Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Addressing The Issue Of Microplastics In The Wake Of The Microbead-Free Waters Act - A New Standard Can Facilitate Improved Policy, Jason P. Mcdevitt, Craig S. Criddle, Molly Morse, Robert Hale, Et Al

VIMS Articles

The United States Microbead-Free Waters Act was signed into law in December 2015. It is a bipartisan agreement that will eliminate one preventable source of microplastic pollution in the United States. Still, the bill is criticized for being too limited in scope, and also for discouraging the development of biodegradable alternatives that ultimately are needed to solve the bigger issue of plastics in the environment. Due to a lack of an acknowledged, appropriate standard for environmentally safe microplastics, the bill banned all plastic microbeads in selected cosmetic products. Here, we review the history of the legislation and how it relates …

Flocculation And Bed Consolidation In A Partially Mixed Estuary: An Idealized Numerical Sediment Transport Model, Courtney Harris, D. Tarpley, Carl Friedrichs, C. Sherwood

Presentations

Particle settling velocity and bed erodibility impact the transport of suspended sediment to the first order, but are especially difficult to parameterize for the muds that often dominate estuarine sediments. For example, fine grained silts and clays typically form loosely bound aggregates (flocs) whose settling velocity can vary widely. Properties of flocculated sediment such as settling velocity and particle density are difficult to prescribe because they change in response to several factors, including salinity, suspended sediment concentration, turbulent mixing, organic content, and mineral composition. Additionally, mud consolidates after deposition, so that its erodibility changes over timescales of days to weeks …

Parameterized Process Models For Underwater Munitions Expert System, Carl Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Multifaceted Biodiversity Hotspots Of Marine Mammals For Conservation Priorities, Camille Albouy, Valentine L. Delattre, Bastien Merigot, Christine N. Meynard, Fabien Leprieur

VIMS Articles

Aim: Identifying the multifaceted biodiversity hotspots for marine mammals and their spatial overlap with human threats at the global scale.

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2016, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2016, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP) has maintained a 21-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (VSFT) under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission-(VMRC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of the College of William and Mary (under the VIMS Marine Advisory Program).

Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Situation And Outlook Report : Results Of The 2016 Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Crop Reporting Survey, Karen Hudson

Reports

The hatchery-based shellfish aquaculture industry in Virginia continues to grow adding significant value to the Commonwealth's seafood marketplace. Today, watermen harvest both hard clams and oysters from the Commonwealth's public resources,albeit at rates diminished from historic levels. At the same time, Virginia's watermen-farmers, utilizing production from a land-based hatchery, are providing additional quantities of quality shellfish to consumers.

This survey, in its 11th year, is intended to continue annual assessments with which to gauge growth and inputs in Virginia's hatchery-based shellfish aquaculture industry. This report is based upon an industry survey completed during the first quarter of 2017.

While these …

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay: Annual Progress Report 2016-2017, Brian K. Gallagher, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

The 2016 Striped Bass juvenile abundance index was 5.15 and was not significantly different from the reference mean of 7.77 observed in 1980-2009. Abundance indices in the James, York and Rappahannock rivers in 2016 were not significantly different than their historic averages (1967-2015). Juvenile White Perch abundance indices in 2016 were near historic averages in the York and Rappahannock rivers, but below the historic average in the James River. Because a new seine net was used during the 2016 survey, catches of Striped Bass and White Perch were adjusted using preliminary calibration factors derived from paired hauls of the old …

Hypoxia Forecasts As A Tool For Chesapeake Bay Fisheries, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, A. J. Bever, Carl T. Friedrichs, R.R. Hood

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia's Rivers - 2016 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Robert Latour, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results of the nineteenth year of a continuing study to estimate the relative abundance and assess the status of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) stocks in Virginia by monitoring the spawning runs in the James, York and Rappahannock rivers in spring 2016, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007). We also report on a new fishery-independent monitoring program using staked gillnets to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of river herring (A. pseudoharengus, and A. aestivalis) in the Rappahannock River. Data are also reported from two separate fishery-independent monitoring …

