Welcome to the Chesapeake Community Research Symposium 2026!

The Chesapeake Community Modeling Program will convene the 2026 edition of our biennial symposium June 1-3, 2026, in Annapolis, Maryland at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The theme of the 2026 Symposium is Chesapeake Bay Research and Restoration: Next Generation Tools for a Dynamic Future.

Scope and Aims

Significant progress has been made toward restoring Chesapeake Bay water quality and living resources. However, restoration efforts face significant challenges as we traverse the third decade of the 21st century. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is how to deal with an emerging generation of new tools for collecting and analyzing water quality data and for simulating physical and biogeochemical processes. These new tools for collecting data include high resolution (vertical, temporal, spatial) in situ monitoring and remotely sensed data, and new tools for analyzing data include a wide variety of machine learning techniques as well as applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Machine learning and AI are also now being used to emulate mechanistic models. Moreover, these tools are emerging in the face of a “dynamic future” where we must maintain progress in the face of a changing natural and human environment. The need for transdisciplinary and “team science” is also increasing, but these approaches also present challenges. Managing misinformation and maintaining effective communication are also becoming increasingly important as AI influences and interpretations emerge.

Background

By bringing together managers, scientists, and stakeholders for a series of plenary talks, panel discussions, and special sessions, the 2026 Chesapeake Community Research Symposium will not only highlight the progress that has been made toward restoring the Chesapeake Bay, but will also address future challenges to maintaining this progress in the face of the emergence of new tools and challenges in a dynamic future.

Symposium Schedule

Schedule at a Glance

Detailed Schedule

Program

SPECIAL SESSIONS

There will be 17 special sessions at the 2026 Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. Click on each session see the session description, session leads, and presentation titles, authors, and abstracts.

Day 1 (June 1st)

Session 1: Estuarine Carbon Dynamics and Acidification in the Chesapeake Bay: Monitoring, Impacts, and Emerging Solutions

Session 2: Advancing Chesapeake Bay Water-quality Science and Management: I. Innovative monitoring techniques and modeling tools

Session 4: Data Centers and Water, Air, and Environmental Impacts and Solution Options in the Chesapeake Watershed

Session 14: Low-Cost Physical Environmental Monitoring Systems

Session 19: Advanced Data Analytics for Water Quality and Public Health

Session 22: Poster Session

Session 24: Phytoplankton Dynamics in Chesapeake Bay: Analysis, Methods and Models

Day 2 (June 2nd)

Session 3: Advancing Chesapeake Bay Water-quality Science and Management: II. Novel analysis and scientific communication approaches to inform management

Session 8: Advancing the Development and Management Applications of Next-generation Airshed, Land-use, Watershed, and Estuarine Models

Session 11: Geospatial Targeting of Restoration and Conservation Actions

Session 15: Next Generation Tools and Team Science for Chesapeake Bay Living Resource Assessment and Management

Session 22: Poster Session

Day 3 (June 3rd)

Session 5: Balancing agricultural and ecological goals of Chesapeake Bay restoration: Insights from interdisciplinary team science

Session 16: Recent Modeling Advances in Compound Flooding, a 10-year Retrospective of Technological Innovations in Hydrodynamic Modeling and Monitoring Since 2016 Hurricane Matthew

Session 18: Increasing the Effectiveness and Impact of Technical Assistance Delivery to Low-Capacity Communities

Session 21: General: Estuarine and Watershed Processes and Coupled Human-Natural Systems in Chesapeake Bay

Session 23: Molecular Approaches for Chesapeake Bay Ecology and Biogeochemical Functions: from Genes to Insights

Session 25: Supporting the Next Generation: Career Development for Emerging Chesapeake Bay Scientists

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

Oral presentation requirements:

Slide Dimensions – All slides must use the standard widescreen 16:9 format.
- Content built in 4:3 may have black bars or stretch incorrectly on the conference screens – please avoid this format.
Font Guidelines – Please use universally available fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia, Courier New, Verdana, Tahoma).
- Fonts that are not installed on the conference computer may be substituted automatically by PowerPoint. This substitution might cause your text to reflow, overlap, or shift outside of text boxes.
Timing – All presenters have a 15 minute presentation slot.
- It is recommended to plan for a 10-12 minute presentation to allow 3-5 minutes for questions.
- Session leads will have warning signs for 5-minutes and 1-minute remaining. If you exceed 15 minutes, you will be asked to stop your presentation.
File Format and Submission
- Upload your presentation to your assigned Google Drive folder as a PowerPoint file (.pptx). Do not use the older .ppt format.
  - If you created your slides in Keynote (Mac) or Google Slides, export to .pptx and review carefully for any layout shifts before submitting.
- Upload your presentation by 5pm the day before your presentation.
  - Ex. Sunday May 31st by 5pm if your presentation is on Day 1 (June 1st).
- If you are concerned about your slide layout changing, please opt to upload a PDF export of your slides. Note – slide transitions will not function for PDF versions of presentations.

Poster presentation information:

Max poster dimensions 48 inches x 48 inches.
Poster boards and thumbtacks will be provided.
Posters must be hung on your assigned number. See this list for your number.

GUARDIAN AWARD

History

The “Chesapeake Guardian Award” was first presented to Kevin Sellner at the 2014 Chesapeake Modeling Symposium for “Exceptional Service Dedicated to the Advancement of Community Modeling in the Chesapeake Bay Region”. The CCMP has established this award in Sellner’s honor in appreciation for his more than 30 years of research, guidance and service to the Chesapeake Bay research, management and policy maker communities. Subsequent awards have been given to Gary Shenk, Carl Cerco, Marjorie Friedrichs, Karl Blankenship, Denice Wardrop and Kurt Stephenson.

This is a standing award presented every 2 years. The eighth awardee will be recognized at the Chesapeake Community Research Symposium in June, 2026.

Nominations

Nominations for the 2026 Guardian Award are closed.

In keeping with the evolution of the Chesapeake Community Research Symposium toward a broader scope, the award will be made based on contributions to management-relevant science generally. Individuals nominated should have made significant and selfless contributions to the research, management and policy maker communities in Chesapeake Bay and/or its watershed. The nominee should have demonstrated sustained contributions. A worthy recipient might also be someone who has influenced Chesapeake research and/or management via teaching and training. Efforts in support of community and open source databases and models are also valued.

Selection

A subcommittee of the CCMP will evaluate the nominations and select the award recipient. The awardee will be identified by the 1st of March, 2026.

Questions?

For questions about the 2026 Chesapeake Community Research Symposium, please contact Allison Burbach.

Stay in Touch

Subscribe to the CCMP mailing list for regular updates regarding the 2026 Chesapeake Community Research Symposium.