Allison Colden on the deck of the "Patricia Campbell," CBF's oyster restoration vessel.
Caroline Phillips
Allison Colden, an Annapolis resident, received a doctorate in marine sciences from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2015. Before coming to CBF, she worked in the U.S House of Representatives as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow and later as the senior manager of external affairs at Restore America's Estuaries. She spent six years as CBF's Maryland Senior Fisheries Scientist before being named Maryland Executive Director.
She is among the leading advocates for sustainable fisheries policies to protect important Chesapeake Bay species such as rockfish, oysters, and blue crabs. Allison has led advocacy efforts to pass state bills such as 2019 legislation that permanently protected Maryland's five large-scale oyster restoration sanctuaries. For the past two years, Colden has overseen CBF's Maryland oyster restoration program, which adds tens of millions of oysters to the Bay each year to sanctuary reefs. She also serves as Maryland's legislative representative to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and as an appointed member of Maryland's Oyster Advisory Commission, where she advances sustainability through regulation and cooperative fisheries management. Her work on fishery issues has given her a broad understanding of the water quality problems that affect the Bay as well as the need for clean water.
Allison's Posts
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Fret Not, Bay Restoration Is Achievable
August 8, 2023
CBF Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden on oyster restoration, the CESR report, and the future of the save the Bay movement.
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Blue Catfish Disaster Funding Would Be Beneficial for Bay, Watermen
April 23, 2023
We want watermen to benefit from the bounty of blue catfish and other invasive species in the Bay, which would improve the Bay's overall ecosystem.
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What to Do About Bay's Troubling Blue Crab Decline?
June 6, 2022
Two-prong approach needed to reverse decline of the iconic Chesapeake blue crab; scientists must research what's contributing to the species' decline, while fishery managers swiftly work to reverse it.
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Now's the Time to Correct Blue Catfish Policy
March 10, 2021
Invasive blue catfish undergo an expensive and cumbersome inspection process that should be revised to enable Chesapeake Bay watermen to grow the blue catfish fishery.
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Oyster Farmers Virtually Gather to Discuss Industry’s Future Amid Pandemic
December 3, 2020
The industry has been hit hard by restaurant closures, but new technology and direct-to-consumer sales are providing hope.
