The Chesapeake Bay is showing encouraging signs of improvement but remains afflicted with dead zones, fish kills and pollution, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said Tuesday in its “State of the Bay Report.” The report notes improvements since the last report in 2008 in eight of 13 indicators, including a rebounding blue crab population and flourishing underwater grasses, a key habitat for crabs and other marine species. Using a grading system, the bay’s overall grade was a “D-plus,” up slightly from the 2008 grade of “D.” “The good news is the Chesapeake Bay is getting better,” William C. Baker, president of the foundation, said in an interview. “The bad news is it’s still a system out of balance.” — AP
