A Maryland man shared a short and alarming video showing the effect of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

The footage, posted by TikTok user Dillan (@dillan6186), shows the devastating impact of water pollution on a fish. He plucks a lifeless fish out of the cloudy water, showing what he describes as "nasty a** sore" on its body. 

@dillan6186 Too much pollution killing the bay there was about a dozen swimming in circles on top throughout the day #maryland #crabbing #crab #fyp #boat #fishing #fishtok #fish ♬ original sound - Dillan

"That's bad water," he says. "He's dying because of the water." 

The 16-second clip is a stark illustration of the poor water quality in the bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation lists three principal causes for the water's poor health: nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. Nitrogen and phosphorus are causing an unnatural buildup of algae in the water, preventing sunlight from getting through and disrupting the bay's marine food chain.

The primary source of these pollutants is agricultural runoff. The widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has devastating consequences for local water sources. 

As the Environmental Protection Agency notes, rising global temperatures lead to bouts of heavy precipitation, which causes yet more runoff to contaminate the soil and water supplies. This ultimately leads to hypoxia, characterized by lower oxygen levels in the water, which can be fatal for marine life.

The comments shared the poster's sense of dismay at seeing such an iconic location suffer from the effects of water pollutants. 

One said, "This stuff gets me fired up!!! Do better Maryland!!!" 

Another pointed out, "If the ain't good for the fish it ain't good for you either."

Others were angered by the lack of action and accountability for those contaminating the water.

Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time 💯 Often 😢 Only sometimes 😟 Never 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Same problems, different year. Is anyone ever going to be held accountable?" a commenter lamented. 

Many identified corporate greed as the main reason for so little accountability. 

"When money keeps making rich men richer everyone and everything around will suffer," they said. 

As alarming as the footage is, it can also have a galvanizing effect, raising public awareness of the issues and encouraging a fight against greenwashing. No slick advertising campaign can conceal the plainly visible effects of runoff in the water, and such footage is a good starting point for the conversations that pave the way for meaningful action. 

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