Habitat
Working to enhance and restore marine habitat is paramount to the success of our conservation efforts. In Chesapeake Bay, the oyster population and submerged aquatic vegetation coverage are all time lows. These habitats are the very foundation of life in the region.
Our Habitat Committee works to engage chapters, educators, local communities, and numerous local partners that support our habitat work here in Maryland. Thanks to our national partners at the Building Conservation Trust, CCA’s National Habitat Program we are increasing the positive impact that we can on our local ecosystem through habitat enhancement and restoration.
If you are interested in becoming more involved with our habitat efforts and decisions the committee makes, please contact us.
On the second Wednesday of each January, the Maryland General Assembly (GAM) begins a ninety day legislative session. During this time 47 State Senators, and 141 Delegates work to consider action on multiple bills, as well as the states capital and operating budgets. The information below is specific to bills that CCA Maryland is tracking and/or … Read more
CCA Louisiana is finding out what science has told us for decades….The use of dredges and scrapes, is destructive to oyster reef habitat, and the many ecosystem services oysters provide. “It’s sad what has happened to the state’s public oyster grounds. They have been absolutely dragged to death, and there is no denying it,” said Cresson. “Perhaps … Read more
Did you know that Maryland DNR conducts an annual Oyster Population Fall Survey each year to review the overall health of the oyster population? Surveys that asses the health of our natural resources like these should guide managers in determining how to best utilize our oyster resources. Information like disease prevalence and spat per bushel … Read more
Tangier Sound is about to have a whole lot more underwater habitat for anglers to explore! Tuesday, February 21, 2017, marked the deployment of CCA’s National Habitat Program, The Building Conservation Trust’s (BCT) second reef project in the Chesapeake Bay. Anglers alike will have even more options in Tangier Sound for what was already considered a premier destination and the … Read more
(Frederick, Maryland) – In an effort to restore marine habitat while improving fishing opportunities for recreational fisherman in the Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA’s) national marine habitat program, the Building Conservation Trust (BCT), has partnered with CCA Maryland, the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiation (MARI), Rinker Materials and Engel Coolers to add nearly four hundred … Read more
Students and faculty from Friendship Valley Elementary School (Westminster, MD) and Resurrection-St Paul School (Ellicott City, MD) have recently collaborated to create weeklong educational and hands-on restoration experiences at their schools. These schools are working cooperatively with the Building Conservation Trust (BCT) and Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland (CCA) to create STEM learning activities that are focused on oyster restoration and why creating new marine habitat is important … Read more
Thanks to the wonderful support of Brad King and his Kent Island Scuba company, our research partners at Stevenson University School of Science have been able to continue monitoring the growth of our reef site. This underwater footage of the CCA BCT Tilghman Island Reef Ball site demonstrates how successful our Living Reef Action Campaign … Read more
Ocean City, Maryland The Ocean City Reef Foundation donated $1000.00 to support Building Conservation Trust and CCA Maryland’s ongoing volunteer efforts for Chesapeake oyster reef restoration work. OCRF is a nonprofit organization that was created in 1997. Captain Monty Hawkins, owner of the party boat Morning Star and president of the OC Reef Foundation, specializes in precision fishing of natural, … Read more
Efforts are underway to restore marine habitat while improving fishing opportunities for recreational fisherman in the Chesapeake Bay. Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA’s) national marine habitat program, the Building Conservation Trust (BCT), has partnered with CCA Maryland, the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiation (MARI), Rinker Materials and Engel Coolers to add several hundred tons of concrete structure to the … Read more