Known for its beauty and its bounty, the Chesapeake Bay stretches nearly 200 miles from the mouth of the Susquehanna River (north of Baltimore, MD) to the coastal communities on the southernmost part of the Virginia. The Bay plays an important role in the ecologies and economies of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. The region draws millions of visitors annually to popular coastal cities (like Annapolis, Baltimore, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Washington, DC) and more than 11,500 miles of shoreline provide beaches, hiking trails, and wildlife preserves nestled between resort towns and other attractions. The nutrient-rich estuary waters also make for diverse fishing and ample birdwatching. Chesapeake Bay Guide is the perfect reference guide for visitors who want to know more about the things they see in their visit to the famous estuary, whether they’re lying on a beach, walking through marshes, or driving over one of the many bridges that span the Bay. This guide provides a concise history of how the Bay was formed, and brief entries with full-color images and easy-to-read descriptions on the flora, fauna, and man-made artifacts found in the Bay.

Dr. David Malmquist has spent the last 19 years writing about the Chesapeake Bay on an almost daily basis in his position as News & Media Director at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), one of the largest marine research and education centers in the US. He holds a BS and Ph.D. in paleontology, a field that combines knowledge of geology, biology, ecology, and chemistry. He has worked as a copy editor for the paleontological journal Palaios, a science writer at the Dallas Morning News, and content expert for two award-winning interactive laser discs—Amazonia and The Virtual BioPark. All told, he has more than 30 years of professional experience communicating science and natural history to lay audiences. He lives outside of Williamsburg, Virginia.