Interesting article.
Before anyone panics, however:
The pH in the Chesapeake Bay’s ‘acid zone’ is roughly 7.4, nearly 10 times higher in acidity (or a unit lower in pH) than what is found in surface waters, which have an average pH of 8.2.
A pH of 7.0 is neutral. Higher than 7.0 is increasingly basic (alkaline), Lower than 7.0 is increasingly acidic.
While the Bay's pH may be lower than other surface waters (and the water sampled at this pH was at 30-50 feet), it is still on the alkaline side of the spectrum.