Collaborate and Inform

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to 18 million people and some of America’s most treasured natural resources – lands, waters, and wildlife that support a strong economy and cherished outdoor traditions, such as hunting and fishing. From local organizations to federal agencies, partners throughout the watershed are working to protect these resources. These partners rely on our unbiased, gold...

Stormwater management practices are being used throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed to reduce flood risks and pollutant loads, but consistent and comprehensive maps of these practices are often lacking. Stormwater managers often have incomplete information about the location and storage volume of stormwater facilities within their jurisdiction. Therefore, the USGS is working to develop...

Tires contain a chemical known as 6PPD which prevents them from quickly breaking down. Microscopic tire particles, generated mainly from the friction of tires on roads, release 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) when they come into contact with oxygen. During precipitation events, 6PPDQ can be washed off roads, harming fish in nearby waterways. In response to requests from fishery managers, the USGS is studying...

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the health of streams throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Monitoring data were used to assess seven key indicators of stream condition, revealing consistent patterns of degradation in urban and agricultural areas. The findings offer critical insights that can inform watershed restoration efforts and improve long-term monitoring strategies.

A new USGS study estimates potential losses of Chesapeake Bay salt marshes that could occur in the next 80 years if no marsh restoration is undertaken. Using a suite of models, USGS researchers identified how future potential marsh changes can be used to prioritize present-day site-specific planning and restoration needs.

A recent study provides key considerations about modeling the timeline of tidal marsh longevity. These timelines can help resource managers envision what future marsh conditions may look like, informing current and long-term adaptive management strategies.

Fish diseases in freshwater ecosystems pose significant ecological and socioeconomic challenges; yet, monitoring them in wild populations is complex due to interactions between pathogens, hosts, and environmental conditions. External DELT (deformity, erosion, lesion, tumor, and parasite) data (fig. 1) provide a rapid and broad measure of fish health but are a relatively coarse indicator that...

The Chesapeake Bay provides over $100 billion in annual economic value and is home to 18 million people. The USGS, including scientists from the Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC), 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.

The reuse of municipal wastewater provides multiple benefits, including maintaining stream flow, recharging aquifers, and providing public water supply. However, along with the benefits are concerns related to the presence of ‘forever’ chemicals, like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater discharge. Managing PFAS in waterways is challenging because there are many potential PFAS...

As a data-driven bureau, the USGS Ecosystem Mission Area (EMA) relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently gather, analyze, and deliver natural resource information to Federal, State, Tribal, academic, and industry partners. USGS EMA scientists are developing and testing innovative uses of AI, including machine learning, deep neural network models, and photogrammetry, to streamline the...

Human activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed can negatively affect the abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrate communities in freshwater streams, which is a core measure of stream health. For example, urban development and agricultural intensification can degrade habitat and water-quality conditions in streams through sedimentation, nutrient runoff, and changes to instream habitat. A...

Through collaboration and coordination, USGS research helps preserve and restore America’s most iconic landscapes. We apply insights across ecosystems to understand how these systems function and change, helping natural resource managers protect our Nation’s natural heritage for generations to come.