4 diamondback terrapins about to be released in wild.

Old rockfish ( striped bass) caught by young fishermen.

Emptying a crab pot. Passing on knowledge of the bay from generation to generation.

A middle school field trip to Kings Landing. Dragging seine net to determine kinds and variety of organisms present in the river at this time of year.

A middle school field trip to Kings Landing. Inspecting content and sorting the catch of a seine net after dragging.

Searching for "critters" with a small net in a side creek to the Patuxent River.

Searching for "critters" with a small net in a side creek to the Patuxent River.

An elementary school outing at Flag Pond Marsh, a wetlands nature park.

Small hands helping do a big job. Taking water samples at a water quality station.

Water quality testing equipment.

Water quality testing equipment and a "live box" for crabs.

Kayakers observing the marsh flora and fauna on a fall afternoon.

Kayaker observing the marsh flora and fauna on a fall afternoon. A huge flock of redwing blackbirds rising from the marsh over the marsh grass.

Marsh vegetation on the Patuxent

A quiet passage through marsh vegetation on the Patuxent

Phragmites, or common reed - although scenic, can be invasive nuisance species.

Phragmites, or common reed - although scenic, can be invasive nuisance species.

The beach at Port Isobel looking towards the Chesapeake Bay.

A sand bar in the marsh at Port Isobel.

Flag Pond covered with green algae.

Which way is up? The leaves are in the water and not on the trees. Reflections on a fall afternoon.

Trees have fallen into the marsh - victims of erosion.

Groundsel bushes displaying silver-bristled seeds following flowering in late summer.

Canoers and kayakers enjoying an idyllic early fall afternoon on a quiet tree-lined stretch of the upper Patuxent River.

Sunset over the marsh at Cardinal Cove

Marsh at Port Isobel

Muddy shoreline next to an abandoned shack

Looking east away from the sun during a sunset along the lower Patuxent River.

Pleasant homes grace the shoreline

A spring storm brewing near the mouth of the Patuxent River

NWS employee Sarah Roy faces an onslaught of cabin cruisers and an impending storm as she nears the end of a 25-mile trek down the Patuxent River.

Crab pot on the dock at the end of the day

Clam dredging - although maintaining the tradition of the Chesapeake waterman, this harvesting method further stresses submerged aquatic vegetation.

Erosion - ironically below a sign stating boat speed limit to minimize wake and erosion.

A fall high tide along a Patuxent River beach

A winter extreme low tide

A breakwater constructed to stop erosion

Well-rings and grasses provide erosion control in this location.

Overlooking the Ferry Landing Woods sediment settlement pond and marsh.

An abandoned pound net. These are used to catch fish, but also entraps many turtles and aquatic birds.

An abandoned pound net. These are used to catch fish, but also entraps many turtles and aquatic birds.

Flooding of low-lying areas at Holland Cliffs Shores by extreme high tides. Land is being lost at a rate of 1" per year in the Chesapeake Bay region due to combination of sea level rise and subsidence caused by lowering water tables. As population grows, so does demand for fresh water causing further subsidence, making events such as this increasingly common.

Flooding of low-lying areas by extreme high tides. If sea level continues its rise, such events will become increasingly common.

Flooding of low-lying areas by extreme high tides. If sea level continues its rise, such events will become increasingly common.

Ice marks the high tide line on these pier pilings.

Ice along the shore at the old steamboat landing at Holland Cliffs Shores.

Ice at old steamboat landing and covering the river at Holland Cliffs Shores.

Open water between the high and low tide lines at Holland Cliffs Shores.

A wintry vista along a frozen snow-covered Patuxent River

The harbor at Port Isobel.