"Brown Water? Dead Fish? Odd Smell? Blame Mahogany Tide"

"A reddish-brown patina has overtaken the Mid-Chesapeake Bay and several Maryland rivers that feed into the estuary. A stench hangs in the air in some places, and fish are dying by the thousands.

Yep, the mahogany tide is back.

The algae bloom, caused by the species Prorocentrum minimum, often shows up around this time in May as temperatures warm and spring rains flush nutrients into waterways. This year’s outbreak, though, appears more intense and widespread than most, scientists say.

“We often see it pop up in one river, and it dissipates before it pops up in another river. But this year, it seems to have come up all at once,” said Doug Myers, a Maryland scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation."

Jeremy Cox reports for the Bay Journal May 28, 2020.