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Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) provide research, technical assistance, and education to federal land management, environment, and research agencies and their partners. By streamlining the funding process, CESUs efficiently facilitate collaboration between partner research institutions and federal agencies on projects that help inform the agencies’ environmental and cultural management decisions. Research institution partners within the Chesapeake Watershed (CW) CESU provide leadership in watershed science and stewardship with special emphasis on the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay. Since its inception in 2001, more than 900 projects have been funded through the CW CESU. Visit our projects page to learn more.

Project Spotlights








Our Partners are Located in Nine States Plus the District of Columbia

Established in August 2001, the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CW CESU) is a partnership among 69 university/research institutions and 12 federal agencies whose members strive to understand and protect the natural and cultural resources of the region. With the Appalachian Laboratory as its lead administrative agency, the CW CESU is one of a national network of 17 such cooperative research units.
$117 Million
Federal funds awarded to partners since 2001.
> 1,000
Total projects awarded to partners since 2001.
> 80
Total partners, including universities, NGOs, state agencies, and federal agencies.
Interested in Partnering with the Chesapeake Watershed CESU?
Click below to learn more about joining the CW CESU.