The Bay’s Fisheries are Feeling the Heat
Rachel Felver • June 8, 2021
NOAA’s annual Mid-Atlantic State of the Ecosystem shares the latest risks and trends for our marine species
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more iconic Chesapeake image than the above photo. The largest breeding population of osprey in the entire world is found in the Chesapeake Bay. One reason is the number of delectable fish available for it to feed on. One such species is the striped bass, otherwise known as the rockfish, which is featured here in this photo, about to become the osprey’s snack.
The Chesapeake’s food web finds itself consistently in a delicate balance, thanks to such threats as climate change and overfishing. Ospreys depend on striped bass and other large fish species, who in turn rely on forage fish, such as menhaden and herring, who receive sustenance from microorganisms in the Bay. If one link in this chain goes awry, our entire ecosystem is impacted.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released their 2021 State of the Ecosystem: Mid-Atlantic report, which evaluates current risks to and trends in the Mid-Atlantic region’s fisheries. The report mainly focuses on an area of the Atlantic Ocean referred to as the Mid-Atlantic Bight, which stretches from Cape Hatteras, N.C. to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., but also includes data and information from the Chesapeake Bay.
Fishery trends are determined by a series of social, ecological, and economic indicators. On the ecological side, the indicators look at protected species, seafood production, and the stability of the fisheries, among others.
This year’s report noted a continual decline in both commercial and recreational seafood production throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. For commercial producers, the decrease was felt most heavily in the benthos group. Benthos refers to organisms that are found on the bottom of the ocean, as well as the Bay, like clams and worms. Experts believe the decline is due to market-driven pressures and climate change causing species to relocate to new areas. For recreational anglers, it is unknown whether their decline in production happens because of changes in fishing behavior or in data collection. In more positive news, the current diversity of marine species remains constant, across both juvenile and adult fish.
Another trend the report measures is that of social vulnerability, which recognizes the importance of community to the coastal towns that historically have relied on fishing for their livelihoods, and evaluates their ability to respond and adapt to change. NOAA evaluates social vulnerability by looking at such factors as environmental justice, the impact of regulations on the community, climate resilience, recreational and commercial fishing engagement, and the region’s economic strength. The most recent report finds that the majority of fishing communities in the Mid-Atlantic have declined over time.
When it comes to evaluating the risks that fisheries face, fingers consistently point to climate change. From the microorganisms at the bottom of the food chain to the larger fish species that mammals — including humans — depend on, it is no longer just a theory that warming air and water temperatures are altering the lives of our marine species.
The report also discussed how some conditions in 2020 also impacted the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and the species that live here. On the bottom of the food chain are phytoplankton — aquatic plants that provide food for other marine species when the ecosystem is in balance. Warming water temperatures are accelerating their growth, and due to a mild winter in 2020, the phytoplankton grew earlier than anticipated — before the striped bass larvae hatched. This significant factor may have contributed to the low population of juvenile striped bass observed here last year.
Fishery managers in both Maryland and Virginia made changes rooted in science to their striped bass regulations in response to the decline in the species. The spring fishing season in both states will begin about two weeks later than normal, and in Maryland, anglers will be prohibited from catching striped bass for two weeks at the end of July, due to the presence of high water temperatures and low oxygen levels, which stress the fish caught in those conditions.
The mild winter of 2020-21 also lowered what is called the overwintering mortality of blue crabs. This is the number of blue crabs that die off in between the fall and spring, due to frigid water temperatures. While some may think that having active blue crabs all year is positive news, the change will cause ripple effects across the Chesapeake region’s food chain.
Climate change may be the most significant threat to the Chesapeake fisheries, but it’s not the only one. NOAA fishery experts also caution about potential dangers associated with offshore wind development. Over the next decade, 20 offshore wind turbine projects will stretch over 1.7 million acres of the Northeast. Near the Chesapeake Bay, an area 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia has been leased for a wind turbine project. NOAA notes that wind turbines can displace the habitat of fish and mammal species, altering feeding habits and potentially causing even more negative impacts with vessels.
Recognizing these threats and understanding fishery trends now help managers determine the best methods to balance both the Mid-Atlantic’s and the Bay’s ecosystems for years to come. Conducting research to inform reports like the State of the Ecosystem are critical in learning more about the connections between fisheries and the habitats they rely on. While there may be fewer striped bass fishing days in the Bay this year, we can be reassured that enough will be around for the osprey.
Rachel Felver
is the Director of Communications for the Chesapeake Bay Program. After obtaining her masters' in environmental policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh, she spent almost nine years with the Environmental Protection Agency before a stint with the National Aquarium. Her favorite Bay activities include paddleboarding and taking her dog swimming.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.
