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restrictions, the parties agreed to concentrate on three high priority areas. These are: the fate of underwater grasses which are an important source of food and habitat for wildlife on the Chesapeake; the sources and levels of plant nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, found in the Bay; and the levels and sources of toxic substances in the Bay.
During the course of the study, over forty individual technical investigations were conducted. When the results of the studies were synthesized, we obtained a comprehensive picture of water quality and natural resources in the Bay. Among the findings are:
—Levels of nutrients are increasing in many areas of the Bay, leading to reduced water quality. The nutrients have increased the growth of phytoplankton (minute floating aquatic plants) which has reduced the amount of light reaching submerged grasses. This loss of light has significantly reduced the amount of desirable underwater vegetation.
—The amount of Bay water showing low or no dissolved oxygen in summer is estimated to have the increased 15-fold in the last 30 years. Lowered dissolved oxygen has reduced the habitat for both shellfish and finfish, cutting the populations of both.
—Elevated levels of heavy metals and toxic organic compounds are found in Bay water and sediments. These compounds are being bioaccumulated by both shellfish and finfish and have been another factor in reducing the populations of many species.
In order to deal with
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