 Colmore Library or Bailey's Crossroads Library are alternatives that may be considered. Scott Gellman, WTOP News. The Chesapeake Bay's dead zone is predicted to be slightly larger than average this year. It's created when algae blooms die, stripping oxygen from the water as they decompose and making it difficult for marine life to survive. The Baltimore Sun reports researchers say this year's dead zone is estimated to be 4% larger than the long-term average.