In October, 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, awarded a $39.9 million contract to Seacoast Marine Construction Inc., for restoration work at Barren Island. The work is part of the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration project in … Continued
In December 2024, U.S. Department of the Interior announced the establishment of Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge as the 573rd and newest unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A newly acquired 31-acre parcel is the first of several … Continued
Amory Seafood in Hampton recently received a state grant through Virginia’s Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program. The $247,000 reimbursable grant will allow the company to increase its processing capacity and purchase more blue catfish from local … Continued
Surveys of juvenile striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay watershed found lower numbers of fish in 2024. Conducted by biologists in Maryland and Virginia, the surveys included counts of juvenile striped bass and other species in waters of the Chesapeake … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has selected the next three sites for large-scale oyster restoration in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, marking the beginning of the state’s next phase of major oyster restoration. DNR will conduct oyster … Continued
At total of $2,798,281.01 in federal funding was recently awarded through the Chesapeake Watershed Investments in Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) Program for eight habitat and wetland restoration projects throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Maryland. Administered by the National Fish … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimates that over 430,000 bushels of oysters were harvested commercially in Maryland from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. This was the fifth season in the past 30 years when the harvest … Continued
Abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) remained steady in 2023 in the state’s portion of Chesapeake Bay, reaching 37,770 acres, according to recently released data by the Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Surveys indicate a … Continued
During the 2024 spring spawning season, thousands of invasive fish were removed from the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the Conowingo Dam and donated to local food banks through a continuing partnership between Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Conowingo Dam … Continued
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that it has recommended awarding $10 million to fund new reef construction for a Maryland Department of Natural Resources oyster sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay. The four-year grant will provide infrastructure funding … Continued