Struggling On
D+. That, alas, is the state of our Bay, unchanged since 2012, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s just-released State of the Bay Report.
Foundation scientists consider historical and current information for 13 indicators in three categories: pollution, habitat and fisheries. Each indicator is scored between one and 100.
Four indicators — dissolved oxygen, water clarity, oysters and underwater grasses — improved.
Six indicators — nitrogen, toxins, shad, resource lands, forested buffers and wetlands — stayed steady.
Three indicators — phosphorus, rockfish and blue crabs — declined.
To score higher, says CBF Maryland Executive Director Alison Prost, “Maryland’s newly elected officials will need to stand up for clean water, and its citizens must hold them accountable.”