As part of NOAA’s response to Executive Order 13508: Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration, NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) outlined several activities to support fisheries and water quality management, including a plankton monitoring program. At the request of NCBO, the Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) convened a Plankton Monitoring Design workshop on February 7-8, 2011 in Annapolis, Maryland. The objective of the workshop was to define the elements of a “core” tidal Chesapeake Bay Plankton Monitoring Program that addressed specific regional water quality and fisheries management needs. Although plankton monitoring programs have existed in the Chesapeake Bay since the mid-1980’s, the data have not been well integrated into fisheries and water quality management decisions. Reasons for and solutions to this disconnect were discussed during the workshop. Participants included water quality and resource managers, plankton and fisheries experts, and other individuals familiar with the plankton database and collection programs.