Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Chesapeake Bay Activities

The Chesapeake Bay is our Nation’s largest estuary and provides over $100 billion in annual economic value. The USGS works with Federal, State, local, and academic partners to provide research and monitoring and to communicate results to inform management for the Chesapeake and other important landscapes across the Nation.

News

Chesapeake Bay sees slight improvement in water quality

Chesapeake Bay sees slight improvement in water quality

Invasive flathead catfish impacting Susquehanna’s food chain, researchers find

Invasive flathead catfish impacting Susquehanna’s food chain, researchers find

Scientists document osprey nest failures across the Chesapeake, tie it to lack of menhaden for food

Scientists document osprey nest failures across the Chesapeake, tie it to lack of menhaden for food

Publications

The state of the science and practice of stream restoration in the Chesapeake: Lessons learned to inform better implementation, assessment and outcomes

The Chesapeake Bay Program’s (CBP) Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) organized and led a workshop on the science and practice of stream restoration in order to summarize the state of knowledge in order to identify ways to improve stream restoration outcomes. The workshop identified a general framework for explaining the main factors leading to stream restoration outcomes: stream degr
Authors
Gregory Noe, Neely Law, Joel Berger, Solange Filoso, Sadie Drescher, L. Fraley-McNeal, Ben Hayes, Paul Mayer, Chris Ruck, Bill Stack, Rich Starr, Scott Stranko, Tess Thompson

Predictive modeling reveals elevated conductivity relative to background levels in freshwater tributaries within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA

Elevated conductivity (i.e., specific conductance or SC) causes osmotic stress in freshwater aquatic organisms and may increase the toxicity of some contaminants. Indices of benthic macroinvertebrate integrity have declined in urban areas across the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW), and more information is needed about whether these declines may be due to elevated conductivity. A predictive SC model
Authors
R. Fanelli, Joel Moore, Charles C. Stillwell, Andrew Sekellick, Richard Walker

Tissue distribution and temporal and spatial assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the mid-Atlantic United States

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become an environmental issue worldwide. A first step to assessing potential adverse effects on fish populations is to determine if concentrations of concern are present in a region and if so, in which watersheds. Hence, plasma from adult smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu collected at 10 sites within 4 river systems in the mid-Atlantic region of t
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Cheyenne R. Smith, Stephanie Gordon, Brandon J. Keplinger, Timothy Wertz

Science

New study highlights the role of wastewater and landscape sources contributing to pesticide contamination in the Potomac River watershed

Wastewater treatment plant discharges can be a source of organic contaminants, including pesticides, to rivers. Pesticide concentrations were predicted based on wastewater percentages in stream water using a modeling tool, and verified with measured concentrations to identify other potential landscape sources.
link

New study highlights the role of wastewater and landscape sources contributing to pesticide contamination in the Potomac River watershed

Wastewater treatment plant discharges can be a source of organic contaminants, including pesticides, to rivers. Pesticide concentrations were predicted based on wastewater percentages in stream water using a modeling tool, and verified with measured concentrations to identify other potential landscape sources.
Learn More

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) found in Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) throughout the mid-Atlantic United States

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of chemicals that have been recognized as concerns for both human and ecosystem health. There is a need to understand the effects of PFAS on fish health and populations.
link

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) found in Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) throughout the mid-Atlantic United States

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of chemicals that have been recognized as concerns for both human and ecosystem health. There is a need to understand the effects of PFAS on fish health and populations.
Learn More

New study highlights linkages among land use, water chemistry, and the health of Smallmouth Bass in the Susquehanna River watershed

Contaminants associated with agricultural and developed land uses may negatively affect SMB health and disease resistance in the Susquehanna River watershed.
link

New study highlights linkages among land use, water chemistry, and the health of Smallmouth Bass in the Susquehanna River watershed

Contaminants associated with agricultural and developed land uses may negatively affect SMB health and disease resistance in the Susquehanna River watershed.
Learn More
Was this page helpful?