s waters

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75
Q

Summer oxygen levels

A

oxygen levels become dangerously low in the deeper water of the bay
- if species cannot move they may be stressed or die
As upper water level temperatures rise, bay creatures would normally retreat to the cooler, deeper waters but they may be restricted due to low oxygen in these waters

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76
Q

Bay dissolved oxygen criteria: Migratory spawning and nursery areas

A

Migratory spawning and nursery areas

- 6mg/L averaged over 7 days and 5mg/L 1-day minimum (feb 15th - june 10th) early stages are often more sensitive

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77
Q

Bay dissolved oxygen criteria: Shallow and Open water areas

A

Shallow and Open water areas

  • 5mg/L as a 30-day average with 7-day average of 4mg/L and a 1-day minimum of 3.5 mg/L- all year round
  • this provides enough oxygen for the survival of larval and juvenile fish found in these areas. the minimum level is enough to prevent lethal effects for the Atlantic shortnose sturgon, the latter of which is listed as an endangered species
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78
Q

Bay dissolved oxygen criteria:

Deep water uses

A

Deep water uses
-3mg/L as a 30-day averages, with 1-day minimum of 1.7 mg/L (april through sept.)
During october through April, the shallow open water use criteria applies
-during the summer, these oxygen levels would protect eggs and larvae of bay anchovy, one of the most abundant fish in the Chesapeake and critical link in the food chain

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79
Q

Bay dissolved oxygen criteria:

Deep channel uses

A

Deep channel uses

  • 1mg/L minimum from May through September. From October through April, the shallow/open water use criteria applies
  • intended to protect worms and other bottom dwellers that can tolerate low oxygen levels during the summer. In winter, these areas are important foraging areas for blue crabs and finfish that seek refuge in these deeper, warmer waters
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80
Q

Sources of Nitrogen to the Bay

A

Agriculture- manure: 17%
Agriculture Atmospheric Deposition: 6%
Atmospheric deposition - Mobile, Utilities and Industries: 19%
Atmospheric Deposition - Natural: 1%
Atmospheric Deposition to Tidal Waters- 7%
Municipal and Industrial Wastewater - 19%
Developed Lands- Chemical fertilizer- 10%
Septic system- 4%
Agriculture- Chemical Fertilizer- 15%

Large percentage of nitrogen is from Agriculture

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81
Q

Manure Runoff

A

we need better ways to store manure or keep animals away from streams

  • typical approach is to have cement blocks
  • better approach is to have plants
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82
Q

Environmental gradient in the Bay Range and Variation in

A 
stratification
salinity
tides and currents 
storms and sediment
oxygen 
pH
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83
Q

What is An Estuary

A

a partially enclosed body of water, and its surrounding coastal habitats, where saltwater from the ocean mixd with freshwater from rivers or streams

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84
Q

Clean Water Act

A

Estuary: means a part of river or stream or other body of water that has unimpaired connection with the open sea and where the sea water is measurably diluted with fresh water derived from land drainage-

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85
Q

Coastal plain Estuary

A

thousands of years ago, as ancient glaciers melted, some coastal streams and rivers became covered with water as sea levels rose
-Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Narragnansett Bay in Rhode Island

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86
Q

Bar-built estuary

A

sandbars or barrier islands built up by ocean currents and waves in coastal areas created a protected area fed by small streams or rivers
-barrier islands off the Atlantic coastline of North Carolina and Massachusetts

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87
Q

Delta System estuary

A

deltas are formed at the mouths of large rivers from sediment and silt depositing instead of being washed away by currents and waves. When river flow is restricted by the delta, an estuary may form
-estuaries at the mouth of the Nile River in Egypt and the Mississippi river in Louisiana

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88
Q

Tectonic estuaries

A

tectonic estuaries were created when a major crack or a large land sink in the Earth, often caused by earthquakes, produced a basin below sea level that filled with water. These types of estuaries usually occur along fault lines
-san francisco Bay in california

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89
Q

Fjords

A

advancing glaciers ground out long, narrow valleys with steep sides. Then when glaciers melted, seawater flooded in
-kachemak bay in Alaska

