MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Striped Bass and Spotted Seatrout: Distribution and Movement in Neighboring Chesapeake Bay Tributaries

MATOS Project Code: UMESSS

Data Type: Data

Project Duration: August 2025 - December 2026

Project Description: This project focuses on the Nanticoke and Manokin Rivers in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, two systems undergoing major oyster restoration efforts. The Nanticoke River contains an established oyster sanctuary, while the Manokin River will complete a large-scale oyster restoration project in 2025. Within these systems, we are monitoring striped bass (Morone saxatilis), a federally managed species and Maryland’s most important commercial and recreational fish, alongside spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), a highly valued recreational species that is typically more abundant south of Maryland. This project examines habitat use, migration shifts, and the impacts of frost-related die-offs to better understand how ongoing habitat restoration influences fish movement Chesapeake Bay.

Principal Investigator:	Wilmelie Cruz Marrero (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Chesapeake Bay Office)
Email:	wilmelie.cruz@noaa.gov

Point of Contact:	Glen Collins Jr
Email:	gecollins@umes.edu

Collaborators:

NOAA NCCOS(Bethany Williams)

Participating Organizations:

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
University of Maryland Eastern Shore

UMES/NCBO Specks and Stripes