By Maury Tobin

Being a PR professional informs my perspective on a lot of issues, but living with my wife near a tributary in the Chesapeake Bay system has been a rare education. It makes us wonder how the region can both protect and benefit economically from this resource and also, on a larger scale, how brands and marketing are nourished.

Everyone knows that Maryland is famous for its blue crabs – a delicious food enjoyed by many and perhaps the linchpin of the state’s identity, culture, commerce and quality of life. As news reports have emphasized a decline in the crab population over time and higher market costs, there’s an increasing awareness of the fragility of their habitat as well as a focus on how Maryland addresses this problem.

In an interview with biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, we learned about the importance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), which is vital for the health of the Bay and the survival of the blue crab. This chance encounter near our dock happened while DNR scientists were sampling SAV in the Port Tobacco River as part of a multi-year National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study managed by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

Watch our video to learn more.

Maury Tobin is the president of Tobin Communications, Inc., a firm he founded in 1996 that provides integrated campaign and digital services. Tobin earned both a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s Degree in Public Communication at American University.