Chesapeake Bay Reserve, Virginia
State
Virginia
State Partner
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary
Acres
3,072
Est. Date
1991
Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve manages four diverse sites along the largest estuary in the United States. The habitats it protects range from oyster reefs and seagrass beds to tidal wetlands and mudflats. The Reserve works to promote understanding of estuarine and watershed systems through training and education, conserve coastal resources and water quality, understand human and climate change impacts on ecosystems, and develop ways to monitor coastal environments.
Explore the impact of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Reserve’s responsive online educational programming, which connect learners to the estuary at a distance.
Volunteer
This Reserve currently does not have a formal volunteer organization.
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Did You Know…
Werowocomoco—Virginia’s original “capital city” and Chief Powhatan’s seat of power—is located across the York River from the Virginia Reserve.
Latest News from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Reserve
Data for a Healthy Chesapeake Bay
While others might cheer the spring return of warmer temperatures to Virginia’s Lower Potomac, A.J. Erskine eyes the related runoff with a bit of concern.
Spreading the Word on Seagrass
Most people don’t know anything about these ecosystem superstars that grow on the bottoms of coastal waters, even though they support food security, mitigate climate change, promote biodiversity, and own the title of world’s largest plant.
Can they have it all?
Around Chesapeake Bay, just about everyone agrees: oysters are tasty and seagrass is important. But there’s a hitch—these equally beloved resources thrive in the same places. But what if the same spot could support both?