Chemical Makeup

Study the chemical factors that affect where plants and animals thrive throughout the Bay, from brackish water to dissolved gases.

A hand dips a Vernier pH probe into a body of water.
A student takes measurements with a Vernier pH probe in the headwaters of Lititz Run at Lititz Springs Park in Lititz, Pennsylvania. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Like salinity and temperature, the chemical composition of water helps determine where and how many plants and animals live within the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay’s waters contain organic and inorganic materials, including nutrients, dissolved gases, inorganic salts, trace elements and potentially toxic chemicals such as heavy metals.