Poor crab harvests, decreased fish runs, and shellfish diseases are some of the more obvious signs of the decline of the Chesapeake Bay. Nevertheless, there is reason to hope. As scientists have come to understand the problems and what is creating them, many groups including citizens, fishermen, politicians, farmers, and real estate developers have come together to learn how they can turn things around. Forests along streams are being restored and wetlands are being preserved. Homes are being built in ways that have a minimum impact on the Bay.
Voluntary laws encourage people to consider the health of the Bay.
People are learning that wherever someone is in a watershed, he or she can have a positive effect. All of these lessons, of course, also apply to the Delaware Bay. List all the plants and animals that you might find in an estuary. Construct a food chain showing who eats whom.