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Marine Heatwaves In The Chesapeake Bay, Piero L. F. Mazzini, Cassia Pianca

VIMS Articles

Prolonged events of anomalously warm sea water temperature, or marine heatwaves (MHWs), have major detrimental effects to marine ecosystems and the world's economy. While frequency, duration and intensity of MHWs have been observed to increase in the global oceans, little is known about their potential occurrence and variability in estuarine systems due to limited data in these environments. In the present study we analyzed a novel data set with over three decades of continuous in situ temperature records to investigate MHWs in the largest and most productive estuary in the US: the Chesapeake Bay. MHWs occurred on average twice per …

Living Shorelines Achieve Functional Equivalence To Natural Fringe Marshes Across Multiple Ecological Metrics, Robert Isdell, Donna M. Bilkovic, Amanda Guthrie, Molly Mitchell, Randolph M. Chambers, Matthias Leu, Carl Hershner

VIMS Articles

Nature-based shoreline protection provides a welcome class of adaptations to promote ecological resilience in the face of climate change. Along coastlines, living shorelines are among the preferred adaptation strategies to both reduce erosion and provide ecological functions. As an alternative to shoreline armoring, living shorelines are viewed favorably among coastal managers and some private property owners, but they have yet to undergo a thorough examination of how their levels of ecosystem functions compare to their closest natural counterpart: fringing marshes. Here, we provide a synthesis of results from a multi-year, large-spatial-scale study in which we compared numerous ecological metrics (including …

Massive Upland To Wetland Conversion Compensated For Historical Marsh Loss In Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Nathalie W. Schieder, David C. Walters, Matthew L. Kirwan

VIMS Articles

Sea level rise leads to coastal transgression, and the survival of ecosystems depends on their ability to migrate inland faster than they erode and submerge. We compared marsh extent between nineteenth-century maps and modern aerial photographs across the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America, and found that Chesapeake marshes have maintained their spatial extent despite relative sea level rise rates that are among the fastest in the world. In the mapped region (i.e., 25% of modern Chesapeake Bay marshland),94 km2of marsh was lost primarily to shoreline erosion,whereas 101 km2of marsh was created by upland drowning.Simple projections over the …

A Synergistic Approach For Evaluating Climate Model Output For Ecological Applications, Rochelle Cavanaugh, Ej Murphy, Et Al, Walker O. Smith Jr., Et Al

VIMS Articles

Increasing concern about the impacts of climate change on ecosystems is prompting ecologists and ecosystem managers to seek reliable projections of physical drivers of change. The use of global climate models in ecology is growing, although drawing ecologically meaningful conclusions can be problematic. The expertise required to access and interpret output from climate and earth system models is hampering progress in utilizing them most effectively to determine the wider implications of climate change. To address this issue, we present a joint approach between climate scientists and ecologists that explores key challenges and opportunities for progress. As an exemplar, our focus …

York River Water Budget, Carl Hershner, Molly Mitchell, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Julie D. Herman, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Crest, Summer 2006, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Table of Contents:

• Menhaden research
• Sea Grant renews effort to manage cownose rays
• Food-web study aids management of biodiversity
• Horodysky throws light on fish vision Research reveals lobsters avoid sick neighbors
• New faculty brushes aside disciplinary boundaries
• Research helps created wetlands come to life
• Miselis chosen as Foster Scholar
• Wetlands workshop promotes informed management
• VIMS bestows 2005 Awards
• Duffy and Lipcius win Leopold Fellowships
• Alum coaches high school team to national recognition
• VIMS alumna receives prestigious national award
• Lucy wins Hutchinson conservation award
• Newsbriefs

Development Of A Tidal Wetland Inventory And Assessment For York River, Virginia Watershed, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

As part of the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, the Commonwealth of Virginia pledged to a wetland policy of no net-loss. Through conscientious resource protection and management, Virginia’s non-tidal and tidal wetland permit programs, administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) respectfully, are committed to reaching this goal. In order to assist these agencies in realizing no-net loss of wetlands, the availability of baseline data is essential in defining our existing resources and is the basis from which future status and trends can be evaluated along with the effectiveness of permitting and management …

Bioreactivity Of Estuarine Dissolved Organic Matter: A Combined Geochemical And Microbiological Approach, Sl Mccallister, Je Bauer, Elizabeth A. Canuel

VIMS Articles

An integrated multidisciplinary study utilizing geochemical and microbial ecological approaches was conducted to characterize the origins, chemical nature, and quantities of dissolved and particulate organic matter (OM) utilized by heterotrophic bacteria in a temperate estuary. C: N, stable isotope (delta C-13), and lipid biomarker analyses revealed differences in the inferred reactivity of autochthonous versus allochthonous OM sources. Isotopic comparison of OM size fractions and bacterial nucleic acids suggests that high-molecular-weight dissolved OM (DOM) is consistently linked to bacterial biomass synthesis along the estuarine salinity gradient. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (as percent of total fatty acids, FA) were a reliable predictor of …