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90
Q

Types of estuaries based on flow patter

A

Vertically mixed estuary
Slightly stratified estuary
Highly stratified estuary
Salt wedge estary

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91
Q

water column mixing and sratification

A
  • colder water sinks beneath warmer

- saltier water sinks beneath fresher

92
Q

Vertically mixed estuary

A

stratification vertically

93
Q

Slightly stratified estuary

A

form where tidal activity is strong and river volume is moderate. halocline is still present but less pronounced than in salt wedge estuaries
-seawater moves landward along the bottom of partially mixed estuaries and is diluted progressively landward with freshwater moving out towards the estuary mouth

94
Q

Fjord/highly stratified

A

highly stratified

95
Q

salt-wedge estuary

A

wedge like

96
Q

Chesapeake bay estuary type

A

slightly stratified

-mixing between salt and freshwater produces vertical salinity gradient

97
Q

Salinity range in estuary

A 
0 to 28 ppt
seawater is 30-35 ppt
Upper bay and tributaries is fresher
lower bay is saltier
changes in salinity seasonally
-spring fresher
-building throughout the summer
98
Q

How saltwater and freshwater move through the estuary

A

larger surface currents than deep currents

  • arrows move clockwise- water comes in along the western shore of the bay and leaves on the easter shore
  • currents move upstream a fair ways up tidal tributaries
99
Q

How long does it take for one tidal wave to travel from the Bay mouth to its head

A

12 hours

100
Q

dominant semidiurnal tide

A

chesapeake bay is long enough to contain one complete wave length semidiurnal
-when one high tide is reaching the head of the bay near Havre de Grace, the next high tide is just entering the bay

101
Q

Souther bay and tangier sound tides

A

semidiurnal- generally two high and two low waters each day

102
Q

central and nother Bay

A

classified as mixed- on days when two high waters and two low waters occur, the two high tides and the two low tides will be of unequal height

103
Q

Tidal range

A

1 to 3 feet (<1 m)
Highest at the Atlantic Ocean connection
Lowest in the Mid-bay near Annapolis

tides are smaller in the mid bay than at the two extremities

104
Q

Bay Swim

A

1991: 164 of 884 entrants finished swim, the rest had to be taken from water by rescue boats
1992: 48 of 331 entrants finished

105
Q

Sediment

A 
sources-
soil erosion 
waste discharge 
urban runoff
eroding stream banks
excessive algal growth
106
Q

storms

A

increase dead zone size

direct correlation between flow and phytoplankton and flow and stratification

107
Q

Dissolved Oxygen

A 
from 0 (anoxic) to >10 (supersaturated)
-varies daily, seasonally, spatially, and by depth
108
Q

problems with less dissolved oxygen

A

less dissolved oxygen harms organisms we want to see in the bay

ex. stripers, crabs, shellfish
- favors organisms we could do without
- Eutrophication and hypoxia –> “the rise of slime”

109
Q

pH

A

shell building organisms in acidic waters have slower growth rates, deformities, mortality

110
Q

Climate change and estuaries

A 
climate change is bringing a multitude of changes to the Chesapeake Bay
-sea level rise
warming water
acidification
more intense storms
111
Q

physical gradient within the bay

A

diversity of habitats within the Bay

  • fresh tidal and salt marshes
  • various species of seagrasses
  • oysters
  • coastal forest
112
Q

Executive order 13508

A

in 2009 President Obama declared the Chesapeake “a national treasure”

  • establishing a bay federal leadership committee
  • directing EPA to fully use its Clean Water Act authorities
  • improving agricultural conservation practices
  • developing a Bay climate change strategy
  • reducing water pollution from federal property
  • expanding public access to the Bay
  • restoring the living resources of the Bay
113
Q

Habitat restoration goals

A

oysters: restore 20 tributaries by 2025

Wetland and seagrasses: restore 30,000 acres of tidal and nontidal wetlands

114
Q

Salt marsh habitat value and ecosystem services

A

high biodiversity: a total of 286 vascular plant species were recorded and 9 tidal wetland sites across 0.5 - 22 ppt slinity range in the James river estuary

