Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Complex. 04/06/87; Virginia; 45,000 ha; 38°00'N 076°20'W. National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife Management Area, State Park, Natural Environment Area, Natural Resources Management Area. A vast estuarine complex, composed of multiple, physically separate protected areas. Ten major rivers enter the system. Natural habitats include sand beaches, dunes, mudflats, open water with submerged beds of aquatic vegetation, intertidal marshes, freshwater marshes, and lakes. The Bay is of particular importance for very large numbers of staging and wintering Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans, etc.) and other waterbirds. Breeding birds include two nationally endangered species. Other notable fauna include endangered marine turtles. The Bay's fishery (blue crab and oyster) is of significant economic importance, yielding a dockside value of $60 million per year. Environmental education, conservation-oriented recreation, and scientific research are the primary management objectives. Hunting and trapping of birds and mammals are strictly controlled. Ramsar site no. 375. Most recent RIS information: 1992.

Virginia