The Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America and an engine for biodiversity in the Bay and out into the Atlantic Ocean. Although the brackish waters of the Bay only touch Maryland and Virginia, its 64,000-square-mile watershed spans six states and the District of Columbia from New York to Virginia and connects a diverse landscape of farms, forests, cities and wetlands. This vast region drives the economy through food production, shipping and tourism and sustains more than 9 million people and more than 3,600 species of plants and animals. The health of the Bay is inseparable from the well-being of the communities that depend on it.

The Nature Conservancy has named the Chesapeake Bay as one of six priority places worldwide as part of our Global Regenerative Foodscape strategy. This recognition reflects the Bay’s vital role in demonstrating how food production and healthy ecosystems can thrive together. Through our Foodscape approach, TNC brings together farmers, watermen, businesses, policymakers, researchers and community partners to drive systems‑level change. By aligning policy, markets, financing, knowledge sharing and on‑the‑ground capacity building, we work to accelerate the shift toward regenerative food systems—ones that sustain communities, strengthen local economies and protect the Bay for generations to come.

Our work to restore the Bay by prioritizing clean water and healthy habitats is done with the partnership and support of people and communities that depend on the abundance of the Bay for their livelihoods. We work with farmers, agribusinesses, oyster growers, private landowners and local communities because we know that these partnerships are key to ensuring tangible, lasting results.