CHESAPEAKE BAY — The number of brown pelicans breeding in the Chesapeake Bay has declined, with Maryland researchers looking at food availability and other factors that could be contributing to the drop.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is scheduled to consider new restrictions on menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast during its annual meeting this week in Newport, Rhode Island.

The annual spawning migration of horseshoe crabs is underway on Delmarva, with the ancient animals returning in droves to the beaches to lay their eggs in the sand.