Project Highlights

Relevance: Using unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, in research and monitoring can reduce labor and collect data in hard-to-access areas like marshes and shorelines. Maryland Sea Grant’s (MDSG) coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Sentinel Site Cooperative observed regional interest in using drone technologies in marsh monitoring projects around the Chesapeake and coastal bays, as well as specific needs for networking and start-up guidance for researchers. Information about equipment and software selection, costs, tools, licenses, and flight planning will help current and future drone users collect and share optimal data.

Response: In response to these needs, Maryland Sea Grant hosted a webinar, Marsh Monitoring with Drones: An Introduction, in March 2024. Interest and discussion among the 69 attendees inspired an in-person workshop in August 2024 at the University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research and Operations Center. MDSG also published a companion StoryMap resource, “Marsh Monitoring with Drones,” (nearly 500 views as of May 2025) which was designed to highlight remote sensing projects around the Chesapeake Bay region and facilitate networking between researchers and scientists.

Results: The workshop attracted 31 participants from industry, academia, and federal and state government. Participants engaged in a morning of introductions, talks, and drone tours and an afternoon of discussion and brainstorming. Workshop organizers collected information about how participants use drones in their research, considerations for those looking to begin monitoring marshes with drones, and other services that may help researchers use drones more effectively. Based on discussions, MDSG will explore interest in building a remote sensing community of practice for the Chesapeake and coastal bays. This effort will include networking and learning opportunities, resources, and forums for discussion. Directly following up on one recommendation from the workshop, a NOAA Office for Coastal Management staffer hosted a special Unmanned Aircraft Systems meeting at the Coastal GeoTools Conference, and the meeting saw maximum attendance.

Relevance: The seafood industry is a powerful economic driver in Maryland, creating jobs and generating millions of dollars in sales each year. State and federal regulations help ensure that seafood caught and processed in Maryland is safe for consumers. The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) standards for seafood safety include mandatory Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training. Since HACCP protocols have been in place, outbreaks of fish-related illness in the US have decreased. Helping processors understand and comply with HACCP regulations ensures the continued economic growth of Maryland’s seafood industry.

Response: Maryland Sea Grant Extension’s seafood technology specialist offers programs to help seafood processors understand Seafood HACCP regulations, overcome the challenges of developing and implementing HACCP plans, and meet the FDA’s mandatory training requirements. The specialist also provides a bivalve safety course recognized by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and designed for those who ship live oysters, mussels, and clams. The specialist connects Maryland’s seafood consumers with safety and nutritional information and co-teaches seafood safety courses at University System of Maryland institutions.

Results: In 2024, the seafood technology specialist trained 27 individuals in FDA- and MDH-recognized seafood safety courses. All trainees met the requirements for certification by the Association of Food and Drug Officials, the National Seafood HACCP Alliance, or MDH. In post-training surveys from previous years, respondents noted an increase in their seafood safety knowledge, as well as improved product safety and quality. This work leads to better compliance with seafood safety regulations, helps enhance the quality and safety of seafood, and builds public trust in Maryland’s seafood industry.

Relevance: Maryland’s commercial watermen catch blue crabs, striped bass, oysters, flounder, perch, catfish, and other species, contributing nearly $600 million annually to the state’s economy. Since these watermen are spread across many geographic regions and vary their work across seasons and fisheries—and often prefer in-person communication to virtual opportunities or electronic communications—it can be a challenge to effectively share research updates, ask for feedback, or communicate about upcoming resource management issues.

Response: A Maryland Sea Grant Extension fisheries and aquaculture specialist organized informational seminars each year during the East Coast Commercial Fishermen's & Aquaculture Trade Exposition, one of the biggest annual gatherings for Maryland watermen. The specialist, in partnership with other East Coast fisheries and aquaculture organizations, convened a panel of resource managers, nonprofit partners, and researchers that shared presentations relevant to Maryland’s commercial aquaculture and fishing communities.

Results: Presentations have spanned many topics, including online reporting tools, updates from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, fisheries and aquaculture research projects, safety training, and online business tools for aquaculture growers. Commercial watermen and aquaculture growers have received critical information about new tools and research pertinent to their operations, and researchers have recruited commercial partners to test new ideas or provide feedback. In five decades of annual seminars, more than 70 speakers have presented to an annual crowd of 100-plus watermen. This popular seminar series, often with standing room only, has reached hundreds of commercial watermen.

