Fox Island and Its ‘Magical’ Classroom on Stilts Near Their Final Act ≈ Education Center Inspired Waves Ity
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November 2019 Volume 29 Number 8 Striped bass decline spurs new look at mycobacteria ≈ Chronic wasting disease infects most of the striped bass in the Chesapeake BY KARL BLANKENSHIP When Wolfgang Vogelbein peered at striped bass sores through a microscope 22 years ago, he knew he was looking at something very different than what was grabbing headlines at the time. Pfiesteria piscicida — the so-called “cell from hell” — was being blamed for fish kills in Maryland and making people sick. But what Vogelbein saw through his lens wasn’t the result of a harmful algae toxin. It was a nasty bacterial infection, creating ugly sores on the outside of fish and lesions on the inside. The infections were caused by mycobacteria, a type of bacteria that are widespread in the environment, but not typically associated with problems in wild fish. Suddenly, though, it was turning up in large numbers of the Chesapeake Bay’s A Chesapeake logperch is gently lowered into Chiques Creek, a Susquehanna most prized finfish. River tributary in Lancaster County, PA. Ichthyologists raised 1,500 fingerlings “I thought I would be spending the rest Welcome from 28 caught in the spring as part of a reintroduction effort to keep the fish off of my career working on myco,” recalled the endangered species list. (Dave Harp) See article on page 15. to your new home Mycobacteria continues on page 22 Fox Island and its ‘magical’ classroom on stilts near their final act ≈ Education center inspired waves ity. The cause, according to the conserva- of future Bay advocates, but can no tion and advocacy group, is rising water longer stem tide of rising water that has swallowed about 70% of Fox’s land mass over the last half-century. BY JEREMY COX “It’s a really hard thing for us,” said This is the way the Fox Island Envi- Tom Ackerman, the foundation’s vice ronmental Education Center ends: not president of education. “Fox Island is the with a gale or wrecking ball, but with the heart of our program. In some ways, it’s slow inevitability of wind and waves. the heart of the organization. So, losing it After four decades of hosting students is pretty tough.” and teachers, the spartan, barracks-style According to William Cronin’s building that stands on stilts in the middle book, The Disappearing Islands of the of the Chesapeake Bay is closing its doors Chesapeake, the island group totaled 357 at the end of this season, likely in early acres in 1895. By the book’s publication December. in 2005, it was down to 67 acres. A GIS The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, survey conducted this year by the founda- which purchased the low-lying Virginia tion showed a mere 34 acres remaining. archipelago and its lone structure in 1975, Water laps at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s education center on Fox Island. is bidding a reluctant farewell to the facil- Island continues on page 24 Rising sea level has led to a decision to close the facility. (Jeremy Cox) Bay Journal November 2019 2 • is published by Bay Journal Media to inform Editor’s Note BAY JOURNAL the public about ecological, scientific, historic and cultural issues and events related to the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay Journal, Climate change increasingly lurks in shadows of Bay’s ills circulation 35,000, is published monthly except in midsummer and midwinter. It is distributed free of charge. Bundles are available Virginia’s Fox Bay region — it is one that increasingly for distribution. Material may be reproduced, with permission Island is pretty touches all others. and attribution. Publication is made possible by grants through much gone, and In our recent reader survey, climate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay rising waters change was one of the issues most Program Office, the Campbell Foundation, the National Oceanic are forcing the flagged by readers as needing more and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay Office, the Chesapeake Bay attention. We also heard from a Sumner T. McKnight Foundation, the Rauch Foundation, the Foundation to number of readers who viewed climate Fair Play Foundation, the Shared Earth Foundation, the Virginia shut its education as a political issue. Environmental Endowment, anonymous donors, and by reader center there But while policy solutions might contributions. Views expressed in the Bay Journal do not as 90% of the spur political debate, the fact that the necessarily represent those of any funding agency or organization. island’s land mass climate is changing at an increasingly has been lost since the late 1880s. rapid rate — and has to be dealt with For mailing list additions/changes, please use the form on this Meanwhile, scientists estimate by community leaders at all levels — is page or contact: Bay Journal, P.O. Box 222, Jacobus, PA 17407-0222 that the number of birds inhabiting increasingly obvious. E-mail: [email protected] our meadows, forests, wetlands and While many factors in the Bay BAY JOURNAL MEDIA backyards has declined by 25% in the region contribute to sea level rise, last half century. One reason is the including land subsidence, the Bay Journal Media is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with altering of habitats, including coastal global rise in sea level is driving its a mission to further public education and awareness of issues marshes around the Bay, which is acceleration in recent decades. affecting the Chesapeake Bay and the mid-Atlantic environment causing a number of species, such as Our leaders have to account for by creating and distributing journalistic products. In addition the black rail, to decline. that change. And our actions can still to producing the Bay Journal, Bay Journal Media operates Mycobacteria infections in the determine how much change will the Bay Journal News Service, which distributes Bay Journal Bay’s striped bass are likely to further happen in the future. For instance, a articles and original op-eds about the Chesapeake Bay or regional worsen as Chesapeake waters warm. Maryland sea level rise report issued environmental issues to more than 400 newspapers in the region, While much about the disease remains late last year concluded that if we begin reaching several million readers each month. a mystery, it seems to be exacerbated controlling greenhouse gas emissions by warm conditions. now, sea level rise by the end of the Karl Blankenship, Executive Director None of these stories, which you’ll century could be limited to 2 feet this Andrew Nolan, CPA, Chief Financial Officer find in this issue, are directly about century. (That’s still twice the rate of STAFF climate change, but they are all about the last century.) If emissions keep problems made worse by a warming increasing, sea level could rise by an Editor: Karl Blankenship ([email protected]) climate. estimated 3 feet or more. Managing Editor: Lara Lutz ([email protected]) Sea level is rising faster than ever, Like development, climate change Associate Editor/Projects: Timothy B. Wheeler ([email protected]) habitats are changing and water is a pervasive issue altering the Bay CONTACT US Bay Journal News Service Editor: Tim Sayles ([email protected]) temperatures are climbing. and its watershed every day. Whether by mail: Copy/Design Editor: Kathleen A. Gaskell ([email protected]) This collection of articles we are more successful in dealing with The Bay Journal Staff Writer: Jeremy Cox ([email protected]) didn’t happen by design, but by it, globally, as we have been in dealing 619 Oakwood Drive Staff Writer: Ad Crable ([email protected]) happenstance. In reading them, it with development, regionally, remains Seven Valleys, PA Staff Writer: Whitney Pipkin ([email protected]) struck me how — while climate change to be seen. 17360-9395 Staff Writer: Sarah Vogelsong ([email protected]) is far from the only issue facing the — Karl Blankenship Photographer: Dave Harp ([email protected]) by phone: ADVERTISING 717-428-2819 Sign Up for the Bay Journal or Change your Address Marketing & Advertising Director: Jacqui Caine ([email protected]) TheBay Journal is distributed FREE by Bay Journal Media, Inc. If you would like to BOARD OF DIRECTORS be added to its mailing list or need to change your present address, please fill out this form To inquire about advertising, contact Mary Barber, President and mail it to Bay Journal, P.O. Box 222, Jacobus, PA 17407-0222. 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Bay Journal November 2019 • 3 Clockwise from left: A turkey hen surveys the terrain. To learn about Thanksgiv- ing’s iconic bird, see article on the back page. (Marji Beach CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) The shell on the right is a real oyster shell.