(WUSA) - The Chesapeake Bay is coming back to life as dead zones
decrease, according to a report by the Department of Natural
Resources. Dead zones are down this June thanks to drier and
warmer conditions from February to April and the wetter and
cooler late spring according to the report. Samples collected by
the DNR in June showed 12 percent of the bay had low oxygen
levels, an improvement over the long term average of 17 percent.
It is a significant decrease from this time last year when a
third of the bay was unsuitable for aquatic life. Oxygen poor
zones peak in July and can persist into the fall as the warmer,
fresher water floats above deeper, saltier water. Summer heat
mixed with pollution also cause algae blooms that consume oxygen
when they die and decompose. By Benny Magno, wusa9.com