  • nursery habitat
  • shoreline protection
  • nutrient traps and carbon storage
115
Q

Impact and losses

A

heavy sedimentation due to colonial era

  • clearing buried many freshwater nontidal wetlands
  • Conversion to agricultural and urban landss
  • invasive species
  • erosion and loss to sea level rise
116
Q

restoration and invasive control activities

A

phragmites removal and spraying, nutria trapping
-marsh restoration- Anacostia marsh
Wetland creation- poplar island

117
Q

Executive order progression

A

in 2012 2,231 acres of wetlands were established or re-established on agricultural lands in the Bay watershed

2014/2015 goal
4,000 acres of wetlands every two years
-enhance 20,000 acres of degraded wetlands every two years

118
Q

Wetlands outcome

A

restore 30,000 acres of tidal and non tidal wetlands and enhance the function of an additional 150,000 acres of degraded wetlands by 2025
-National wetlands inventory estimates we have about 1 million acres of wetlands available for restoration or enhancement

119
Q

Salinity of tidal freshwater

A

0 ppt

120
Q

Salinity of Brackish water

A

1-10 ppt

121
Q

Salinity of salty brackish water

A

11-18 ppt

122
Q

salinity of saltwater

A

18-30ppt

123
Q

Wild celery

A

found in tidal freshwater and a little in brackish water

124
Q

Eurasian milfoil

A

found in tidal freshwater, brackish water, and a little in salty brackish

125
Q

Widgeon grass

A

found in salty brackish water and salt water, found a little in tidal and freshwater

126
Q

Eelgrass

A

found in salty brackish water and saltwater, a little in brackish water

127
Q

Why SAV are important

A

Submerged aquatic vegetation
-provide food for waterfowl
-provide habitat for juvenile blue crabs, rockfish (striped bass), and other aquatic species= nursery grounds
Shoreline protection: their leaves and stems absorb wave energy, and roots bind the substrate
As plants, they produce oxygen
Nutrient trap

128
Q

Loss of SAV

A

forced some species of waterfowl to migrate to other wintering areas or to change their feeding habits.

129
Q

Where have the grasses gone?

A
  • scouring and burial by major storms
  • diseases
  • poor water quality
  • some natives replaced by invasive species
130
Q

in 1930

A

seagrasses covered 185,000 acres

131
Q

Oyster beds- habitat value and ecosystem service

A

similar to marshes and seagrass beds, a nursery ground and high biodiversity habitat

  • Water quality: remove sediment and phytoplankton from the water column
  • shoreline protection: natural wave barrier
132
Q

Oyster fishery fall

A

<1% historical abundance

  • overfishing
  • sedimentation
  • disease
  • feedbacks of low population (not enough spawners, low recruitment, not enough reef habitat for recruits)
133
Q

Urban rivers

A

Anacostia
-~75% of the watershed is developed
~40% of the impervious cover is roads
-most developed predates modern stormwater control
-aging combined sewer system in parts of DC
Lack of funding for stormwater infrastrucutre

134
Q

Four main pollutants of urban areas

A

bacteria
nutrients
toxins
trash

135
Q

Urban impacts to the anacostia river

A

stormwater

  • sewage
  • trash
  • nutrients
  • thermal
  • toxins
  • sediment
136
Q

What we find in our trash

A

Styrofoam- 30%
Others- 21%
Plastic cups- 7%
Bottles and Cans- 42%

137
Q

Solutions

A 
reconnecting people to place
billions of dollars of investment
anacostia bike trail
anacostia water trail
recreation
wildlife
138
Q

DC Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection act

A

2009

  • 5 cent fee on disposable plastic and paper bags
  • store gets 1 cent to manage fee
  • if store gives 5 cents for reusable bags, they get 2 cents
  • fee goes to education reusable bags, and trash collection methods
139
Q

