Water tower in the town of Tangier, Virginia. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
TANGIER ISLAND, Chesapeake Bay — On a windy morning in June, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s boat tossed violently in the waves of its namesake basin, spraying droplets of brackish water inside as it hurtled towards Tangier Island. Tangier Island is a 1.2 square mile landmass that was first settled during colonial times but whose future is currently uncertain.
Tangier Island, 1 hour drive from Marina in Crisfield, Maryland Mayor James “Ochre” Eskridge He detailed how his homeland had been destroyed by storms and rising sea levels. Tangier has reportedly lost two-thirds of its land mass since 1850.
It is not clear exactly how many residents live there. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau showed 430 people, while others sauce What’s undeniable, Eskridge said, is that more people are retiring each year.
He added that the island needs further financial investment from the federal government to survive.
“But I know billions of dollars are being spent to create islands like this. Poplar IslandThere are also similarly eroded islands off the coast of Maryland,” Eskridge said. No one lives there. …Now we are here, we have a community of working watermen, and we are fighting just to protect it. ”
Tangier Mayor James “Oker” Eskridge shows a map of the island’s land loss. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
The island has been home to generations of people who make a living from crabbing and fishing. The residents have a unique rhythm and “tend to elongate their vowels,” said David L. Shores, a Tangier native and linguist. said National Geographic. This island can only be reached by boat or plane.
“We’ve lived here for hundreds of years and we want to stay here. Tangier is very saveable right now. We know it’s a lot of money for the community, but not for the (federal) government,” Eskridge said.
Tangier Island appears on the horizon of Chesapeake Bay. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
In some areas of the island, houses rise just a few feet above sea level. Port Isobel, on a small island east of Tangier, has a breakwater that preserves its beach profile and forested land, and serves as a center for research and education.
June 8, 2026 Wave erosion of Tangier Island coast off the coast of Virginia. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
Tangier is more than just a unique aspect of Virginia’s coastal culture and history. The wetlands surrounding the island also serve as important habitat for crabs, fish, and oysters, which require seagrass to survive.
“We are working to ensure that this truly unique archipelago in the middle of the Bay is preserved, consisting of lush baygrass, thriving oyster reefs, and wetlands that are incredibly important habitat for the Chesapeake Bay,” said Tom Ackerman, vice president of environmental education for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “Because if you lose the land, everything else gets blown away.”
Crab pots lined up on a pier on Tangier Island off the coast of Virginia. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
The island’s economy is supported by blue crab and oyster fishing.
Tangier fishermen are estimated to harvest about 13 percent of all blue crabs in the Chesapeake. Oyster catches have rebounded significantly and oyster populations have rebounded after officials stopped winter crab dredging. Local residents and conservationists say this is a welcome change from past decades.
In the 1970s and 1980s, bay oysters struggled to survive. CBF’s Chris Moore explained that three main factors were contributing to the decline in the former: overharvesting, pollution and disease.
Recent efforts to restore species in the bay have been incredibly successful, allowing for profitable winter business for Tangier sailors.
“Today, oysters are the only way for sailors to make a living (in the winter), and maintaining a healthy population is critical, and it is right now. Oysters are doing really well right now,” Eskridge said.
Chesapeake Bay oyster beds off Tangier Island, June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
Oysters also act as natural coastal protection.
Oyster reefs slow the intrusion of rainwater and act as natural breakwaters. State and federal agencies are leveraging them through the Tangier-Pocomoke Sound Oyster Recovery Project, a large-scale oyster habitat restoration effort.
When the project is fully operational, more than 4,000 acres of the bay will be set aside as oyster habitat, some of which will be available for harvest by local fishermen. Work on the project’s first 275 acres will include starts in 2028.
“In fact, I think this is a really good example of how we can do restoration differently and continue to think about how we can support more uses as we continue to improve restoration,” Moore said.
Several groups have banded together to create shoreline protection plans that direct federal and state funds to projects that buffer coasts and stop erosion.
