Chesapeake Bay Activities Newsletter January-February 2021
The USGS provides research and monitoring to better understand and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Our technical reports and journal articles, which we translate into science summaries, provide the findings used by federal, state, and local decisionmakers to inform restoration and conservation decisions. Here are some recent highlights.
Learn more about USGS Chesapeake Bay activities
Fact Sheet Summarizes Nutrient Trends and Drivers in the Chesapeake Watershed
Issue: Trends in nitrogen and phosphorus, and the complex factors affecting their change, provide important insights into the effectiveness of efforts to reduce nutrients from reaching the tidal waters of the Bay. The nutrient reductions are needed to improve water-quality conditions in the tidal waters for fisheries and submerged aquatic vegetation.
Land-use influences on estrogenic-endocrine disruption in fish within the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Issue: Effects of exposure to estrogenic-chemical contaminants have been observed in many fish species worldwide. One effect is described as “intersex” because fish will take on characteristics of the other sex, such as immature eggs forming in male fish.
Studies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have also identified the exposure of fish to endocrine-disrupting compounds. The estrogenic-endocrine disruption, and fish kills, have raised public and management concerns since sportfishing is of major economic interest, and rivers within the watershed provide numerous other ecological, recreational, cultural and economic benefits, as well as serving as a drinking water source for millions of people.
The Chesapeake Bay Program recognized these concerns and developed a goal for the Chesapeake Watershed agreement: Ensure that the Bay and its rivers are free of effects of toxic contaminants on living resources and human health. The research conducted by USGS and its partners has contributed to the Chesapeake Bay Program Toxic Contaminants Research Outcome to continually increase the understanding of impacts and mitigation options for toxic contaminants.
Bass confusion from land pollution
Chesapeake Bay Program — by Caitlyn Johnstone — January 25, 2021
New Virus Identified in Melanistic Skin Lesions on Smallmouth Bass from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Scientists determined the risk factors associated with smallmouth bass melanistic skin lesions on smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers, in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A new virus, which appears to be a member of an emerging viral family, the Adomaviridae, was identified in the lesions. Questions remain about the full characterization of the virus and the role of environmental factors, such as temperature and chemical contaminants, in initiation, progression, and health effects of the lesions.
USGS Contributes to Revised Plans for Chesapeake Water-Quality and Toxic Contaminant Goal
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), through the Strategic Review System (SRS), reviews progress toward the 10 goals and associated outcomes of the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement. Each outcome is managed by a specific CBP Goal Implementation Team and their associated workgroups. During review of each outcome every two years, a workgroup is responsible to prepare materials for (1) summarizing progress over the past two years, (2) identifying challenges that must be addressed, and (3) revising plans for the next two years.
Prescription for Northern Virginia: low-salt diet
Bay Journal — By Timothy Wheeler — February 8, 2021