NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary. Its 64,000 square mile watershed encompasses one of the most economically significant regions of the United States. More than 18 million people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Chesapeake produces about 500 million pounds of seafood each year, supporting jobs in both commercial and recreational fishing and bolstering the regional economy. The Bay is a highly valued resource for the region for additional reasons, including tourism, recreational boating, and scenic beauty. In recent decades, the Bay’s biologically diverse ecosystem has seen sharp declines in some of its keystone species, including the native oyster. Human effects on the ecosystem, like overfishing, degraded water quality, and habitat destruction, are significant challenges to the Chesapeake and the species that live there. We work to improve the health of the Bay by using the latest science to ensure its sustainable use for generations to come. NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office uses science, service, and stewardship to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and ensure its sustainable use for generations to come. As part of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation, we apply science and engage communities to tackle problems and challenges facing the Bay. Our work includes habitat science, oyster restoration, sustainable fisheries, climate resiliency; and environmental literacy. To carry out this work, the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office is organized into three branches: Environmental Literacy and Partnerships, Ecosystem Science and Synthesis, and Scientific Operations. We are a partner in the Chesapeake Bay Program, leading the Program’s fisheries, environmental literacy, and climate resiliency efforts, and supporting the habitat work. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office was formally established by Congress in 1992. We are based in Annapolis, Maryland. Staff are also stationed at the Environmental Science Training Center on the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory campus in Oxford, Maryland, and at the NOAA Marine Center in Norfolk, Virginia.