The shells of young oysters in the Chesapeake Bay are getting thinner due to increased levels of acidity in the water, according to a new study from the University of Maryland Center for Environment Science.
In the study, researchers say the change in acidity levels creates conditions that are corrosive to the shells and threaten an already struggling oyster population. Compounds like nitrogen that wash into the bay from sewage plants and farms promote algae growth in the upper Bay. The growing algae consume carbon dioxide, which is later released once the algae are consumed by other animals while being carried out to the ocean. This release of carbon dioxide raises acidity of the water.
