Highlighting Chesapeake Bay science through our annual report card
On July 9th, the 2023/2024 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card debuted in Harrisburg, PA at the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, marking the first-ever release in Pennsylvania. The press conference featured Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, three Maryland department secretaries (Josh Kurtz, Serena McIlwain, and Kevin Atticks), three Pennsylvania department secretaries (Cindy Dunn, Jessica Shirley, and Russ Redding), and U.S. EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz. The event highlighted progress in improving the Chesapeake Bay score and the collaboration needed to sustain these efforts. The report card included stories on the Eastern Shore's agricultural land use and plans for a man-made debris indicator. A supplemental newsletter on man-made debris and current UMCES research was also released.