Island loss and migration in the Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the biggest estuary in the United States, located on the country’s east coast. A number of small islands are located within its waters. Most of them are severely affected by sea level rise, erosion, and submerging processes. Notably, since the mid-nineteenth century, islands have been losing land mass several times faster than during the thousand years prior. So far, more than 500 islands have already vanished from the map.
The disappearance of land puts pressure on its inhabitants. In some cases, such as the one of Holland Island, the communities consisted of around 200 people and included churches, schools, and several stores. As shores were quickly being eaten away, people packed up their belongings, tore down their houses, and resettled on the mainland. Especially between 1900 and 1940, a number of islands were abandoned, among them Barren, Holland, and Poplar Island.