A cross rises from the marsh on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Religion is an important part of life on Tangier. All photos: Willy Lowry / The National
Four Brothers Crabhouse is one of only two restaurants still open on Tangier.
Children's toys fill the front lawn of a house on Tangier Island. The island's population has been steadily decreasing for years.
A Trump flag flies next to crab traps.
A Trump 2024 flag flies above a dock on Tangier Island. Former president Donald Trump is extremely popular on the island.
The Tangier water tower rises high above the flat island.
Birds fly over Tangier. The island is a haven for rare species.
Birds rest on posts jutting out of the Chesapeake Bay. Tangier Island is home to dozens of bird species.
Cameron Evans, 23, pulls up a crab trap that he set in the sandy waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Mr Evans poses with a bushel of crabs he caught.
James Eskridge, who goes by 'Ooker' covers a tank holding crabs he caught. Mr Eskridge is the mayor of Tangier. Crabbing is more than a job for the men of Tangier, it's a way of life and connects them to their forefathers.
Mr Eskridge drives his small boat through shallow water as he heads to his crab shanty.
Mr Eskridge dons a Trump hat. The mayor spoke with then-president Donald Trump in 2017 to discuss ways to save the island.
Mr Eskridge feeds birds at his crab shanty.
While Mr Eskridge may be mayor of Tangier, he says his first job is waterman and crabber.
Mr Eskridge navigates the narrow channel that leads to his crab shanty.
The Harbour of Tangier is home to dozens of crab shanties.
Watermen wait out foul weather under shelter.
Mr Evans sets a crab trap.
In addition to crabbing, Mr Evans leads photography workshops on the island. Here he poses in his waterfront studio.
Looking at Tangier Island from the water, one quickly sees how flat and susceptible it is to sea level rise.
The eastern edge of the island is most susceptible to erosion and rising water levels.
The island is mostly flat grassland and marsh.
Crab traps line the docks of Tangier.
A crab shanty sits on stilts in the Chesapeake bay off of Tangier Island. Watermen store crabs and tools in their shanties, which act like floating offices.
There are only a handful of cars on Tangier. Most people get around by bicycle or golf cart.
Main Ridge Road, one of three main arteries on Tangier Island. The island consists of three ridges connected by bridges.
An old abandoned house on Tangier Island. The island's population has decreased significantly in recent years.
A colourful house on Tangier Island.
The island is so small it only has a volunteer fire department.
An egret stands in a marsh with the Tangier village in the background.
Looking south from Tangier Island.
A crabbing boat is docked to next crab traps.
A rock-filled breakwater wall was installed on the island's western edge in 1989. Residents say it has successfully stopped erosion on that side of the island.
The island's lone post office sits right off Main Ridge Road.
The Swain Memorial United Methodist Church's cemetery.
A narrow street on the island's Western Ridge.
A boat sits on land next to a marshy canal. Boats are everywhere on Tangier.
A wooden barricade prevents a yard from falling into the sea.
Debris is stacked against the shoreline in an effort to prevent erosion. The island loses as much as nine metres of shoreline a year to erosion.
A crabbing boat docked on Tangier Island.
Swain Memorial United Methodist Church, one of two churches on the island. Religion plays a major role in people's lives here.
Because land is in such short supply, many families are forced to bury loved ones in their front yards.
A swing set on Tangier Island. Many residents speak of idyllic childhoods filled with fishing, crabbing and exploring.
Many people use bicycles to get around the island.
A small house on Tangier Island.
A house on the eastern side of Tangier Island, which is most susceptible to erosion and rising sea levels.
Stacks of crab traps sit on a dock on Tangier Island.
