School is out, but Chesapeake wildlife is hard at work

For children, the summer months signify a time of freedom and leisure. For most kids, there’s no school, no homework, and nothing to accomplish except having fun. For wildlife in the Chesapeake, however, it’s time to get to work. From the water, to the land, to the sky, summer for many species is breeding and nesting season. Being productive during this time is paramount to ensuring the success of the next generation — and the Chesapeake Bay offers some great real estate for species across the board.

A blue crab raises its claws as Mark Kitching works his crab scraper at dawn around the waters of Smith Island in Somerset County, Md. (Photo by Carlin Stiehl/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Of course, one of the Bay’s most iconic species, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), is busy mating from May to October, and it’s quite the courtship process. First, a male must prove himself worthy with a choreographed display of strength and size. If a female is pleased, she then molts to become soft enough for mating. While the female has molted up to 20 times while growing to adulthood, this will be the last molt of her lifetime — so choosing a suitable mate is no light decision.

A female also may save their eggs after mating for up to two years, so consistently clean, healthy water is important to keep them going until they find the right time and place to release the fertilized eggs. Consistent habitat is also necessary for young blue crabs, as they undergo multiple different stages of development until they reach adulthood, to continue the process. However, habitat loss and pollution can affect blue crab health in the Bay. They’re a sensitive species that require a sensitive ecosystem to thrive.

Baby diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) on Poplar Island, MD

Meanwhile, some northern diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) are ready to welcome their offspring. Both species generally mate from spring to fall, but some are currently nesting. Their preferred nesting areas are in sandy soils. The terrapin prefers coastal marshes, estuaries and brackish waters, while the box turtle is predominantly terrestrial. They prefer shrubby grasslands, marshy meadows, or woodlands with a nearby stream or pond. That sounds an awful lot like what the Chesapeake Bay has to offer.

So, it’s important to keep our coastal lands clean and healthy for all of our shelled friends. Whether it’s doing your part picking up trash on the beach, or supporting projects like living shorelines (constructed shorelines that mimic natural nesting habitat), Chesapeake wildlife will thank you.

A royal tern takes flight amid nesting adults and juveniles at Fort Wool in Hampton, Va., on July 16, 2021. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Speaking of coastal habitat, laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) and multiple species of terns (Laridae) are in the midst of their nesting seasons as well. From late spring to roughly early August, both species are commonly nesting on coastal sand, rocks and matted vegetation —something healthy Chesapeake shorelines and coastal farms can provide.

Both species especially like nesting on island sites to avoid terrestrial predators. Common terns also use strength in numbers, sometimes nesting in large colonies of pairs. Like living shorelines, there are human solutions being found for coastal birds as well. Maryland Coastal Bays Program reported in 2022 that it’s artificial island, or tern raft, in Chincoteague Bay hosted the largest breeding site of common terns in the region. 155 pairs of common terns nested on the floating, fenced platform, and the numbers have only grown since. Terns are clearly telling us they appreciate our efforts! Like many coastal birds, gulls and terns also eat just about anything, including crabs. So, the better our crab populations are doing, the fuller the birds’ bellies can be.

Back in the water, another Chesapeake native is hard at work. Striped bass, or rockfish (Morone saxatilis), utilize the fresh and brackish waters of the Chesapeake to spawn during the springtime. The larval stage of rockfish typically lasts 35-50 days, and is reliant on food resources and water temperature.

Not only are coastal tides important to the success of these larvae, rising water temperatures due to climate change can affect the fate of rockfish populations. As rockfish enter the juvenile phase, they become even more sensitive to water conditions. We must remember aquatic ecosystems are fragile, so helping ensure the water can sustain delicate young rockfish or eggs and the food sources they count on is paramount.

An osprey carries a striped bass above Ferry Point Park in Chester, Md., on July 9, 2019. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Another iconic Chesapeake food web connection to be made is that rockfish, along with menhaden, are a favorite meal of the osprey — which are also raising their young in the Chesapeake during the summer months. The better every species does, the better every species does (feel free to use that turn of phrase with your friends).

It’s clear after delving into the breeding and nesting seasons of Chesapeake wildlife in the summer, common factors affect all of them. Regardless of whether a critter flies, crawls, or swims, it needs clean water, healthy habitat and plenty of food to sustain or grow their populations. Threats to fish and wildlife in the Bay watershed come from climate change caused by human activity, nutrient/pollutant runoff from impervious surfaces and agricultural activity, and even simple beach litter. Rising sea level can also cause loss of the delicate coastal habitat that’s so important to all of these symbolic species we live with and love.

Check out what you can do in your own space to help reduce your stormwater runoff, provide habitat for other summer visitors, and always be sure to clean a beach when you find yourself there. Any simple act combined can ensure the coast can sustain all of these busy species, and more.

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