Relevance: Land-based Atlantic salmon production using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offers the US aquaculture industry a sustainable means to expand production of a highly desired food species, while increasing biosecurity, minimizing environmental impact, and improving proximity to regional markets. Salmon are produced in large tanks inside buildings, where all production aspects are controlled. In 2019, Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) partnered with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on a $1.2-million project, the Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network (RAS-N). This consortium of scientists, economists, biologists, and engineers study how to optimally grow Atlantic salmon and build the domestic industry using RAS.

Response: In 2021, US Department of Agriculture awarded UMBC and the RAS-N consortium a $10 million grant (Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon, or SAS2) to build upon their work. MDSG plays roles in communication, education, and outreach about RAS technologies and workforce development.

Results: In 2024, MDSG’s communications, education, and Extension teams worked to present SAS2 information to audiences unfamiliar with RAS technology. MDSG worked with a contracted videographer to publish a 10-minute video tour of the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology’s Aquaculture Research Center in Baltimore, where researchers work on several key research objectives. Since being published in January 2025, the video has been viewed more than 1,200 times. It will be used for years to come as a general introduction to the SAS2 project. MDSG has also worked with University of Maryland Extension specialists to incorporate MDSG’s Aquaculture in Action education program into programming for students, including a 4-H Aquaponics Club (16 youth), Migrant Education Program (8 youth), University of Maryland, College Park, Aquaponic Lab tour (10 youth, 6 adults), and introductory lessons and aquaculture systems in two Talbot County public high school classrooms (32 youth).

Relevance: While Maryland’s Indigenous and Tribal communities comprise a small percentage of Maryland’s overall population, these groups have been historically poorly served, especially by the land-grant institutions where Extension programming is based. Thoughtful planning and relationship building ensures that resources and opportunities offered to Indigenous communities enhance their wellbeing, rather than adding additional burdens for communities short on capacity.

Response: University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension specialists participated in a one-day workshop to understand Indigenous values, consider where Extension programming can best serve Indigenous communities, and think about how to welcome traditional, local ecological knowledge in scientific discourse. The workshop participants and other Extension specialists formed a Medicine Action Plan that lays out a course of action for intentional engagement with Tribal communities and Indigenous people living in Maryland.

Results: A working group of more than 20 specialists within University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension has formed to begin legwork of better understanding Indigenous communities of Maryland and implementing the Medicine Action Plan recommendations. Members of the working group have attended Indigenous panel discussions, connected with other University of Maryland departments that already work with Maryland’s Tribal communities, and started a reading group. Over the course of the next year, group members will begin engaging with Indigenous communities and forming initial relationships and partnerships.

Relevance: Water quality in the Chesapeake Bay is impacted by excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment entering the Bay from agricultural runoff, wastewater, septic systems, stormwater, and other sources. To restore Bay water quality, counties and municipalities must fully enact Watershed Implementation Plans by 2025 to meet pollution limits set by the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)—a cleanup effort developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. As deadlines to meet water quality goals approach, organizations and individuals may need support to find resources and implement stormwater management projects.

Response: Across the state, Maryland Sea Grant Extension’s watershed restoration specialists offer research-backed outreach, education, and support for programs that lead to measurable improvements in water quality. One specialist works in the mid and upper Eastern Shore, helping local governments plan, implement, and monitor projects that reduce nonpoint sources of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. These include small-scale stormwater management efforts, such as installing rain gardens and bioswales, planting trees, and removing impervious surfaces. The specialist provides technical assistance and helps individuals and organizations develop grant proposals to fund stormwater management projects. This includes hosting public events, presentations, and workshops on best management practices for improving water quality.

Results: In 2024, the watershed restoration specialist for the mid and upper Eastern Shore provided technical assistance to 112 individuals and organizations, including federal and state agencies, county and municipal governments, nonprofits, businesses, private landowners, and homeowners’ associations. The specialist helped 10 organizations apply for grant funding. Eight of those grants were approved for funding, totaling $5,074,506 for water quality restoration projects in the region. These projects will result in an estimated annual reduction of 118.99 pounds of nitrogen, 5.8 pounds of phosphorus, and 4.446.66 pounds of suspended solids in the Chesapeake Bay. These reductions help communities meet their TMDL pollution limits and improve the water quality and overall health of the Bay and its tributaries. The specialist also reached more than 1,100 residents through workshops, events, and presentations.

