Director’s Message

Welcome to the Maryland Sea Grant website. I hope that you will enjoy what you find here. Be sure to contact us with your questions, comments, and concerns. Our website is here to serve YOU, our audience, so let us know your needs. 

As an organization we are committed to promoting the wise use of Maryland’s coastal and bay resources to benefit people and jobs, and to protect these resources for future generations.

If you are new to Maryland Sea Grant, you should know that we are part of a network of university-based, congressionally mandated Sea Grant College programs, run in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Our program is funded jointly by NOAA and the state of Maryland.

The National Sea Grant College Program’s mission is to engage top universities in conducting scientific research, education, and outreach designed to use science to inform decisions on environmental stewardship, long-term economic development, and responsible use of America’s coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes resources.

Established in 1977, Maryland Sea Grant works with our university partners to promote economic and environmental health in our marine, coastal, estuarine, and watershed regions, with a particular emphasis on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.

We connect the newest scientific findings with our Maryland constituents who are developing innovative strategies that promote resilience, adaptation, and sustainability in key resources such as water, fisheries, and coastal communities. Through our engagement with Maryland scientists and our Extension outreach specialists, we synthesize scientific findings and help to convey that knowledge to government, industry, educators, and citizens. With such knowledge, these groups can make informed decisions regarding some of society’s most difficult environmental issues such as climate change, clean and abundant water supplies, and healthy bays.

Regards,