Chesapeake Bay Program - A Watershed Partnership

About the Bay

The Chesapeake Bay—the largest estuary in the United States—is an incredibly complex ecosystem that includes important habitats and food webs. The Bay and its rivers, wetlands and forests provide homes, food and protection for complex groups of animals and plants. Fish of all types and sizes either live in the Bay and its tributaries or use its waters as they migrate along the East Coast.

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Facts & History

Learn the basics about the Chesapeake Bay, including facts, figures and a good dose of history about pirates, shipwrecks and Captain John Smith's voyages around the Chesapeake.
Facts & Figures | Bay FAQ | Bay Fun | Bay History | Suggested Reading List

The Bay Watershed

Find out about the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay watershed and its incredible geologic history. Learn about how food webs and estuary systems work, and about the chemical makeup of the Bay.
Watersheds | Bay Geology | The Estuary System | Chemical Makeup | Food Web

Animals & Plants

Learn about the fish, shellfish, birds and other plants and animals that call the Chesapeake Bay watershed their home.
Fish | Crabs & Shellfish | Birds | Bay Grasses | Lower Food Web | Mammals | Reptiles & Amphibians

Habitats

Learn about the various habitats that the Bay watershed's plants and animals live in and how each habitat is important to the health of the Bay.
Forests | Wetlands | Streams & Rivers | Shallow Waters | Tidal Marshes | Aquatic Reefs | Open Waters

Water Quality

Good water quality is crucial to the health of the animals and plants that inhabit the Bay and its tributaries. Learn about the many components that make up the Bay's water quality.
Dissolved Oxygen | Chlorophyll a | Water Clarity | Physical Characteristics

Bay Health Assessment:

The health of the Chesapeake, as assessed in March 2008:

• Water Quality: Most of the Bay’s waters are degraded. In 2007, we were 21 percent of the way toward meeting Bay water quality goals, a drop from 23 percent in 2006.
• Habitats and Lower Food Web: The Bay’s critical habitats and food web continue to be at risk. Currently, the Bay’s habitats and lower food web are at 44 percent of desired levels, up from 40 percent in 2006. 
• Fish and Shellfish: Many of the Bay’s fish and shellfish populations are below historic levels. Currently, the Bay’s fish and shellfish are at 52% of desired levels, up from 48% in 2006.

To learn more about Bay health, visit our Bay health assessment section.