Relevance: Maryland has more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, with much of this mileage along tributaries feeding into the Chesapeake Bay. Local installations such as rain barrels and stormwater gardens can help reduce pollutants and nutrients that would otherwise enter the Bay. For example, two-thirds of the land in Anne Arundel County is privately owned, but the county lacks sufficient resources to address water quality issues on private land. Since capacity is limited within environmental organizations and agencies, training community members to implement Bay-friendly practices enables a wider reach and improved impact.

Response: Through partnerships with six Maryland counties, Sea Grant Extension Specialists led Watershed Stewards Academies. Participants complete a yearlong program with a capstone project and at least 40 hours of classroom and field training in all aspects of best management practices: project installation, community engagement, site assessment, and maintenance. Watershed stewards’ projects are supported by experts in landscape architecture, permitting, grant writing, and engineering.

Results: Five new graduates from Watershed Stewards Academies, the Extension specialists, and their county partners continued with both in-person and online classes and aided previous program graduates. In all, they planted 300 native plants, held 16 educational events, educated 872 individuals, and engaged 544 volunteers. These efforts resulted in the installation of 80 rain barrels, storm drain stenciling, and neighborhood and residential property assessments. Volunteer hours in 2024 totaled 2,156 resulting in an estimated value of $75,420.95.

Relevance: States with waters that drain into the Chesapeake Bay must meet nutrient and sediment limits set by the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, a water quality restoration effort developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. To meet TMDLs, local governments and developers need professionals trained to design, build, and maintain small-scale stormwater management projects, such as vegetated swales, permeable pavements, rain gardens, and constructed wetlands. They also need a consistent set of standards to measure how much nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment is reduced through Bay-friendly landscaping practices.

Response: In 2016, Maryland Sea Grant Extension partnered with the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC) and others to develop a training and certification program for sustainable landscaping that balances environmental, economic, and social needs. Each year, the program, taught in part by Extension specialists, trains professionals to design, install, and maintain small-scale stormwater management projects for nutrient and sediment removal. It standardizes conservation landscaping practices across the Bay watershed and provides a trusted certification for local governments and developers looking to hire skilled practitioners. In 2024, a Maryland Sea Grant intern helped CCLC and ecoLatinos launch a new Equitable Landscaping Green Infrastructure Training, a Spanish-language program designed for Latino landscape professionals with an interest in conservation landscaping.

Results: In 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) certification program trained 594 professionals in the design, installation, and maintenance of small-scale stormwater management and sustainable landscaping practices. This includes 36 people who participated in the new Spanish-language Equitable Landscaping Green Infrastructure Training. The CBLP-Crews course, a one-day training designed for maintenance crews, was also taught three times in a bilingual format with about 25 participants receiving the course entirely in Spanish. About 185 people attended CBLP’s public workshops for continuing education. These skilled landscape professionals help communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed meet pollution reduction targets set by the Total Maximum Daily Load and improve Bay water quality.

Relevance: Septic systems are frequently out of sight, out of mind for most homeowners. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 40% of systems don’t operate as effectively as they could. Of the approximately 420,000 septic systems in Maryland, 52,000 are within 1,000 feet of tidal waters, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. Conventional systems deliver about 24 pounds of nitrogen per year to groundwater when they work properly, but age, poor maintenance, and effects of sea level rise reduce their efficiency. Many homeowners don’t know how to properly maintain their systems, nor are they aware of the state’s grant program that helps them upgrade older or underperforming systems with best available technology systems which can halve a systems’ nitrogen released into the environment.

Response: A Maryland Sea Grant Extension water quality specialist has implemented wide-ranging public outreach to educate homeowners, realtors, and wastewater treatment professionals to broaden public understanding of septic system maintenance and upgrades. The specialist led webinars and in-person trainings, and created podcast episodes, blog posts, and other resources.

Results: A water quality Extension specialist led septic system programming valued at more than $9,000 that trained 148 realtors. His homeowner-focused programs reached another 2,300 people directly, and created resources viewed nearly 20,000 times. His education efforts led to installation of 29 best available technology septic units amounting to $493,000 in capacity-building support. Follow-up surveys from trainings showed that more than a quarter of respondents had their septic tanks pumped, another third planned to take action on improving or maintaining their septic system, and an additional third reported taking other actions such as planting septic-friendly plants, developing a fact sheet, and helping county staff with a grant program. Six percent of survey respondents reported they had saved more than $4,000 due to the training, and nine in ten respondents said they shared information from the training with others.

