Our Communications Staff and Products

From its start in 1977, Maryland Sea Grant has sought to show those who live and Maryland and beyond how important — and exciting — Chesapeake Bay science can be.

Our communications staff works to inform the public about scientific discoveries and the researchers who make them, findings that can help to protect and restore the Bay and Maryland’s coastal waters. We strive to provide scientifically accurate information with context and depth that nonscientists can understand and enjoy.

We use a variety of media to tell these stories:

Chesapeake Quarterly magazine: Since we started it in 2002, our free, award-winning magazine has covered topics like sea level rise, oyster aquaculture, and the menhaden fishery. Read and subscribe to it today. And follow us online by reading On the Bay, Chesapeake Quarterly's blog.

Social media: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Videos: Maryland Sea Grant boasts an Emmy Award-winning videographer, Michael Fincham. He has produced eight documentary features, including Chesapeake: The Twilight Estuary and Who Killed Crassostrea virginica: The Fall & Rise of Chesapeake Bay Oysters. Visit our YouTube channel.

Our Bookstore contains information about more publications and feature-length documentaries by Maryland Sea Grant and how to order them.

You can also browse an archive of Maryland Marine Notes, published by Maryland Sea Grant until 2001. This newsletter contained extensive news about research and outreach in the Chesapeake region.

Contact the communications staff

Rona Kobell science writer and editor, writes for Chesapeake Quarterly and produces publications about the work of the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program. Previously, she was a reporter for the Chesapeake Bay Journal, co-hosted and co-produced a radio show on Chesapeake Bay issues, and was a reporter with the Baltimore Sun. She recently won a Lowell Thomas Award for best environmental travel writing in the country.

Nicky Lehming is our graphic designer and producer of visual content. She received a bachelor's degree in biology at Washington University, studied design and photography at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, and received a multimedia design certificate from the University of Washington.

Program Announcements

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Maryland Sea Grant seeks to hire a Science Writer / Editor to explain and share findings from scientists, extension agents, and other sources to help advance public understanding and management of Maryland's natural resources. More details.

Upper-level undergraduates are invited to apply for the Maryland Sea Grant REU program. This is a great opportunity to conduct research with a mentor and spend a summer by the Chesapeake Bay. Apply Here

Maryland Sea Grant is currently accepting applications for four graduate fellowship programs. Check out our fellowship page for more details!

Knauss legislative fellowships in Congress help build careers — and they're fun and educational. See our video and fact sheet for details.

Maryland Sea Grant seeks to hire an Assistant Director for Communications and Engagement to lead our team of writers and content producers. More details.

Maryland Sea Grant has program development funds for start-up efforts or strategic support for emerging areas of research. Apply here.

Featured Research Project

Abundance and Variety of Microplastics in Surface Waters, Sediments, and Oysters: Relationship to Point-Sources and Land Use Practices

The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, has historically been a species of tremendous importance to the Chesapeake Bay economically and ecologically and provides numerous ecosystem services, including water filtration, habitat and food for many other Bay species. Significant hatchery and aquaculture efforts are currently underway to recapture the economic and ecological benefits of a robust oyster population within Chesapeake waters, whether for human consumption or to promote improvements in water quality and benthic habitat.