It's World Environment Day! 🌊🌏 The Chesapeake Bay connects a wide range of habitats: tidal marshes, bay grass, oyster reefs, and many more! 📷: Taken with aerial support by Southwings

#ChesapeakeBay Awareness Week is almost here. From June 7–15, we're highlighting some of the incredible plants and animals that call the Bay home and the region's culture, history, and recreation. Join us in celebrating the #BayInYourBackyard! 📸: Aerial support by Southwings

In summer, schools of cownose rays glide through the shallow waters of the #ChesapeakeBay, flapping their fins. They can have wingspans 3 feet wide and weigh up to 50 pounds! #ChesapeakeBayAwarenessWeek 📸: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Fisheries Conservation Lab

Cordgrass is a common sight around the #ChesapeakeBay's coasts and along its tidal creeks and rivers. These salt-tolerant grasses grow in marshes and can help hold together sandy shorelines. #BayAwarenessWeek #BayInYourBackyard

Meet Phragmites australis—a fast-growing, invasive reed in the #ChesapeakeBay. Phragmites form large, dense stands that crowd out native plants. An estimated 200 invasive species live in the Bay. Learn more: loom.ly/8xm_q1E #BayAwarenessWeek

June 14 and July 4 are free fishing days in #Maryland! 🎣 On these days, you don't need a license to fish recreationally. Anglers must still follow #fishing laws and regulations. Learn more from Maryland DNR: loom.ly/_iY5yGY #BayAwarenessWeek #ChesapeakeBay

Happy #FathersDay to dads across the #ChesapeakeBay! From fiercely protective fish to nest-building birds, some animals take fatherhood to the next level. Think you can match each Bay dad to his parenting style? Take this @ChesBayJournal quiz to find out: loom.ly/rQ3-UmE

The #ChesapeakeBay gets a C on this year's report card from UMCES. The score is based on aquatic ecosystem health and ecological, economic, and societal factors. Even with a slight decrease compared to last year, scientists see long-term trends improving: loom.ly/83pWkLU

Living shorelines are helping communities on both sides of the #ChesapeakeBay protect what matters—land, heritage, and habitat. Learn more in the latest issue of Chesapeake Quarterly magazine → loom.ly/rja2U7s 🎥: Logan Bilbrough / UME MDSG #LivingShorelines