Ospreys in Crisis: Chesapeake Bay Lessons, Long Island Sound Stakes, and the Menhaden Connection
Jacob Steinberg, Director & Cinematographer CosmoVision Media Group, Inc.
Ospreys are among our most visible coastal “sentinel species”—and in the Chesapeake Bay, they are now in crisis. In recent seasons, widespread reproductive failure and chick starvation have raised alarms that the food web may be breaking down at its foundation. This lecture explores the emerging evidence linking osprey decline to forage-fish availability, with a focus on Atlantic menhaden and the consequences of industrial-scale extraction. Crucially, the Chesapeake is not just a local story—it may be a preview of what could spread coast-wide, including into Long Island Sound, unless action is taken now. The talk will highlight a new prey-based study that Connecticut Audubon has agreed to launch—modeled on ongoing Chesapeake research—to help detect early warning signs closer to home. Alongside field observations and ecological context, we’ll examine how fisheries management decisions ripple upward through marine ecosystems, from baitfish to birds. The lecture concludes with an introduction to the forthcoming documentary The Most Important Fish in the Sea, which investigates the menhaden fishery and its coast-wide implications.
Biography:
Jacob Steinberg is an Emmy Award nominated cinematographer, producer, and strategic communications professional specializing in natural history and conservation storytelling. As founder of CosmoVision Media, he leads a talented in-house team providing end-to-end communications services—including strategy, writing, video production, graphics, animation, and photography. His work, including Season of the Osprey (PBS Nature, 2021), has reached millions of primetime viewers across six continents and informed strategic campaigns for nonprofits such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, Connecticut Audubon Society, and The Nature Conservancy. With experience engaging scientists, Indigenous partners, policymakers, and general audiences, Jacob crafts messaging that resonates across perspectives and reaches decision-makers across the political spectrum, advancing conservation and climate resilience through powerful, integrated storytelling.
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