CAMBRIDGE, MD - Relief may be on the horizon for an oyster hatchery in Dorchester County that recently faced the possibility of losing nearly half its federal funding.
The 2026 production season is already underway at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory outside Cambridge. Just weeks ago, officials warned that proposed federal budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would require them to cut staffing in half.
“We’re working diligently, as we are across our programs, to plug this funding gap. If I can use that word,” said UMCES President Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm.
NOAA is a key funding partner in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and supports the Horn Point facility, one of the largest oyster hatcheries on the East Coast and a major contributor to the bay’s ecological health.
UMCES President Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm told lawmakers in Annapolis this month that they received notice from NOAA in November 2025 that a significant funding reduction was likely.
“We were likely to receive a 50% grant cut immediately, this year, and that the program will be zeroed out in the years to come, completely from 100 to 0 in less than two years,” he said.
In January, Congress approved a $6.1 billion for NOAA for the upcoming fiscal year. The measure increases funds towards Chesapeake Bay oysters by $1.5 million compared to a package two years ago.
U.S. Senator from Maryland Chris Van Hollen told WBOC on Friday that the approved budget has more than sufficient funds to help Horn Point.
“They're obviously applying and they're obviously an institution that has the expertise that we really need to, you know, so they should be entrusted with those funds.” said Senator Van Hollen.
Horn Point Hatchery officials said conversations with federal partners are ongoing and that no final funding decisions have been made.