Causes of decline in oysters

A

overfishing
sedimentation
diseases- MSX and Dermo
Feedbacks of low population

140
Q

Proposed introduction of the Chinese oyster

A

crassostrea ariakensis

dermo and MSX are Japanese oyster disease and these chinese are resistant

141
Q

Pros of chinese oyster

A

more disease resistant

fast growing, though maybe not at hight density

142
Q

Cons of chinese oyster

A

similar habitat needs to the eastern oyster
possible introduction of new oyster diseases
Possibility of escape
might outcompete native oyster
not reef forming

143
Q

Invasive species in the Bay

A 
blue and flathead catfish
mute swans
northern snakehead fish
nutria
Phragmites

Emerald ash borer, Chinese mitten crab, European gysy moth, Hydrilla, Japanese silt grass, Rusty crayfish, Didymo “rock snot”

144
Q

blue catfish

A

Grow extremely big

take over fish communities

145
Q

Zebra mussel

A 
breissena polymorpha
foul and suffocate native endangered mussles
clog water mains, foal boats
estimated $5 billion to control
spreading all over
146
Q

Keystone resource

A

resource that is outsized in its importance to an ecosystem relative to biomass

147
Q

Horseshoe crab

A

keystone resource

-shorebirds feed heavily on horseshoe crab eggs

148
Q

Atlantic menhaden

A

important food source for striped bass, weakfish, bluefish, and predatory birds such as osprey and eagles
-largest fishery by volume in Chesapeake

product: omega protein- omega-3 fatty acids, fish food, and bait

149
Q

Alaskan Pollock

A

fish sticks- largest fishery

150
Q

Extinctions

A

continental - passenger pigeons, carolina parakeets

151
Q

Ecological extinction

A

still present but in such a small population that it no longer interacts significantly with other species

sea-turttles
Sharks

152
Q

At risk species

A

U.S. endangered species list 9 plants 27 animals

State level: 445 plants 167 animals

153
Q

Diamondback Terrapin

A 
brackish water only-
threatened by:
harvest
drowning in crab traps
roadkill
habitat loss, sea level rise
154
Q

BRD and TED

A

bycatch reduction devises
turtle excluder device

to try to reduce catch of turtles

155
Q

Population growth

A

17.7 million people were estimate to live in Chesapeake Bay watershed

estimated to be 20 million by 2030

156
Q

More people means

A 
more houses
more impervious surfaces
more wastewater
more roads, cars, and traffic
more energy usage
157
Q

Forest acreage

A

has been declining at a rate of about 100 acres/day

farm acres have been declining faster

158
Q

Land use in chesapeake bay

A

Undeveloped (forested) -58%
Agriculture- 22%
Urban and suburban- 9%
Other- 11%

159
Q

Sources of Nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay

A 
Agricultural run-off: 41%
Air pollution: 25%
Wastewater treatment factories: 15%
Urban suburban stormwater runoff: 15%
Septic: 3%
160
Q

Natural ground cover

A

40% evapotranspiration
10% runoff
25% shallow infiltration
25% deep infiltration

161
Q

10-20% impervious surface

A

38% evapotranspiration
20% runoff
21% shallow infiltration
21% deep infiltration

162
Q

35-50% impervious surface

A

35% evapotranspiration
30% runoff
20% shallow infiltration
15% deep infiltration

163
Q

75-100% impervious surface

A

30% evapotranspiration
55% runoff
10% shallow infiltration
5% deep infiltration

164
Q

Combined sewer overflows

A

at each point there is an opportunity for management of nutrient inputs

impervious surfaces
runoffs
CSOs
nutrients into bay

165
Q

Point sources

A

industrial
Wastewater treatment plants
CAFO
-concentrate animal feeding operations

166
Q

Biological nutrient removal

A

BNR
-using microorganisms to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater during treatment
3 steps
- an anaerobic step called enhanced biological phosphorus removal
-aerobic step called nitrification
-anoxic step called denitrification
-end result wastewater contains less than 8 mg/L of nitrogen

167
Q

Enhanced nutrient removal

A

ENR- even better

end result: wastewater contains 3mg/L of nitrogen and 0.3 mg/L of phosphorus

168
Q

Maryland’s Bay Restoration Fund

A

“flush fee”

funds ENR upgrades for the state’s 66 major wastewater treatment plants that discharge to the Bay

