NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office 2009-2010 Biennial Report

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office recently submitted its Biennial Report for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to Congress. The report highlights many of NCBO’s programs and projects, including recent actions in support of implementing the President’s Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration.

The document describes the Office’s work, including:

Monitoring the Bay’s health, improving boater safety, and interpreting the John Smith water trail through operation and maintenance of the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System;

Surveying bottom habitat to collaborate with state and other partners in identifying prime locations for oyster restoration, sturgeon spawning habitat restoration, and derelict crab pot removal efforts;

Developing decision-support models for fisheries managers to evaluate different management options;

Providing states with funding, technical assistance, and data to restore native oysters in the Bay, including support for aquaculture efforts;

Improving blue crab management by providing key blue crab data and survey information to marine resource managers;

Providing hands-on learning as part of the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Chesapeake Program;

Creating a new Environmental Science Training Center for environmental education professionals and other programs.

For more information, see: http://www.chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/