Ramifications of Climate Change for Chesapeake Bay Hypoxia

This paper examines how both climate variability and potential climate change can affect hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay and can present additional challenges to ongoing ecosystem restoration. It is one of four case studies in a report entitled, "Regional Impacts of Climate Change: Four Case Studies in the United States," that examines impacts of particular interest to different regions of the U.S. Past observations are used to elucidate the multiple influences of climate on hypoxia and its consequences to the Bay ecosystems. From this empirical basis, the authors project how climate change during the rest of the 21st century is likely to affect hypoxia, and how climate change will challenge the achievement of restoration goals.

Publication Date: December 2007

Authors or Affiliated Users:

• Donald F. Boesch
• Victoria J. Coles
• David G. KimmelW. David Miller

Related Organizations:

• University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
• The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
• Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

Sectors:

• Coastal
• Biodiversity and ecosystems
• Fish and fisheries
• Tourism and recreation

Resource Category:

• Assessments

Resource Types:

• Assessment
• Climate science

States Affected:

• Delaware
• Maryland
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Impacts:

• Water quality
• Air temperature
• Precipitation changes
• Water temperatures

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