In previous water quality modeling studies in Chesapeake Bay, the severity of summer hypoxia tended to be underestimated in the mid-lower Bay area. The underlying reason has not been well understood. In this study, we test a new hypothesis with respect to the estuary–ocean exchange. This hypothesis was motivated by observed high levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) near the Bay mouth that, if transported into the Bay, coul...

Eutrophication and hypoxia represent an ever-growing stressor to estuaries and coastal ecosystems due to population growth and climate change. Understanding water quality dynamics in shallow water systems is particularly challenging due to the complex physical and biogeochemical dynamics and interactions among them. Within shallow waters, benthic microalgae can significantly contribute to autotrophic primary production, genera...

Understanding shallow water biogeochemical dynamics is a challenge in coastal regions, due to the presence of highly variable land-water interface fluxes, tight coupling with sediment processes, tidal dynamics, and diurnal variability in biogeochemical processes. While the deployment of continuous monitoring devices has improved our understanding of high-frequency (12 - 24 hours) variability and spatial heterogeneity in shallo...

Computer model experiments are applied to analyze hypoxia reductions for opposing wind directions under various speeds and durations in the north–south oriented, two-layer-circulated Chesapeake estuary. Wind’s role in destratification is the main mechanism in short-term reduction of hypoxia. Hypoxia can also be reduced by wind-enhanced estuarine circulation associated with winds that have down-estuary straining components that...