The Chesapeake Bay Program report found that there was more fresh water in the estuary, the effects of which could be felt in the years to come.
The report found that from May of last year through October of 2019 the entire bay has experienced below-average salinity levels.
The Salisbury Daily Times reports that in February the mid-bay area was at a record low.
And the survey found that there was more fresh water in the bay this year when data was first collected in 1937.
The recent period resulted in harming underwater grasses and upped oyster-killing parasites contributing to the bay’s dead zone of oxygen depleted water.
The Chesapeake Bay Program is a partnership between the federal, state and local governments as well as non-profits and academics.
