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
In June, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that the state’s shellfish aquaculture operations harvested a record 94,286 bushels of oysters in 2023. “Though the shellfish aquaculture harvest is small in comparison to the public fishery, it is growing … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will plant about 147 million oyster spat, or juvenile oysters, on 41 acres in Anne Arundel County waters with mitigation funds from the 2022 grounding of M/V Ever Forward on an upper Chesapeake … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Fall Oyster Survey recorded prolific numbers and widespread distribution of juvenile oysters in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The survey’s spatfall intensity index, a measure of reproductive success and potential population growth for … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced a new northern snakehead tagging program, held in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The tagging program will help monitor invasive northern snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay and … Continued
In early January 2022, aerial survey teams of pilots and biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) made visual estimates of the ducks, geese, and swans along most of the state’s Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, and Atlantic Ocean … Continued
The State of Maryland will award $13.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund grants for Fiscal Year 2022 to enhance and improve public boating access, facilities, and navigation throughout the state. The funding will go toward 60 projects in 19 counties, … Continued