Maryland Sea Grant

10/05/2026

Underwater grass beds increased nearly 13% in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay and about 7% across the entire estuary in 2025. Underwater grasses create essential habitats for fish and blue crabs to find food, raise their young, and avoid predators.

Learn about the Bay's largest bed of submerged grasses, the Susquehanna Flats, in our most recent issue of Chesapeake Quarterly >> https://arcg.is/0DyfOS1

📸: Chesapeake Bay Program

Loss and Recovery on the Susquehanna Flats

10/04/2026

The Delmarva fox squirrel is not your average squirrel. It's double the size of the common gray squirrel and weighs as much as 3 pounds. If you include its long, fluffy tail, the Delmarva fox squirrel can measure up to 2.5 feet. It's among the largest of the tree squirrels!

These squirrels are named for their home, the 170-mile Delmarva Peninsula that separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. After being placed on the first federal list of endangered species in 1967, they have made a remarkable comeback.

These days, tens of thousands of these large, silvery squirrels can be found living among old-growth forests. The mature trees provide more acorns and nest sites for these less-agile squirrels, who spend more time scrambling across the forest floor than jumping across tree branches. These squirrels also give back to the forest by boosting the growth of new trees and plants as they store seeds, nuts and acorns.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, home to large loblolly pine forests, is one of the best places to see Delmarva fox squirrels. You might even spot one in winter using its bushy tail as a blanket!

Photos: USFWS/Public Domain; Billings, Brett/USFWS

10/02/2026

Congratulations to our 2024-2026 law and policy fellow, Kerry McClaughry! During her two-year fellowship, Kerry coordinated the Chesapeake Rising legal symposium, shepherded eight articles by early career law and policy scholars to publication, and contributed legal research to articles and policy documents. She also took the lead on a newsletter connecting legal scholars across the Sea Grant network. We look forward to seeing where Kerry's passion for environmental law takes her next!

10/01/2026

It’s o-fish-al! We recently delivered 250 striped bass from Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology to Maryland high schools participating in our Aquaculture In Action program. Students will raise these fish and learn biology, chemistry, and engineering concepts in the process.

Learn more about Aquaculture in Action: https://loom.ly/AAl7y0Y

09/29/2026

Register for our upcoming seafood HACCP training! Join the University of Maryland Extension Seafood Safety Program for an FDA-recognized Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) training course October 6-8 in Queenstown, Maryland. Spaces are limited! Learn more about the course >> https://loom.ly/wjxLu-0

09/27/2026

Hundreds of thousands of creeks, streams, and rivers flow through the Chesapeake Bay region, sending fresh water to the Bay and providing habitat to aquatic plants and animals. The Bay has 12 major tributaries including the James, York, Rappahannock, Potomac, Patuxent, Patapsco, and Susquehanna from the west and the Pocomoke, Wicomico, Nanticoke, Choptank, and Chester from the east.

“Lifeblood: Chesapeake River Stories" examines the waterways that shape and sustain the Bay’s landscapes and communities. Stream the film on pbs.org >> https://loom.ly/YfGbCMk

09/25/2026

Celebrate with a visit to one of Maryland's many maritime museums! Located throughout the state, Maryland's maritime museums celebrate the history, ecology, and culture of the Chesapeake Bay. Learn more and find a museum near you >> https://loom.ly/sVMGA-E

09/23/2026

How does a rain garden work? Slow it down, sink it in! Our new illustration shows how rain gardens and rain barrels capture water in the ground instead of sending it to storm drains and local waterways.

09/22/2026

Happy first day of fall, Maryland! Did you know the gardening season doesn't have to end with the changing of the seasons? Mid-fall is a great time to put native plant seeds in the ground. The cool, stable temperatures make fall the perfect season for planting perennials like milkweed, black-eyed Susan, and wild geranium.

Learn more from the Chesapeake Bay Program >> https://loom.ly/AXtl9Lc

Cooler temperatures make fall the perfect time to plant perennials

09/21/2026

Did you know the EPA created a program dedicated to restoring and protecting 28 of the nation’s most important estuaries, including the Chesapeake Bay? The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the US and one of the largest in the world.

Explore the National Estuary Program website to learn more about its work and resources >> https://loom.ly/SevQhsk