What is a CESU? Nationally, Cooperative Ecosystems 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 research that informs the agencies' environmental and cultural management decisions. Research institution partners within the CHWA CESU provide leadership in watershed science and stewardship with special emphasis on the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay. To learn more about CESUs, visit our "What is a CESU?" site.
The Chesapeake Watershed is home to more than 3,600 species and over 15 million people all competing for resources and space within this 64,000 square mile region. The CHWA CESU promotes stewardship and integrated ecosystem management of natural and cultural resources within the Chesapeake Watershed through collaborative research, technical assistance, and education.