Summit builds momentum for the future Chesapeake Global Collaboratory
On September 28-29, the Chesapeake Global Collaboratory (CGC) Summit was held at the Rita Rossi Colwell Center in Baltimore, MD. The summit aimed to engage diverse voices, with speakers and representatives from the public, private, nonprofit, and education sectors in attendance. The event kicked off with a series of compelling plenary speeches that set the stage for the profound conversations to come.
Following the plenary were two consecutive panelist sessions with distinguished groups of experts who shared their thoughts on innovative tools through cyberinfrastructure and broadening participation in cyberinfrastructure. Afterward, participants had the opportunity to delve deeper into those specific topics during breakout sessions. These breakout groups fostered meaningful exchanges of ideas, enabling attendees to network, share experiences, and collaborate on potential solutions.
The second day began with some opening remarks and was followed by another panelist session and breakout group, this time with a focus on actionable science and applying the theories discussed from the previous day. We thank everyone who participated in this event and who helped make it possible.
Chesapeake Global Collaboratory: Baltimore in Context
On October 10th, the Chesapeake Global Collaboratory (CGC) hosted Baltimore Harbor in Context to explore CGC's role in restoring Baltimore Harbor. Eric Shott opened with a presentation on the harbor’s history as a key U.S. port, its industrial pollution, and recent remediation efforts that have improved water quality. This was followed by a panel with members of Blue Water Baltimore, the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative, Council Fire, and Waterfront Partnership who shared their community-focused efforts to enhance the harbor. Linwood Pendleton from the Ocean Knowledge Action Network then delivered a presentation highlighting the importance of inclusive ocean sustainability strategies prioritizing initiatives led by Indigenous communities and local stakeholders. This inclusive approach was further reflected in a global panel featuring members from Ocean KAN, the COAST Card project, and the World Harbor Project. These experts from France, Japan, Norway, the Philippines, and the USA shared valuable insights on engagement strategies and practices that could help inform restoration efforts in the Baltimore Harbor. Additionally, two breakout discussions facilitated conversations on how the CGC can enhance partnerships for ongoing harbor restoration efforts, setting the stage for a broader Baltimore Harbor summit in 2025.
Chesapeake Global Collaboratory Retreat
On March 11–12th, IAN supported the Chesapeake Global Collaboratory Retreat in Solomons, MD. This event inaugurated the brand new building that houses the Collaboratory and hosted state agencies and UMCES scientists, with the aim of fostering collaboration and determining viable research projects that can tackle the environmental challenges that are persistent throughout the state. We started the first day with lightning talks, followed by breakout group discussions. Participants identified critical sustainability and restoration issues for different categories, such as water systems, land use, ecosystem health, cross-cutting issues, and climate resilience and mitigation. The following day, the participants prioritized the challenges and identified how they align with Collaboratory goals, along with the resources and key people needed to tackle each challenge. To wrap up the event, everyone voted on the potential projects that are most necessary and have the largest impact with existing resources and leadership.