Compilation of Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity, and Water Temperatures for various points

[rob-kayak]

Compilation of Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity, and Water Temperatures
for various points on the Chesapeake Bay.
200 day plot(s) going back to May (to November 20, 2013)

For Annapolis, Goose Reef, Point Lookout (mouth of Potomac),
and First Landing (mouth of Chesapeake Bay).

If this sort of thing interests you...

http://www.mychesapeakebay.net/fishi...tertemps.shtml

[HJS]

All good information. Most amazing piece of information about water temperature shown in these graphs is that generally water temp in most areas reach their peak for the year around the first week in August. Even during those sweltering 95F+ days in mid/late August, the water temp has already started it's fall cooling-off. This holds for almost all areas both fresh and salt waters. This has to do with the lowering of the sun's angle beginning shortly after the summer solstice on June 21.

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks for the data. The daily dissolved oxygen (DO) pattern is tied to the photosynthesis done by billions of tiny plants (phytoplankton) living in the bay. Just like land-based plants, they use sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients to produce oxygen. It makes sense that oxygen will be low in the morning. It builds throughout the day as more sunlight reaches those phytoplankton living near the surface.