Restoring Positivity: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Success Stories The restoration of the Chesapeake Bay has been and will continue to be a herculean effort by many, and the work ahead of us often overshadows the successes to date. Pausing to celebrate our successes reminds us all how far we have come and is a learning [...]
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Advance Chesapeake Bay Research and Management The Chesapeake Bay is globally recognized for its long-term, science-based restoration effort, but informed decision making across the seven jurisdictions of the watershed requires a lot of data and modeling. Artificial intelligence (AI) and associated machine learning (ML) applications have emerged as powerful tools [...]
When Restoration Bears Fruit: Food Forests in the Bay Watershed As the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort increasingly emphasizes green infrastructure and community engagement, the creation of local foraging opportunities benefits both the environment and communities. Food forests go beyond basic gardening; they are thoughtfully designed, low-maintenance, perennial-based agroforestry systems designed to mimic a natural [...]
Greener Workforce, Greener Chesapeake Bay Watershed A healthy and thriving Chesapeake Bay watershed requires people power; increasing workforce development for green career pathways drives restoration as well as economically secure, strong communities. Organizations across the watershed are working to support students and professionals at all levels to grow a workforce with the skills and [...]
A Creative Spark: How Artists in Residence Ignite Bright Ideas Artist residencies offer a chance to work in a new environment surrounded by fresh perspectives. Within residencies hosted at research institutions, this kindling of new ideas goes both ways; artistic perspectives can illuminate complex technical challenges and inspire new approaches to research and engagement. [...]
Sowing Seeds, Growing Relationships: Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Agriculture Agriculture is vital to the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s economy and communities, feeding millions and giving many small towns their signature charming, rural character. However, farmland is often viewed only as a source of pollution, with farmers asked to voluntarily change practices that affect their livelihoods [...]
A Tale of Two Species: The Connection Between Menhaden and Osprey Osprey and menhaden are two iconic species of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and their populations are intertwined. Osprey rely on menhaden as a primary food source, and some experts contend that lower menhaden populations have had a direct impact on the success of [...]
The 50th CRC Roundtable: Thinking Across Boundaries The current and future challenges facing us globally and around the Chesapeake Bay require convening people across numerous boundaries: scientific disciplines, tributary watersheds, state lines, time scales, and more. Finding sustainable, long-term solutions to wicked problems requires a new world view of thinking larger than ourselves and [...]
Connecting Communities Through Water In 2023, a Polynesian voyaging canoe called Hōkūleʻa set out to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean and uncover, recover, and reclaim culture, traditions, and a deeper relationship with Earth. The purpose of the voyage was to develop young leaders and connect communities with our oceans, science, and indigenous wisdom. As our [...]
CRC Member Take-Over Series: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) It’s All About Carbon: Coastal Cycling and Forest Function Carbon is both the cause and the source of potential mitigation of our changing climate. Research on carbon cycling has implications for policy and the resilience of our communities. Blue carbon ecosystems—tidal marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses—and [...]
