Barren Island is small, uninhabited landmass in the Chesapeake Bay,[1] just off the coast of Dorchester County, Maryland.
[2] The Friends of Blackwater Refuge worked in conjunction with the National Aquarium in Baltimore on a major marsh restoration project at Barren Island in the Chesapeake Bay.
The efforts of this partnership, which includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, the FWS, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Maryland Conservation Corps have resulted in the planting of over 302,000 native marsh grasses with the help of 927 volunteers totaling 7,700 volunteer hours.
Aquarium staff and the Friends of Blackwater Refuge have returned to the site semi-annually to monitor the success of the restoration project.
Initial monitoring indicates that the project has been successful as wave energy is being absorbed and sediment is in fact being accreted.