Ecological Effects of Climate Change on the Chesapeake Bay

1. Ecological Effects of Climate
Change on the Chesapeake Bay
Beth McGee
Director of Science &
Agricultural Policy
Blue Planet Forum
April 25, 2017

2. Climate Change and
the Bay
Increased frequency and
intensity of storms
More flooding
Increased loads of
pollutants

3. Climate change
…and may also increase droughts
From USGS VA Water Science Center

4. Rising temperatures
1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
13
13.5
14
14.5
15
15.5
16
16.5
17
17.5
18
year
Temperature(C) VIMS pier
CBL pier
Mean annual water temperature at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
(mid-bay) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (lower-bay)

5. Species that are already stressed by high summer
temperatures may be greatly reduced or eliminated.
Dense eelgrass beds – June 2005 Bare, unvegetated sand – December 2005
Species’ shifts

6. Warm water holds
less oxygen

9. Sea level rise
Coastal flooding, disappearing islands and
marsh
1989
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
1938 1957
Climate Change and
the Bay

10. Sea Level Rise Over
Last 30-40 yrs
GSLR ~1.75 mm/yr or 0.6 ft/century
more than 3x the global average

11. https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/

12. Sea Level Rise in the
Future

13. Multiple benefits of
pollution reduction efforts
On a more optimistic note...
Implementing the practices in VA’s Bay clean up plan
will reduce GHG emissions and increase resiliency

14. Multiple benefits
• Filter pollutants
• Reduce GHG
• Reduce flooding
• Reduces “heat island”
effect
Green Infrastructure

15. The End
Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem
Restoration Act (HR 3852/S 1816)
• Adopts the Bay TMDL and requirements for watershed implementation
plans
• Establishes consequences for failing to develop adequate plans or
implement them
• Creates a federal minimum standard for controlling stormwater runoff
• Authorizes over $ 2 billion to help meet the pollution reduction goals
• Creates a watershed-wide nutrient trading program
THANK YOU!