Consulting and design group Beyland continues to meet with local residents to identify key areas where dog runs can be built, wetlands formed with dredged material and natural infrastructure planted. The roadmap is expected to be completed later this year.
This town used to be $356,500 awarded We are participating through the National Coastal Resilience Fund from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to begin community engagement to identify roadmap priorities.
This year, the organization said it was “disappointed” to not receive an additional $1.2 million in funding from NFWF to move some of the plans on its roadmap into the design stage.
Bayland representatives said that without that funding, the project would be delayed another year before finalizing the design, something many on the island say they don’t have time for. Bayland plans to apply again when funding applications reopen in February.
As the ship curved around the island, a lighthouse could be seen in the distance. Terry Parks, who has lived on the island all his life, said his grandfather told him when he was young that he was able to walk almost on land to the lighthouse.
Parks steered his boat along the same piece of land, now just a few feet below the water.
A lighthouse off the coast of Tangier Island, Virginia. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
The boat was anchored along the northwestern part of the island, where cracks in the shoreline at a place called Tom’s Gut allow water to flow freely inland, accelerating erosion.
The Army Corps of Engineers attempted to repair the cracks using some of the material dredged annually from the island’s central canal. It wasn’t enough to fill the gap and was washed away.
“I think it’s important to be able to repair that crack, just to slow it down and help the erosion of the wetlands on the backside,” said Jeff Swallow with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Coastline of Tangier Island. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
The boat docked downtown, and passengers disembarked and walked along the island’s narrow streets. Its width is just wide enough for a single golf cart, the main mode of transportation on Tangier Island.
Narrow street in the town of Tangier, Virginia. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
Visitors from various state and federal agencies continued to flock to Lorraine’s, a popular seafood restaurant. Before departing, Tangier City Councilor Anna Pruitt Parks acknowledged that the island’s financial woes have become top of mind for residents in recent years.
Pruitt-Parks said that while the focus on generating funds and keeping the island’s government and public services afloat may have partially obscured the reality of erosion, the environmental threat can no longer be discounted.
“When you’re a kid, you don’t really notice[changes]but as you get older, you say every week that you see changes, especially in the groove in the middle of the island,” she noted. “It’s all spread out and big chunks of marsh are just breaking off and it’s really hard to see. It’s very hard to see.”
Cemetery in Tangier, Virginia. June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
Inside the restaurant, government agency representatives shared updates on state funding and new legislation for resilience programs that could help Tangier.
Rep. Robert Bloxom, R-Accomack, successfully passes House Bill 52 I will be attending this year’s Virginia General Assembly. The measure would require material dredged from canals and other projects to be reused in resilience projects such as creating wetlands starting in 2027.
There are exceptions that limit the use of some materials. Maryland already has a similar policy in place, helping the state move forward with coastal projects like Poplar Island.
Eskridge called for urgent action rather than endless legislative debate.
“I know there’s been a lot of research done…but we’re losing land at such a rate. There’s really no time to play around,” Eskridge said. “And I think there’s probably enough money spent on research that now we’ve actually been able to protect all of this.”
Tangier Mayor James “Oker” Eskridge, June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Hecht/Virginia Mercury)
After tasting dishes from the surrounding ocean, the group will conclude the meeting by identifying other funding sources and potential partner organizations to help protect the island.
Even as time passes, Eskridge said he is encouraged to see state, local and federal agencies working to find solutions to protect Tangier.
As tourists departed on boats, the boats rocked in the waves and seabirds pecked at empty crab pots. The harbor is lined with “For Sale” signs and you can hear the casual conversations of locals.
People have suggested that Eskridge pursue groups that have left the island for good in search of more opportunities elsewhere, where they will not be swallowed up by the sea. He always tells them the same thing. “There’s no place like home.”
View of the Chesapeake Bay from the pier in downtown Tangier Island, June 8, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
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