EESC in the News: Opsrey in the Chesapeake Bay
Massive new study says ospreys are thriving in some parts of the Chesapeake Bay – but not enough
Massive new study says ospreys are thriving in some parts of the Chesapeake Bay – but not enough
By Eastern Ecological Science Center
October 2, 2025
By Katherine Hafner
WHRO Public Media, October 2, 2025
Saltier regions of the bay, such as Hampton Roads, are expected to see the biggest osprey declines.
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition has pointed to statements by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, which is also analyzing ospreys around the bay.
“It's important to keep in mind that there are many factors and stressors that can affect osprey reproduction,” Barnett Rattner with the USGS’ Eastern Ecological Science Center told members of a coastwide menhaden regulatory board last year.
That includes limited food availability, disease, changing climate conditions and water quality, he said.
Listen to the story on the WHRO Public Media website.