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Title
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A Fragile Environmental Recovery
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Type
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Primary: Mission Briefing Article
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Operation
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Resilient Planet
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Mission:
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Mission 3: Paradise Lost
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Print Page
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50
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Subjects
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Science | History and nature of science | Historical perspectives | Life science | Ecosystems | Populations | Personal and social issues | Humans and the environment | Conservation | Environmental change
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Grades
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5 | 6 | 7 | 8
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Keywords
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Fragile, environmental, recovery, inhale, snorkel, crab, fish, jellyfish, Dr. Sylvia Earle, ocean scientist, National, Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Chesapeake Bay, ecosystem, pollution, over-fishing, health, state, Captain John Smith, exploration, journal, blue crab, predator, scavenger, food, web
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Duration
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00:15:00 (HH:MM:SS)
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Audience
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Teachers | Elementary Grades | Junior High
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Created On
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4/20/2008
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Copyright
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NOAA Photo Library
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From: Resilient Planet Mission 3: Paradise Lost (pp: 50) |
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A Fragile Environmental Recovery This article explores the work of Dr. Sylvia Earle and her work with to restore the Chesapeake Bay to a healthier estuarine ecosystem. |
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 As you return to the surface, your natural instinct is to inhale. Don't! Before you can draw fresh air into your lungs, you must first blow out a blast of air into the snorkel. Otherwise, you are likely to suck in a mouthful of seawater. That's because water filled the snorkel tube as you swam beneath the surface. Whoosh! Now that you've cleared the snorkel, you can take a deep breath. With oxygen replenished, it's time to rejoin your team below.  The blue crab is an aggressive, bottom-dwelling predator/scavenger, a keystone species in the Chesapeake food web, and the most valuable catch of the Bay's commercial fisheries. On the shallow bottom, your underwater guide taps your shoulder. She points to a crab scurrying along the sandy bottom. Without warning, a large fish darts into the scene and swallows up this living snack. Then, she points to the murky distance. From the darkness, a fish the size of a small child swims into view. Then, just as suddenly, it vanishes. Looking like ghosts, white jellyfish drift past. Your guide motions for you to swim away. Her familiarity and understanding of this underwater environment should not be a surprise—after all, she is one of the world's leading oceanographers. Meet Dr. Sylvia Earle, ocean scientist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. Here, in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay, Sylvia is studying the organisms that inhabit an environment struggling to recover its healthy, productive state. Returning to the surface, the team is carried by the tide. Sylvia looks down. Half a century ago, she would have been able to see her fins in the clear water. Now, the water is a murky green color. The ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay changed because of human activities in and around its waters. The involvement of concerned citizens has helped. New laws have been passed to control pollution and over-fishing. Clean-up activities by school groups and local communities help return the region to a healthier state. Sylvia Earle and other scientists compare the current state of the Bay to the near-pristine Bay described by Captain John Smith in his exploration journals from the 1600s. If we give that historic Bay a score of 100, its score today would only be in the high 20s. Sylvia Earle sees some recovery, but she recognizes that we have a long way to go. 
| Mission 3 Briefing Video
Prepare for your Mission by viewing this briefing on your objectives. Watch how scientists study the historical and current state of a degraded ecosystem and plan its recovery. |
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