Relevance: Maryland has more than 3,000 miles of shoreline. These areas are vulnerable to sea level rise, especially as sea levels have been rising at an increasing rate due to a warming planet, expanding ocean water, melting glaciers and other oceanographic conditions. Tracking sea level rise and projecting future rise is essential to preparing for conditions made worse by increasing rates of sea level rise such as flooding frequency, storm surge events, erosion, impacts on agricultural lands, and loss of property and natural areas. While tools and projects for Maryland sea level rise exist, Maryland decision-makers need training and guidance for incorporating relative sea level rise projections into their planning.

Response: Maryland Sea Grant Extension and staff led sessions about community flood preparedness, including the MyCoast app, during a Maryland Department of Natural Resources training series in October 2024. The free training sessions reached 185 participants through the webinar-based training hosted by the Maryland Coastal Training Program “Planning for Coastal Flood Risk.” Participants included decision-makers at the local, city and county level, as well as within state agencies, serving Maryland residents from various levels of government.

Results: The training equipped participants with a working knowledge of Maryland-specific flood planning updates, sea level rise projections, funding opportunities, and flood visualization tools. Participants in the Maryland Sea Grant-led session said the session improved their knowledge “a great deal” for application of flood tools in their own programming. Surveyed participants strongly agreed or agreed that the flood training was a good use of their time.

Relevance: Policies and regulations that protect the natural environment, natural resources, and human health can be complex. Legal fellowships focused on the intersection of environmental science, law, and policy provide valuable experience to early career professionals. They help ensure a future generation of science-literate lawyers who can confidently navigate pressing legal questions in areas such as community adaptation, aquaculture, stormwater management, and land use regulations.

Response: Since 2020, Maryland Sea Grant has partnered with the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) to offer a law and policy fellowship for recent juris doctor (or equivalent) graduates interested in careers in public policy, marine or coastal environmental law, and natural resource management. The fellowship provides one year of financial support for a legal fellow, along with professional development, networking, and research opportunities. Fellows work with ALEI, Maryland Sea Grant Extension, and state agencies to develop accessible environmental law and policy resources for Marylanders.

Results: In 2024, Maryland Sea Grant supported a law and policy fellow whose work spanned from aquaculture to coastal environmental issues. The fellow worked with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to address legal questions about shellfish aquaculture relay policies (the process of moving shellfish to a clean environment to cleanse them of bacteria or viruses). The fellow next dove into legal research on living shorelines, developing a permitting guide that summarizes complex state, federal, and local regulations as required through Maryland’s 2008 Living Shoreline Protection Act. The guide is available to the public on DNR’s website (https://dnr.maryland.gov/criticalarea/Pages/sec.aspx). The fellow also secured $25,000 in funding from the National Sea Grant Law Center to hold a symposium in 2025. The symposium will focus on law and policy barriers to coastal ecological and human adaptation in the Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic regions and will showcase the work of early career professionals. This fellow went on to become a deputy state’s attorney in Vermont.

Relevance: Training future scientists in policy is critical for developing a broad scientifically literate workforce to investigate environmental issues, translate scientific information into forms useful to society, and help policymakers craft informed decisions.

Response: Maryland Sea Grant’s State Science Policy Fellowship, established in 2021, is a one-year program that places fellows in state agencies where they provide science expertise to develop policy. Maryland Sea Grant selected two state science policy fellows for the 2023-2024 term from a competitive application process. The fellows were placed with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). They concluded their yearlong term in September 2024.

Results: One state science policy fellow, now an assistant research scientist at UMCES, built upon their PhD research in microplastics to begin developing a new man-made debris indicator for the annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card. Working with UMCES’ Integration and Application Network, the fellow laid the groundwork for leveraging existing data on debris ranging from microplastics to abandoned vessels into a report card section informing about marine debris in the Bay. Through presentations and meetings, the fellow rallied interest from organizations such as the Maryland Department of the Environment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Chesapeake Bay Program, and National Institute of Standards and Technology in contributing or collecting data. A second fellow worked with MDE to draft policy recommendations to improve permitting processes for ecological restoration. This report was submitted to the Maryland General Assembly in August 2024. Information from the fellow’s work was included in testimony by the MDE secretary to the Maryland legislature on 2024’s Whole Watershed Act. This fellow went on to become a Natural Resources Planner with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Critical Areas Commission.

Relevance: About 70% of Maryland residents live within the state’s coastal zone along the Chesapeake Bay, coastal bays, and the Atlantic Ocean. These communities are especially vulnerable to flooding, shoreline erosion, and severe weather, which can lead to the loss of property and infrastructure. Designing the built environment—the areas where people live, work, and play—to be adaptable to environmental change can help protect communities but requires significant time, resources, and expertise.

