Chesapeake’s etiology comes from the word Chesepiooc, which technically means “at a great river”.  That great river may pertain to Chesapeake Bay. Yes, it is great for it covers 64,000 square miles and is a habitat to an immense ecosystem but it’s definitely not only a river. Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States.  An estuary is the transition from the river to the ocean. It is where the fresh water and the salt water meet. This kind of environment generates an excellent environment for a whole ecosystem to thrive. It includes 350 species of fish and dozens of species coming from shellfish and crabs. But an estuary that’s remarkable as this can’t fail to magnetize and support a growing population. As of now, Chesapeake Bay population as of now is an estimated 16.6 million with a projection of 150,000 growths per year. With the human race part of the ecosystem, as early as 1948 the health of Chesapeake Bay deteriorated. The whole domino effect happened and Chesapeake Bay was no longer a sanctuary for a diverse species. Continue reading →