Established in 1972, Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) is an association of seven institutions, each with long-standing research on problems affecting the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Each CRC member institution represents some of the most active research centers not only in the Chesapeake Bay region, but in the entire US. A primary goal is to ensure continued long-term support for basic and applied research for coastal issues, from land-based watershed considerations through rigorous investigation of water quality and living resources in its aquatic ecosystems. Of equal importance to the CRC is the incorporation of these research results into management and policy decisions for the Bay, its tributaries, its surrounding lands, and the biota that inhabit the system.