Apparently, some people think that the GOP’s “big beautiful bill” is a foregone conclusion, and that the struggle over the budget and Trump’s agenda is over and done. Not true. On Sunday night, the bill — given the alternate name “Big Bad Bullsh*t Bill” by the Democratic Women’s Caucus — was voted out of the House Budget Committee. The GOP plan is to pass this legislation in the House before Memorial Day. But that’s not the end of it. As Jessica Craven explained in her Chop Wood Carry Water column: “Remember, we have at least six weeks left in this process. The bill has to: Pass the House, Then head to the Senate where it will likely be rewritten almost completely, Then be passed there, Then be brought back to the House for reconciliation, And then, if the House changes that version at all, Go back to the Senate for another vote.” She adds, “Every step of that process is a place for us to kill it.” The bill is over a thousand pages long, and the American people will not get a chance to read it until it has passed the House. But, thanks to 5Calls , we know it includes:
Let's talk about our Eastern Shore Delegation, the representatives who are supposed to fight for our nine Shore counties in Annapolis, and what they actually got up to this session.
For the first time in recent memory, Virginia Democrats have candidates running in all 100 House of Delegates districts — a milestone party leaders and grassroots organizers say reflects rising momentum as President Donald Trump’s second term continues to galvanize opposition.
The 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 8. This End of Session Report highlights the work Shore Progress has done to fight for working families and bring real results home to the Shore. Over the 90-day session, lawmakers debated 1,901 bills and passed 878 into law. Shore Progress and members supported legislation that delivers for the Eastern Shore, protecting our environment, expanding access to housing and healthcare, strengthening workers’ rights, and more. Shore Progress Supported Legislation By The Numbers: Over 60 pieces of our backed legislation were passed. Another 15 passed in one Chamber but not the other. Legislation details are below, past the budget section. The 2026 Maryland State Budget How We Got Here: Maryland’s budget problems didn’t start overnight. They began under Governor Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan expanded the state budget yearly but blocked the legislature from moving money around or making common-sense changes. Instead of fixing the structural issues, Hogan used federal covid relief funds to hide the cracks and drained our state’s savings from $5.5 billion to $2.3 billion to boost his image before leaving office. How Trump/Musk Made It Worse: Maryland is facing a new fiscal crisis driven by the Trump–Musk administration, whose trade wars, tariff policies, and deep federal cuts have hit us harder than most, costing the state over 30,000 jobs, shuttering offices, and erasing promised investments. A University of Maryland study estimates Trump’s tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion, and those federal cuts have already added $300 million to our budget deficit. Covid aid gave us a short-term boost and even created a fake surplus under Hogan, but that money is gone, while housing, healthcare, and college prices keep rising. The Trump–Musk White House is only making things worse by slashing funding, gutting services, and eliminating research that Marylanders rely on. How The State Budget Fixes These Issues: This year, Maryland faced a $3 billion budget gap, and the General Assembly fixed it with a smart mix of cuts and fair new revenue, while protecting working families, schools, and health care. The 2025 Budget cuts $1.9 billion ($400 million less than last year) without gutting services people rely on. The General Assembly raised $1.2 billion in fair new revenue, mostly from the wealthiest Marylanders. The Budget ended with a $350 million surplus, plus $2.4 billion saved in the Rainy Day Fund (more than 9% of general fund revenue), which came in $7 million above what the Spending Affordability Committee called for. The budget protects funding for our schools, health care, transit, and public workers. The budget delivers real wins: $800 million more annually for transit and infrastructure, plus $500 million for long-term transportation needs. It invests $9.7 billion in public schools and boosts local education aid by $572.5 million, a 7% increase. If current revenue trends hold, no new taxes will be needed next session. Even better, 94% of Marylanders will see a tax cut or no change, while only the wealthiest 5% will finally pay their fair share. The tax system is smarter now. We’re: Taxing IT and data services like Texas and D.C. do; Raising taxes on cannabis and sports betting, not groceries or medicine; and Letting counties adjust income taxes. The budget also restores critical funding: $122 million for teacher planning $15 million for cancer research $11 million for crime victims $7 million for local business zones, and Continued support for public TV, the arts, and BCCC The budget invests in People with disabilities, with $181 million in services Growing private-sector jobs with $139 million in funding, including $27.5 million for quantum tech, $16 million for the Sunny Day Fund, and $10 million for infrastructure loans. Health care is protected for 1.5 million Marylanders, with $15.6 billion for Medicaid and higher provider pay. Public safety is getting a boost too, with $60 million for victim services, $5.5 million for juvenile services, and $5 million for parole and probation staffing. This budget also tackles climate change with $100 million for clean energy and solar projects, and $200 million in potential ratepayer relief. Public workers get a well-deserved raise, with $200 million in salary increases, including a 1% COLA and ~2.5% raises for union workers. The ultra-wealthy will finally chip in to pay for it: People earning over $750,000 will pay more, Millionaires will pay 6.5%, and Capital gains over $350,000 get a 2% surcharge. Deductions are capped for high earners, but working families can still deduct student loans, medical debt, and donations. This budget is bold, fair, and built to last. That’s why Shore Progress proudly supports it. Click on the arrows below for details in each section.
