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Temporal Trends in Risk Factors Associated with Endocrine Disruption in Smallmouth Bass

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Understanding Factors Affecting Stream Condition

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USGS and CBP Produce Report to Enhance Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Monitoring Networks

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USGS Calculates Loads and Trends Through 2021 for the Nine Major Rivers Entering Chesapeake Bay

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Soaking Up Stormwater

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New High-Resolution, Land-Use and Change Data Improves Decision-Making in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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A Science-Based Approach for Targeting Resources to Achieve Multiple Chesapeake Outcomes

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Study Shows Importance of Streambank Erosion and Floodplain Deposition

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Innovative Technology Continues to Advance Chesapeake Bay Restoration

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Study of Stream Fishes Provides New Framework to Monitor Climate Change in the Chesapeake Bay Headwaters

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Publications

Discover Chesapeake related science in reports and journal articles authored by USGS scientists

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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.

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Accomplishments and Highlights for 2022

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

USGS Chesapeake studies are supported by multiple USGS Mission Areas (Ecosystems, Water, Core Science Systems, and Hazards) and programs, collectively providing about $15M for monitoring and studies in Fiscal Year 2022.

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Agricultural BMPs Can Improve Water Quality and Conditions for Fisheries

Chesapeake Bay Best Management Practices Conceptual Diagram

Partners in the Chesapeake Bay Program are implementing best management practices to prevent nutrient and sediment from entering waterways across the Chesapeake watershed and reduce loads to the Bay.

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Quick Links

Learn more about USGS science activities in the Bay from our Science Strategy. Additional summaries of the USGS Chesapeake Bay Activities are available in the science topics section.

News

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Chesapeake Bay Activities Newsletter October-December 2022

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Chesapeake Bay sees smaller than average dead zone in 2022

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Bay Barometer provides progress on Chesapeake restoration effort

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Publications

A case study: Temporal trends of environmental stressors and reproductive health of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from a site in the Potomac River Watershed, Maryland, USA

Decades of poor reproductive success and young-of-the-year survival, combined with adult mortality events, have led to a decline in the smallmouth bass (SMB; Micropterus dolomieu) population in sections of the Potomac River. Previous studies have identified numerous biologic and environmental stressors associated with negative effects on SMB health. To better understand the impact of these stresso
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Estrogenic activity response to best management practice implementation in agricultural watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Best management practices (BMPs) have been predominantly used throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) to reduce nutrients and sediments entering streams, rivers, and the bay. These practices have been successful in reducing loads entering the estuary and have shown the potential to reduce other contaminants (pesticides, hormonally active compounds, pathogens) in localized studies and modeled
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Water Resources, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center

Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region

The Chesapeake Bay, along the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, is the largest estuary in the United States and provides critical habitat for wildlife. In contrast to point and non-point source release of pesticides, metals, and industrial, personal care and household use chemicals on biota in this watershed, there has only been scant attention to potential exposure and effects of algal toxins
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Ecosystems, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center
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Science

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Updated short-term nitrogen and phosphorous trends in the Chesapeake Bay

USGS revises 2020 nontidal load and trend results

Issue: The USGS has revised loads and trends through 2020 from monitoring stations in the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Nontidal Network (NTN). The original release of the results was in July 2022. During a process to implement a new software package for the next update of NTN data, the USGS discovered some questionable data values. Most of the questionable values were related to a coding...
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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USGS revises 2020 nontidal load and trend results

Issue: The USGS has revised loads and trends through 2020 from monitoring stations in the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Nontidal Network (NTN). The original release of the results was in July 2022. During a process to implement a new software package for the next update of NTN data, the USGS discovered some questionable data values. Most of the questionable values were related to a coding...
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Collecting water quality samples from the New River Gorge

A case study of temporal trends in risk factors associated with endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass

Issue The USGS has a long-term research effort that identified endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (SMB) in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Endocrine disruption can cause many changes in fish, including intersex characteristics where fish develop characteristics of the other sex, such as immature eggs forming in males. An overview by USGS of endocrine disruption in fish found the condition...
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Environmental Health Program, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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A case study of temporal trends in risk factors associated with endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass

Issue The USGS has a long-term research effort that identified endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (SMB) in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Endocrine disruption can cause many changes in fish, including intersex characteristics where fish develop characteristics of the other sex, such as immature eggs forming in males. An overview by USGS of endocrine disruption in fish found the condition...
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Chesapeake Bay Best Management Practices Conceptual Diagram

Agricultural best management practices can improve water quality and conditions for fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Issue Partners in the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are implementing best management practices (BMPs) to prevent nutrient and sediment from entering waterways across the Chesapeake watershed and reduce loads to the Bay. In addition to reducing nutrients, CBP partners want to better understand how BMPs can provide additional benefits for addressing toxic contaminants, such as pesticides, hormones...
By
Environmental Health Program, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
link

Agricultural best management practices can improve water quality and conditions for fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Issue Partners in the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are implementing best management practices (BMPs) to prevent nutrient and sediment from entering waterways across the Chesapeake watershed and reduce loads to the Bay. In addition to reducing nutrients, CBP partners want to better understand how BMPs can provide additional benefits for addressing toxic contaminants, such as pesticides, hormones...
Learn More
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