[00:09] The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary, where fresh and saltwater intermingle. More than 3,600 species of plants, fish and animals can be found in this sprawling watershed.

[00:23] But rapid population growth and development over the last century have degraded this once-pristine ecosystem.

[00:30] Discharge from sewage treatment plants and factories, run-off from heavily fertilized cropland, and airborne pollution from vehicles have choked the bay with excess nitrogen, creating blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen and cut off light to underwater grasses.

[00:47] Along with pollution and loss of habitat, decades of overfishing diminished populations of oysters, crabs and fish.

[00:55] Today, concerned citizens are working together to protect and mend the tattered Chesapeake Bay.

[01:01] Launched in the mid-1980's, the multi-state Chesapeake Bay Program is helping reduce pollution, preserve and restore habitat, manage fisheries and maintain sustainable development patterns in the watershed.

[01:15] Slow and steady progress has been made, but with expected population growth along the Chesapeake, many challenges remain, to balance the needs of the ecosystem and the needs of the people who call the Bay watershed their home.