The Story

Over the past 100 years the Chesapeake Bay has changed dramatically from a place of work to a place where people come to play. The shift from a primarily agricultural and seafood harvesting economy to one based on recreation, tourism, and suburbanization has remade the landscape and ways of working and living around the Bay.

Today millions of men, women, and children visit the Chesapeake Bay to enjoy boating, fishing, and on-shore activities. Recreation powers a huge economic engine tuned to the rhythm of weekends, holidays, and summer vacations.

Local families find themselves in competition for the Bay's resources with recreational boaters, sports fishermen, retirees, and tourists. Newcomers have created the basis for a new economy in the region. The people who have worked in traditional maritime trades have had to transform their lives to benefit from the changes.

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