Cape Charles Pier, Credit: © Kyle - stock.adobe.com

With support from NOAA, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and partners have launched a new suite of advanced water quality and harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasting tools for the Chesapeake Bay within the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecasting System (CBEFS). These tools offer improved real-time ecological forecasts and publicly accessible decision support tools.

These advances will help:

• Anglers receive more accurate, timely information for commercial and recreational fishing activities
• Shellfish growers plan and protect aquaculture harvests and increase yields
• Coastal managers make decisions to protect communities and increase resilience
• Scientists conduct research to better understand the Bay
• The general public stay informed about regional conditions including HABs, water quality, and marine heat waves

Read the full story on the NOAA National Ocean Service website!