169
Q

Phosphate ban

A

1970s laundry detergent was about 11% phosphorus
-detergents contributed to 50-70% of the phosphorus treated at sewage treatment plants

Maryland banned it in 1985
DC in 1986
Virginia 1988
Pennsylvania 1990

170
Q

Phosphate ban in dish soap

A

2010 (MD, VA, and PA)

171
Q

Traffic and nitrogen

A

fossil fuel burning- cars and power generation produces nitrogenous air pollution
-vehicle miles travled grows faster than population

172
Q

Land cover

A

58% forest
23% agriclutre
16% urban/suburban
3% wetlands

173
Q

Agriculture

A

6.5 million acres
87,000 farms
over 50 different crops/commodities

174
Q

TMDL

A

total maximum daily load
19% of total N load
24% of total P load

only accounts for liquid waste water treatment plant

175
Q

Eutrophication

A

N or P over enrichment of surface waters
-results in excessive algal growth
limiting nutrient for algal growth

176
Q

Limiting nutrient in freshwater

A

phosphorus

177
Q

limiting nutrient in saltwater

A

nitrogen

178
Q

Effects of Eutrophication

A

low to no oxygen in deep and/or unmixed waters
decrease water clarity in shallows
wrong types and population distribution of phytoplankton for filter feeding consumption
increase number of severity of harmful algal blooms

179
Q

Main pollutants from agriculture

A

nitrogen phosphorus and sediment

180
Q

Nutrient and sediment losses

A 
leaching 
drainage
subsurface flow
erosion
runoff
181
Q

Nitrogen by sector

A 
agriculture- 45%
Point source- 22%
forest 20%
urban runoff- 8%
septic 4%
non-tidal water deposition 1%
182
Q

TMDL for agriculture

A

33% of N load

39% of P load

183
Q

Phosphorus by sector

A 
Agriculture- 44%
Point source 25%
urban runoff- 15%
forest 15%
non-tidal water deposition- 1%
184
Q

Total delivered sediment by sector

A

Agriculture-65%
forest- 18%
urban runoff 16%
point source- 1%

185
Q

BMP

A

Best management practices

so many of them

186
Q

Nitrogen sources in the Chesapeake Bay

A

agriculture is larges input

wastewater is second

187
Q

Phosphorus sources

A

ag is larges

wastewater is second

188
Q

Largest pool of nitrogen is

A

gases in the atmosphere, inaccessible to plants and animals

free nitrogen - unreactive

189
Q

Nitrates NO3-

A

fixed to terrestrial and aquatic plants then fixed into waste and remains or used by consumers (primary, secondary, and tertiary) which is then fixed into proteins from dead cells
-protein from dead cells are fixed to decaying organisms(aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and fungi) which is ammonified to ammonium

190
Q

Nitrites NO2-

A

undergo nitrification to be nitrates

191
Q

Ammonium

A

NH4+ Ammonium is fixed to terrestrial and aquatic plants

undergoes nitrification to be nitrites

192
Q

Why care about reactive and non-reactive nitrogen

A

we use microbial denitrification to remove N from wastewater before it reaches the estuary
ex. BNR and ENR

make it non reactive

193
Q

Nitrogen

A

Raw sewage 21-42 mg/L
After BNR: 8 mg/L
After ENR: 3 mg/L

194
Q

Phosphorus

A

Raw sewage: 3-7 mg/L
After BNR: 3 mg/L
After ENR: 0.3 mg/L

195
Q

denitrification

A

marshes, seagrasses, and oyster bed habitats have higher rates of denitrification than mud habitats

196
Q

Habitat loss and denitrification

A

habitat loss has reduced denitrification potential in estuaries
-another way the Bay is more difficult to restore because of multiple environmental impacts

197
Q

Indicators of Bay Health

A

Bernie Fowler’s Sneaker index
state of the bay report
Chesapeake Bay Report Card

198
Q

Bernie Fowler’s Sneaker index

A

measured every June in a wade- in in the Patuxent river- see how far he can go in until he can’t see his sneakers