The Crest, Summer 1999, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Table of Contents:

• New Research Aquarium System
• Finfish Aquaculture at VIMS
• Virginia Creates State Research Reserve System
• Pollution-Laden Sediments In Constant Flux
• Survey of Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop Closed Areas
• Pfiesteria Update
• New Computer Program Helps Planners Balance Growth, Protection
• Virginia Sea Grant to Administer Commercial Fishery Resource Program
• VIMS Stranded Sea Turtle Project Underway Coastal Sediments Offer Clues to Climate Change, Pollution
• Seemingly Barren Habitat Proves Vital for Economically Important Virginia Fish (juvenile flounder)

Environmental Studies Relative To Potential Sand Mining In The Vicinity Of The City Of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Carl H. Hobbs Iii

Reports

Part 1: Benthic Habitats and Biological Resources Off the Virginia Coast 1996 and 1997 / G. R. Cutter, Jr. and R. J. Diaz

Part 2: Preliminary Shoreline Adjustments to Dam Neck Beach Nourishment Project Southeast Virginia Coast / C. S. Hardaway, Jr., D. A. Milligan, G. R. Thomas, and C. H. Hobbs, III

Part 3: Nearshore Waves and Currents Observations and Modeling / J. D. Boon

Part 4: Coastal Currents A. Valle-Levinson

Part 5: Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracoda from Virginia Continental Shelf / T. M. Cronin, S. Ishman, R. Wagner, and G. R. Cutter, Jr

Research Needs For The Risk Assessment Of Health And Environmental Effects Of Endocrine Disruptors: A Report Of The Us Epa-Sponsored Workshop, Rj Kavlock, Gp Daston, C Derosa, P Fennercrisp, Le Gray, S Kaattari, Et Al

VIMS Articles

The hypothesis has been put forward that humans and wildlife species have suffered adverse health effects after exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Reported adverse effects include declines in populations, increases in cancers, and reduced reproductive function. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored a workshop in April 1995 to bring together interested parties in an effort to identify research gaps related to this hypothesis and to establish priorities for future research activities. Approximately 90 invited participants were organized into work groups developed around the principal reported health effects-carcinogenesis, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity--as well as along the risk assessment paradigm--hazard identification, dose-response …

Environmental Education Resources Directory : A Guide To Environmental Information And Educational Resources In Virginia, Department Of Environmental Quality, Commonwealth Of Virginia, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Consequences Of Nutrient Enrichment In Estuaries, Bruce J. Neilson

Reports

A "paper study" was conducted to determine the consequences of nutrient enrichment in an estuary. First, a classification scheme was developed to assign- a "Level of Nutrient Enrichment" to a water body based on concentrations of Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen. The impacts of nutrient enrichment on the various uses of estuaries there were described and assessed. Finally, "safe" nutrient levels for Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries were recommended.

Developing Crab Creek : Fifteen Points Of View On Economy And Ecology In An Estuary : A Simulation For Advanced Students Exploring Coastal Resource Management Decisions In Virginia, Frances Lee Lawrence

Reports

Crab Creek County is a hypothetical small Virginia county on. the Chesapeake Bay. This· simulation explores the coastal management issues involved in developing a point of land in Crab Creek County fronting on the Chesapeake Bay to the North, and Crab Creek to the South. The game is based on key Virginia and federal laws and agencies affecting coastal resources, and provides insights into the human and technical interactions involved in the "permitting" processes. Players fill fifteen roles representative of private interests as well as local, state, and federal activities. more...

Ecological Study Of The Tidal Segment Of The James River Encompassing Hog Point (Site Of The Surry Nuclear Power Station) : Completion Report, Robert A. Jordan, Patrica A. Goodwin, Charles E. Sutton

Reports

The Surry Power Station discharges cooling water into the transition zone of the James River. Phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, and fouling organism communities were sampled during the years 1969 through 1978, which encompassed a preoperational and an operational period. Temporal changes in the biotic communities followed seasonal patterns of temperature and salinity in the study area, and reflected inherent reproductive patterns of the organisms. Spatial patterns reflected the transport of organisms from the river in the vicinity of the intake to the zone encompassed by the discharge plume, as well as periodic bursts of meroplankton generation in the cooling water canals. …

Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Volume Iii: Geologic Studies, Harley J. Knebel, Et Al

Reports

The Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies is comprised of three volumes.