Response: In 2023, Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) held a roundtable with the goal of building Maryland-based design programming that addresses environmental adaptation for coastal communities. Participants identified the need for collegiate design studios that bring together students and professionals from various disciplines and prioritize community input. In 2024, MDSG met with universities, state agencies, and community organizations across Maryland to assess the feasibility of creating such a program. MDSG then partnered with DO Architecture Group and graduate students at Ferris State University to launch a pilot design program for a community in Cambridge, Maryland. Students attended a series of seminars to learn about Cambridge and then developed adaptation designs for the city.

Results: Students explored the relationship between architecture, culture, and coastal environments in this small city on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. They developed environment-aware designs focused on connecting Cambridge residents with their working waterfront. In fall 2024, the students visited Cambridge to present their research and designs at a reception for the community, attended by about 30 people. In a post-project survey, one student said, “Every architecture program should have one or more courses that engage with environmental change at a local level.” MDSG plans to use this successful pilot as a proof of concept for a recurring coupled coastal environment and community design intensive. The program will help Maryland communities expedite and save costs on designs for coastal resilience needs, while allowing students to apply their expertise to real-world scenarios.

Relevance: Marine debris, which includes items such as derelict boats, plastic bags floating in the water, lost fishing gear and even small bits of degraded plastic (i.e., microplastics) is a global problem with negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and societies. This is a widespread issue that can be addressed, at least in part, on the local scale. Many communities suffer the effects of pollution, including marine debris and ocean plastic pollution.

Response: Maryland Sea Grant’s (MDSG) Raising Awareness of Marine Pollution in Underserved Populations (RAMP-UP), uses the topic of marine debris to increase awareness among youth about environmental degradation in their communities. The program enhances community literacy about marine debris through several education efforts, including formal education programs at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities and informal education in conjunction with youth summer programs, informal outreach events, and educational events. In 2024, MDSG’s RAMP-UP program tested and revised modules on marine debris developed in partnership with faculty at Hampton University (HU) and University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Two of the modules were debuted in the fall 2024 semester. Members of the project also developed new materials for general audiences, such as a marine debris activity book.

Results: In total, the RAMP-UP project delivered educational activities to more than 300 students in 2024. These included 38 HU undergraduates who received formal instruction and engaged in research on marine debris in “Biometry” and “Introduction to Environmental Science for Non-majors” courses in fall 2024. Other highlights from the year’s programming included an HU summer bridge program for high school graduates involving marine debris research (10 students), a microplastics lab experience at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (54 students with ecoLatinos summer program), and public outreach events such as Oyster Education Day at Booker T. Washington Middle School (120 students). Importantly, these events and programs reached students within many different populations affected by the issue of marine debris.

Relevance: In 1989, Maryland became the first state to require a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program of K-12 environmental education in all school systems. In 2011, Maryland was the first state to recommend environmental literacy goals as part of a high school graduation requirement. Recent progress on environmental literacy has included executive orders from Maryland’s governor connecting students with outdoor experiences, a new Environmental Literacy Framework from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and regional education programs included in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Many organizations are active in outdoor education and environmental literacy across Maryland, but there is a need for collaboration among these organizations and educators, dissemination of resources across the state, and centralized leadership to identify and accomplish environmental literacy objectives.

Response: Maryland Sea Grant’s (MDSG) assistant director for education has focused on bringing together University System of Maryland (USM) faculty and staff and science educators to advance USM leadership of environmental literacy in Maryland. The USM network of 12 institutions is poised to help meet science educators’ needs by providing environmental literacy resources to the state’s school districts in consultation with science administrators and educators. MDSG met with USM leadership in spring 2024 and worked throughout the year to develop an in-person environmental literacy summit with the goal of bringing environmental educators together with USM faculty and staff for focused discussions on enhancing connectivity regarding environmental literacy in Maryland. MDSG identified USM faculty and staff representing a range of specialties and advocated for participation from MSDE specialists and formal K-12 administrators of science, forming a foundational environmental literacy community.

Results: The December 2024 summit saw participation from nearly all USM institutions and most public school districts. The summit’s breakout sessions collected needs and ideas from K-12 administrators and educators and USM faculty and staff. Based on these discussions, the steering committee identified strategic priorities, initiatives, and potential investments to advance environmental literacy in Maryland. The summit organizers produced a report of recommendations, including specific considerations for USM to advance leadership of environmental literacy by creating a centrally based USM facilitator position and coordinating a landscape assessment by an external strategic planning group.

