Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Atlas

The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most well studied estuaries in the world. However, in spite of the wealth of data and research available for the region, the complexity of this ecosystem is not widely understood or appreciated. The authors draw on the large volume of available data to explain how the Chesapeake ecosystem works and describe the impact of stressors. This interactive book also includes a variety of graphics and videos to communicate the best available science on the Chesapeake Bay. This edition includes four primary chapters (Bay Basin Basics; River Flow, Nutrients, and Water Quality; Plankton; and Food Web).


Note: The Teacher’s Edition contains an additional section with suggested questions, activities, and sources of additional information. 


The Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Atlas is presented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Chesapeake Environmental Communications. 


Praise for the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Atlas:


“The Chesapeake Bay Atlas is breaking new ground by providing a highly interactive education resource for students in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond.  The Atlas makes excellent use of the format, providing users with the opportunity to learn about the Chesapeake as a system and delve more deeply into the science, data and people that shape our understanding of the Bay.  The videos, interactives, and graphs help users to engage in learning and begin considering their own scientific questions about the Bay.” - Bart Merrick, NOAA Education Coordinator


“The Chesapeake Bay Atlas brings the study of the Bay to life in a way that is hard to recreate in the classroom setting.  When we want to see how spring freshwater flow into the Bay affects the nutrients and dissolved oxygen levels, we can see the levels change right on the screen.  When we want to illustrate the real nature of phytoplankton and highlight how they are different from zooplankton in the food web students can simply tap the screen and these organisms come to life right there.  This tool allows teachers and students to delve into critical ecological concepts with compelling graphics and embedded video that brings the real Chesapeake Bay into the classroom.  Textbooks will never be able to compete with such a multi-dimensional format, and never before have teachers had such user-friendly, high quality tools in their classrooms.” -Sara Beam, Science Teacher


“I was impressed by the Atlas and I strongly believe that it is The most student-friendly resource about the Chesapeake Bay available today.” - Hemalatha Bhaskaran, Science Teacher