• Volume I. Executive Summary.
• Volume IIA, IIB, IIC and IID. Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies.
• Volume III. Geologic Studies.

This third volume in the study contains the following:

• CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION by Harley J. Knebel
• CHAPTER 2. BOTTOM CURRENTS AND BOTTOM SEDIMENT MOBILITY IN THE OFFSHORE MIDDLE ATLANTIC BIGHT, 1976-1977 by Bradford Butman and Marlene Noble
• CHAPTER 3. SESTON IN MIDDLE ATLANTIC SHELF AND SLOPE WATERS 1976-1977 by John D. Milliman, Michael H. Bothner, and Carol M. Parmenter
• CHAPTER 4. SUBMERSIBLE OBSERVATIONS …

Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Volume Ii-A. Chemical And Biological Benchmark Studies, E. M. Burrreson, D. F. Boesch, B. L. Laird

Reports

The Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies is comprised of three volumes.

• Volume I. Executive Summary.
• Volume IIA, IIB, IIC and IID. Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies.
• Volume III. Geologic Studies.

This is the first of four sections of the Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies

• CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION by E. M. Burreson
• CHAPTER 2. BENCHMARK STUDIES by Donald F. Boesch, William D. Athearn, and John G. Brokaw
• CHAPTER 3. PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY AND CLIMATOLOGY by C. S. Welch and E. P. Ruzecki
• CHAPTER 4. MIDDLE ATLANTIC BIGHT ZOOPLANKTON: SECOND YEAR RESULTS AND A DISCUSSION OF …

Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Volume Ii-C: Chemical And Biological Benchmark Studies, E. M. Burreson, D. F. Boesch, B. L. Laird

Reports

The Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies is comprised of three volumes.

• Volume I. Executive Summary.
• Volume IIA, IIB, IIC and IID. Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies.
• Volume III. Geologic Studies.

This is the third of four sections of the Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies

• CHAPTER 9. COMMUNITY STRUCTURE ANALYSIS AND FOOD HABITS OF FISHES by George R. Sedberry, Eric J. Foell and John A. Musick
• CHAPTER 10. HISTORICAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF FINFISHES by John A. Musick, James A. Colvocoresses and Eric J. Foell
• CHAPTER 11. BACTERIOLOGY by Howard J. Kator

Chapters of …

Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Volume Ii-D: Chemical And Biological Benchmark Studies, E. M. Burreson, D. F. Boesch, B. L. Laird

Reports

The Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies is comprised of three volumes.

• Volume I. Executive Summary.
• Volume IIA, IIB, IIC and IID. Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies.
• Volume III. Geologic Studies.

This is the fourth of four sections of the Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies

• CHAPTER 12. HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDIES by Craig Ruddell
• CHAPTER 13. TRACE METALS by Richard L. Harris, Raj Jolly, George Grant, and Robert Huggett
• CHAPTER 14. HYDROCARBONS by C. L. Smith, C. W. Su, W. G. Macintyre, R. H. Bieri, and M. Kent Cueman
• CHAPTER 15. VIMS-BLM SECOND ORDER WAVE CLIMATE …

Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Volume Ii-B: Chemical And Biological Benchmark Studies, E. M. Burreson, D. F. Boesch, B. L. Laird

Reports

The Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies is comprised of three volumes.

• Volume I. Executive Summary.
• Volume IIA, IIB, IIC and IID. Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies.
• Volume III. Geologic Studies.

This is the second of four sections of the Chemical and Biological Benchmark Studies

• CHAPTER 5. BOTTOM SEDIMENTS AND SEDIMENTARY FRAMEWORK by Donald .F. Boesch
• CHAPTER 6. BENTHIC ECOLOGICAL STUDIES: MACROBENTHOS by Donald F. Boesch
• CHAPTER 7. BENTHIC ECOLOGICAL STUDIES: MEIOBENTHOS by D.J. Hartzband and Donald F. Boesch
• CHAPTER 8. BENTHIC ECOLOGICAL STUDIES: FORAMINIFERA by Robert L. Ellison

Chapters of this report contain …

Hydrography And Hydrodynamics Of Virginia Estuaries. Xvii, Mathematical Ecosystem Modeling Study Of The York River, P. V. Hyer, A. Y. Kuo, C. S. Fang, W. J. Hargis Jr.

Reports

The York River drainage basin is rural, with an economy based on farming, logging, fishing and recreation. Water quality conditions are generally good, with low chlorophyll and nutrients and low fecal coliform counts. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are high except for periodic deoxygenation of the water deeper than 8 m in the reach extending 10 km upstream of the mouth.