199
Q

State of the Bay report

A

produced by Chesapeake Bay foundation

-3 categories with 4 indicators each (13 in total)

200
Q

pollution: state of the bay report

A

nitrogen/phosphorus
dissolved oxygen
water clarity
toxics

201
Q

Habitat: state of the bay report

A

forested buffers
underwater grasses
wetlands
resource lands

202
Q

Fisheries: state of the bay report

A

rockfish
oysters
crabs
shad

203
Q

Chesapeake Bay Report card

A

produced by the Chesapeake Bay programs

- for comparison with the 3 major categories of the State of the Bay report

204
Q

Chesapeake Watershed Model

A

land use, fertilizer use, wastewater, atmospheric deposition, livestock production, weather and other variables to predict how much and where pollutants originate

205
Q

Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Ecosystem Model

A

food web model for fisheries management decisions

206
Q

Chesapeake Atlantis Model

A

food web + habitat + human activities and nutrient inputs; spatially explicit

207
Q

Policies that affect individuals

A

flush tax
rain tax
rain garden and rain barrel subsidies
point source pollution permitting

208
Q

Maryland Chesapeake Bay restoration fee

A 
Flush tax
-used for upgrades to ENR in marylands 67 WWTPs 
-upgrades for failing septic systems
-fund cover crops for fields
 $60 per person for coastal 
$30 per person for non-coastal
209
Q

Maryland impervious surfaces tax

A

rain tax
-user fee charge to property owners for the service of managing the polluted runoff coming from their property
took effect in 2013
-set by county

rain garden, rain barrel lower fees

210
Q

Rain gardens

A 
planted hole with permeable and filter layers
-native plants
-fed by runoff water and rain barrels 
subsidy programs
-funded by DC plastic bag fee
211
Q

point source nutrient pollution

A

point sources- individually permitted by the EPA

  • National Pollutant Discharge Elimitation System
  • Controls pollution at the pipe to meet water quality standards set by the states
212
Q

Chesapeake Bay Agreement

A

1983:
1 page agreement
Voluntary pledge
Partners: MD, VA, PA, DC, EPA

the chair of the Chesapeake Bay commission

-responsibilities
establish policy direction for restoration and protection of the bay
marshall public support for the bay
sign directives, agreements, amendments that set goals
be accountable to public for progress

213
Q

1987 agreement

A

7 pages
to achieve 40% reduction of pollutants by 2000

based on 1985 point source loads and non point loads in average rainfall year

214
Q

2000 approaches

A

little or no progress made in meeting the 40% goal

by 2010: correct the nutrient and sediment problems in the Chesapeake Bay

215
Q

Voluntary agreements

A

1983
1987
2000
-reductions by 2010

216
Q

Regulatory agreements

A

Clean water act (1972)(

217
Q

Clean water act

A 
identifies "impaired" waters
-fishable 
-swimmable
Requires plan to delist
-total maximum daily load (TMDL)
218
Q

2006

A

a report a statements by EPA’s Rich Batiuk say that the EPA’s Bay restoration efforts will miss the goals

219
Q

2008

A

Chesapeake bay foundation files suit agains the EPA for its failure to enforce the Clean Waters Act

220
Q

Executive order

A

President Obama signed executive order in 2009 stating the bay is a national treasure

221
Q

2010

A

chesapeake bay foundation sues and settles with EPA
-legally binding and enforceable plan requires action by dates
TMDL

222
Q

Setting a TMDL

A

“the sleeping giant” of legislation part of 1972 act

223
Q

WLA

A

Waste Load Allocation

-amount of pollutant form existing point sources

224
Q

LA

A

load allocation

-amount of pollutant form existing nonpoint sources and natural bacground

225
Q

MOS

A

margin of safety

226
Q

Complex management scheme: TMDL

A

watersheds transcend political boundaries

in the Chesapeake Bay: a history of settling and missing targets for nutrient management

AREC200 midterm (2 decks)

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