Relevance: Science educators face numerous challenges providing project-based learning to promote science literacy and engage students in research. High-quality teacher professional learning programs designed to enhance teacher content knowledge and pedagogical skills are highly sought with the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards in Maryland. Aquaculture, especially land-based recirculating aquaculture, is a rapidly growing industry. There is a need for workforce development and education fostering the new generation of aquaculture researchers and technicians.

Response: Since 1995, Maryland Sea Grant’s (MDSG) education team has run a highly successful, pre-college educational program called Aquaculture in Action (AinA). Designing and constructing land-based, recirculating aquaculture systems in schools, it integrates project-based learning, chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics to solve practical problems while rearing fish from larvae to adults. Project-based learning is highly engaging and can improve student outcomes and teacher retention. New instructional strategies for the AinA curriculum include a water monitoring system using affordable but professional-grade sensors, microcomputers, and open-source software, along with a user-friendly guide for teachers. MDSG conducts workshops for teachers to master these technologies and use them in the classroom.

Results: In 2024, Maryland Sea Grant’s education team supported in-classroom aquaculture systems raising several species of fish. Support to a total of seven classrooms and teachers is valued at $122,080. The program engaged more than 1,000 Maryland students. The program also introduced Atlantic salmon, provided by the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, to a science research classroom at South Carroll High School in 2024. Students cared for 300 salmon in recirculating systems, developing valuable skills and knowledge.

Relevance: Art may be used to connect, reflect upon, and understand scientific concepts in diverse ways beyond traditional scientific outreach. Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) observed a need for networking and collaboration guidance for scientists and artists who wish to research and collaborate to depict scientific concepts in new ways.

Response: MDSG partnered with Cultivate, a group of interdisciplinary artists and researchers who work with concepts of land and place, to explore the topic of art-science collaboration and present a webinar series to bring artists and scientists together. The project kicked off with a selection of short online seminars featuring Cultivate artists speaking about their collaborative experiences, techniques, and works. Those videos are available online for wide use. Maryland Sea Grant and Cultivate hosted a series of three webinars and an in-person networking event designed to forge connections between artists and scientists, incubate new projects, develop best practices for collaboration, and consider how art may be used to translate science.

Results: The webinar series included a “Networking and Collaboration” webinar with scientists and artists introducing their interests and work (31 participants), a “Q&A and Connections” webinar with questions about the online seminars and discussions about the early stages of collaboration (27 participants), and a “Creative Collaborations” webinar with a creative exercise designed to inspire alternative ways of conceptualizing art (22 participants). An in-person workshop brought together 24 scientists and artists to consider future projects. The pilot project concluded with an Art-Science Collaboration exhibition in MDSG’s office space featuring artwork from a selection of Cultivate artists. The project team developed a resource with contact information for specific art-science collaborators, which has already inspired discussions among participants.

Relevance: The emerging issues of the invasive blue catfish and PFAS or “forever chemical” contamination affect Marylanders’ drinking water and the Chesapeake Bay’s iconic fisheries. Regional media outlets continue to endure declining staff resources and do not often report in depth about local issues in environmental science. Helping Marylanders to understand the problem—and opportunity—of blue catfish in the Bay, as well as the health hazards of PFAS is an important service Maryland Sea Grant is poised to provide given the organization’s focus on science communication and connections to Extension specialists, industry personnel, and researchers.

Response: In 2024, Chesapeake Quarterly magazine published back-to-back issues with in-depth coverage of pressing environmental concerns in the Chesapeake Bay. The Complicated Contaminants issue (spring 2024, Vol 23.1) investigated PFAS, often called “forever chemicals” for their environmental persistence and negative health effects. The Bay Blues issue (fall 2024, Vol 23.2) dove into blue catfish, an invasive fish upsetting the balance of the Bay’s ecosystem and fishing economy. Collectively, these two digital magazine issues include two feature-length stories, eight side stories, three in-depth sidebars, a comic, and a recipe video.

Results: The stories in these issues have been collectively viewed more than 8,300 times digitally and reached an additional 8,000 print subscribers. Researchers praised the Bay Blues issue as a “comprehensive look at blue catfish” with “terrific articles all the way around.” PFAS experts praised the Complicated Contaminants issue with feedback like, “There is a lot about PFAS in media out there and this is really well done. Thank you for highlighting the topic in such a concise and accurate way.”