A quasi-three dimensional tidal average model was constructed and calibrated using intensive field data collected in June and July, 1976 and verified using slack water run data from September, 1976. The model components are: salinity, fecal coliform, chlorophyll, CBOD, dissolved oxygen, …

Chesapeake Bay Baseline Data Acquisition Appendix Vi: Dredging And Spoil Disposal, Chesapeake Research Consortium, Incorporated, University Of Maryland, Center For Environmental And Estuarine Studies, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

Chesapeake Bay Baseline Data Acquisition Appendix Ii: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Report, Chesapeake Research Consortium, Incorporated, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, University Of Maryland, Center For Environmental And Estuarine Studies

Reports

No abstract provided.

Ecological Study Of The Tidal Segment Of The James River Encompassing Hog Point : 1977 Final Technical Report, R. A. Jordan, P. A. Goodwin, R. K. Carpenter, C. E. Sutton, J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes, R. K. Dias

Reports

• Section I: CONTENTS River Biota Studies at the VEPCO Surry Nuclear Power Station by R. A. Jordan, P. A. Goodwin, R. K. Carpenter, and C. E. Sutton
• Section Ila: Plant Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton at the VEPCO Nuclear Power Plant by J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes, and R. K. Dias
• Section lIb: Thermal Plume Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton at VEPCO Nuclear Power Station by J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes, and R. K. Dias

Ecological Study Of The Tidal Segment Of The James River Encompassing Hog Point : 1976 Final Technical Report, R. A. Jordan, P. A. Goodwin, R. K. Carpenter, J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes, R. K. Dias

Reports

• Section I: : Contents River Biota Studies at the VEPCO Surry Nuclear Power Station by R. A. Jordan, P. A. Goodwin, and R. K. Carpenter
• Section II a: Plant Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton at the VEPCO Nuclear Power Plant by J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes, and R. K. Dias
• Section II b: Thermal Plume Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton at VEPCO Nuclear Power Station by J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes, and R. K. Dias

Assessment Of Mechanical Damage To Entrained Ichthyoplankton, Vepco Surry Nuclear Power Station, J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes

Reports

Thermal plume ichthyopla~kton sampling during November and December 1976 was cancelled since Units 1 and 2 of VEPCO Surry Nuclear Power Station were non-operational due to refueling. In lieu of the thermal plume ichthyoplankton entrainment program, a sampling program to estimate mortality from mechanical damage was initiated.

Four sampling sites were selected for determination of quantity and condition of organisms entering and leaving the plant. Sites were selected at points preceding and following critical areas where the likelihood of damage was greatest. Net .sets were made using a 0.5 meter paired net apparatus. All sets were at bottom strata to …

Ecological Study Of The Tidal Segment Of The James River Encompassing Hog Point : 1975 Final Technical Report, R. A. Jordan, R. K. Carpenter, P. A. Goodwin, C. G. Becker, M. S. Ho, G. C. Grant, B. B. Bryan, J. V. Merriner, A. D. Estes

Reports

Volume 1: Technical Reports

• Section 1: River Biota and Phytoplankton Entrainment Studies at the VEPCO Surry Nuclear Power Station
• Section 2: Zooplankton Entrainment at the Surry Nuclear Power Plant, James River, Virginia by G. C. Grant and B. B. Bryan
• Section 3:
• a. Plant Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton at the VEPCO Nuclear Power Station by J. V. Merriner and A. D. Estes
• b: Thermal Plume Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton at the· VEPCO Nuclear Power Station by J. V. Merriner and A. D. Estes

Yorktown Power Station Ecological Study, Phase Ii : Final Technical Report, R. A. Jordan, R. W. Virnstein, J. E. Illowsky, J. Colvocoresses

Reports

No abstract provided.

Index Of Existing Data Sources For Chincoteague, Sinepuxent, Assawoman And Little Assawoman Bays : Report To The Maryland Department Of Natural Resources, Paul V. Hyer, John P. Jacobson, Ching Seng Fang

Reports

Available data on the Chincoteague - Assawoman Bay system have been reviewed, indexed and summarized. Water quality data (including sources), other biological studies, hydrographic data, geological data and socioeconomic studies are included.

Lower York River Dissolved Oxygen Study, Robert A. Jordan

Reports

Past studies of the lowerr York River have shown that dissolved oxygen (D .O.) concentrations decline in the summer months, occasionally falling one mg/ 1 near the bottom in deep water (Brehmer,1970; Jordan,1973) . Due to this apparently natural phenomenon the Virginia water quality standards for D.O. in estuaries (4.0 mg/1 allowable minimum, 5 .0 mg/1 minimum daily average, U.S.. E.P.A,1971), are not met during this period . Therefore additional waste-water discharges into the lower York River will not initiate violation of the standards, but may exacerbate the existing situation by extending the area and the time period affected by …