Save the Bay

S a v e t h e B a y

Saving the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways by educating, uniting, and inspiring people to take action.

Our Work

At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, we are creating a healthy and resilient Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive.

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Chesapeake Bay Vitals

How is the Bay doing?

Bay watershed gets a C+ in latest health grade

Underwater grasses are up in the lower Bay

Crab population increases 46% over last year

Latest News & Stories

Explore our blogs, press releases, and more featuring a range of informative, engaging, and hopeful stories about CBF, our work, and conservation issues of the moment.
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  • A fisherman in an orange bib leans over in a small boat sorting through seagrass while a seagull flaps past.
    Blog Story

    Feelers for Peelers: On the Trail of the Bay’s Soft-Shell Crabs

    Long live the Bay’s crabbers and connoisseurs, whose celebration of the blue crab’s summer transformation is nothing short of art. It’s hard to forget the…

    JUN 24 2026 Codi Yeager
  • Tiny baby oysters, called spat, can be seen attached to oyster shells.
    Blog Story

    Save Maryland’s Oyster Sanctuaries!

    Recent efforts threaten to open up protected oyster sanctuaries to harvest. CBF's Maryland Coastal Resources Scientist Julie Luecke helps us unpack this challenging issue in the following Q&A.

    JUN 23 2026 Valerie DiMarzio
  • A silvery school of menhaden.
    News

    Virginia Budget Deal Fails to Launch Long-Awaited Menhaden Research

    House and Senate lawmakers in Virginia announced a deal this weekend on a two-year state budget that once again does not include much-needed funding to study the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden population—bowing to pressure from industry to delay this vital research.

    JUN 22 2026 David Sherfinski
  • Sunrise over the water, with some birds flying above
    News

    Virginia Budget Deal Shortchanges Clean Water, Conservation Priorities

    Virginia lawmakers in the House and Senate this weekend rolled out a compromise proposal for the biennial budget that starts on July 1, which unfortunately shortchanges clean water and conservation priorities.

    JUN 21 2026 David Sherfinski

How to Get Involved

From signing up for an event to shopping our CBF Store, there are so many ways you can get involved in the Save the Bay movement.

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Advocate

Raise your voice for clean water and healthy communities.

Take Action

Volunteer

Join us in the field to plant trees, oysters, and more across the watershed.

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Donate

Your tax-deductible gift will restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed for years to come.

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Kenny Fletcher/CBF Staff

Chesapeake Plants, Animals, and More

The Chesapeake is home to more than 3,600 species of plants and animals. Discover some of the rich, extraordinary wildlife and habitat that make this place so special.

Learn more about the Bay

Threats and Opportunities

The Bay region faces a number of threats, challenges, and opportunities, including climate change, air pollution, agricultural and urban/suburban polluted runoff, and more. Learn more and what you can do to help.

Duck Wing.
Richard Warner

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Classes on how to become a Chesapeake steward, opportunities to grow oysters and plant trees, summer Eco-Camps and Student Leadership Expeditions—there are countless ways to join the save the Bay movement!

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  • Thu

    Jun

    25

    Registration Deadline: May 23

    The Landing at Hampton Marina
    700 Settlers Landing Road
    Hampton, VA 23669

  • Thu

    Jun

    25

    Registration Deadline: June 23

    Bull Island Brewing Company
    758 Settlers Landing Road
    Hampton, VA 23669

  • Thu

    Jun

    25

    CBF’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center
    6 Herndon Ave
    Annapolis, MD 21403

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Be the first to know the latest Chesapeake Bay issues and how you can help in the fight to save the Bay and its rivers and streams.

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Atlantic Blue Crab