Dead Zones in the Chesapeake Bay

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This is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the decrease in crab count this year as reported by fishermen.

In response to Tony's comment, I would like to point out that this is one of the factors for the Chesapeake Bay crab commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watc...). With these dead zones decreasing the crab population there is a greater awareness of the environmental problems facing the bay (not only dead zones but fertilizers, etc.).

Although this video promotes 'holding off' on fertilizers the message is onbe hoping to aid the bay in the long run.

Also I found that crab mating season begins in spring (the beginning of 'hold off fertilizers time') and they are sedentary and rest at the bottom of the bay in winter (fertilizer time). This allows for safety of the crabs during mating season and seasons of high activity near surface and land and more danger to occur when crabs are least likely to see the detrimental effects.

According to bluecrab.info, "The blue crab's activity begins in early spring, when the waters of the Chesapeake Bay warm and the crabs stir from their dormant state. All winter, the females have remained on the bottom of the Bay, most of them in the deepest water. The mature males have been buried in the sediments of the estuaries, and the juveniles have sheltered in shallow-water habitats. During this time, the crabs have not eaten or ventured far from their resting place. With the arrival of spring and warmer temperatures, the male and female crabs begin to move away from their wintering grounds to look for food or seek out a mate.
Mating occurs primarily in relatively low-salinity waters in the upper areas of estuaries and lower portions of rivers. Mating takes place in areas where female crabs normally go to molt—shallow areas with marsh lined banks or beds of submergent vegetation. Blue crabs mate in the Chesapeake Bay from May through October. The primary mating seasons for blue crabs in Louisiana are April through June and September through October. Extended periods of low temperatures will usually significantly shorten the mating season."

yeah, we are killing the Chesapeake. Did you know that when people first sailed into the bay, the color of the water that they reported was similar to what the Carribean is now?

It was like the way Disney depicted it in Pocahontas! Anyways, I'm am really disappointed by this- this past Memorial Day we went to my Grandma's, who lives on the Bay, and we had to drive (i got to drive, actually, which was fun) a half an hour to find blue crabs for sale, because they're getting so much more rare and expensive! Aren't we supposed to be meeting some pollution requirements or something?