You are standing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay,

You are standing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay,. North America's largest estuary.. , A vast and fragile ecosystem that extends through six states and empties into the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay region is a mosaic of land and water. Its ports, urban centers, suburbs, and farms are home to almost 17 million people, its streams, shores, and inlets nature 3,600 plants and animals species., Early explorers like Captain John Smith described a wondrously productive Bay, with mountainous oyster reefs, masses of shad rockfish, and sturgeon, and thick forests of underwater grasses. Today, however, this natural bounty is disappearing. The Bay and its rivers and streams are severely stressed by pollution caused by human inhabitants., Working together, we can save this national treasure. , To learn more, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on the web at cbf.org., Save the Bay , cbf.org . 1 888 SAVE BAY , Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Watershed , What is a watershed? , A watershed is the land that drains into a body of water. The Chesapeake watershed covers 64,000 square miles.