This project will translate existing biodiversity knowledge into planning and restoration decisions as part of a process to update the Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
Hampton Roads is situated at the southern extent of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and includes a range of habitats—from submerged aquatic vegetation to tidal marshes—that are critical to fisheries productivity, shoreline stability, and ecosystem resilience. Thus, how restoration investments are sited in Hampton Roads is crucial to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. While extensive biodiversity knowledge exists, it has not been translated into usable forms for decision-makers responsible for restoration.
Currently, state and local agencies are planning the next decade of Bay restoration through updated WIPs. A team from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will translate biodiversity knowledge into this effort by bringing together local government water quality and stormwater managers, VA state agency staff, restoration practitioners, and stakeholders to:
- participate in a curated webinar series to discuss existing data related to planning restoration;
- develop a synthesis on biodiversity-informed restoration choices; and
- convene a regional symposium before investment decisions are finalized.
This project was funded in August 2026 as part of the 2026 Ocean Biodiversity Program Regional Engagement Grants.
