15-year-old lands massive sand tiger shark off Maryland coast, becomes 13th FishMaryland Master Angler

BALTIMORE, MD—Landon Derbyshire, a 15-year-old from Eden, has achieved the 13th FishMaryland Master Angler Award. He caught and released a massive sand tiger shark off the state’s coast last month. He caught the shark on a boat just beyond the breakers off of a Maryland ocean beach on August 27, 2024, at the age of 15…just two weeks before his […]

NOAA awards $10 million grant for Chesapeake Bay oyster sanctuary

BALTIMORE, MD—The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that it will award a $10 million grant for the construction of a new oyster sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay. The funding will help establish a sustainable future for the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population, which is critical to the health of the bay’s ecosystems and economy. The new reef will […]

Maryland earmarks $35.8 million for Chesapeake Bay restoration projects

BALTIMORE, MD—A total of 34 ecological restoration projects across Maryland will receive $35.8 million in grants from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced. The grants, awarded for fiscal year 2025, are expected to remove 63,000 pounds of nitrogen, 10,000 pounds of phosphorus and nearly 14,000 tons of sediment from local […]

Chesapeake Bay health improves to C+ for first time in over 20 years

BALTIMORE, MD—The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) released its annual report card this week with the overall Chesapeake Bay earning a grade of C+ (55%), the highest grade since 2002. The 2023/2024 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card is the 17th annual ecosystem report card. Overall, the health of the Chesapeake Bay is improving slightly, with 11 […]