Kepone In The James River Estuary: Past, Current And Future Trends, Michael A. Unger, George G. Vadas

Reports

In late 1975, a manufacturing facility in Hopewell, VA had not only exposed workers to the chlorinated pesticide, Kepone, but had also severely contaminated the James River estuary. To assess the potential risk to the public, Virginia initiated a finfish-monitoring program in late 1975. Over the next 40 years over 13,000 samples were collected from the James River and Chesapeake Bay and analyzed for Kepone. Kepone production was eventually banned worldwide. The average Kepone concentrations found in most species began falling when the production of Kepone ended, but the averages remained over the action limit of 0.3 mgkg^-1 until …

Stormsense Project: Forecasting Flooding From Storm Surge, Rain, And Tide, Jon Derek Loftis, David R. Forrest, Kyle Spencer

Presentations

The objective of StormSense is to enhance the capability of communities to prepare and respond to the disastrous impacts of sea level rise and coastal flooding in ways that are replicable, scalable, measurable, and make a comparable difference worldwide. The StormSense Project is an inundation forecasting research initiative partially funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to advance the field of emergency preparedness for flooding resulting from storm surge, rain, and tides. The scope of the project encompasses the interests of coastal local governments wishing to enhance their emergency preparedness via a network of 'Internet of Things' (IoT)-enabled …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young-Of-The-Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Spring 2016, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a valuable commercial species along the Atlantic coast of North America from New Brunswick to Florida. In the U.S., harvests have declined, with similar patterns occurring in the Canadian Maritime Provinces (Meister and Flagg 1997). An average of 62% of the annual landings of U.S. commercial harvest since 1993 have come from the Chesapeake Bay (personal communication from the National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries Statistics Division, 9 February 2015). In 2013, Virginia commercial landings were approximately 100,298 lbs; since mandatory reporting began in 1993, average annual landings in Virginia have been 193,200 lbs or 19% …

Shore Zone Management Planning For Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority Properties, Donna A. Milligan, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Christine A. Wilcox

Reports

No abstract provided.

Tracking Decadal Changes In Striped Bass Recruitment: A Calibration Study Of Seine Surveys In Chesapeake Bay, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey, Olivia M. Philips, Brian K. Gallagher

Reports

In this study we estimated calibration factors necessary to maintain the long‐term integrity of the juvenile striped bass surveys in the Chesapeake Bay region. These surveys provide annual indices of recruitment (estimated as juvenile fish abundance in summer) and are used by fisheries managers in Virginia and Maryland to inform adjustments of annual harvest limits for striped bass from the commercial and recreational fisheries in Chesapeake Bay. During the multi‐decadal history of the survey, a potentially influential change occurred: VIMS deployed a net (the VA net) with a mesh material that differed from the standard net that MD DNR continued …

Hypoxia Forecasts As A Tool For Chesapeake Bay Fisheries, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, R.R. Hood, Carl T. Friedrichs, David R. Forrest

Presentations

The Estuarine Hypoxia component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) is evaluating existing hydrodynamic and water quality models used, or likely to be used, for operations in the Chesapeake Bay. As a proof-of-concept, an implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System in the Chesapeake Bay (ChesROMS) is linked to a simple respiration model for hypoxia (Hypoxia_SRM). The modeling system is presently being used to produce real-time nowcasts and short-term (3-day) hypoxia forecasts for the Chesapeake Bay, which are currently available on the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) website. Workshops with citizen stakeholders …

Bacteria Tmdl Development For Lower Chickahominy River Watershed Located In Charles City, James City, And New Kent Counties, Va, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) Water Quality Planning and Management Regulations (40 CFR Part 130) require states to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for waterbodies that are exceeding water quality standards (WQSs). TMDLs represent the total pollutant loading that a waterbody can receive without violating WQSs. The TMDL process establishes the allowable loadings of pollutants for a waterbody based on the relationship between pollution sources and in-stream water quality conditions. By following the TMDL process, states can establish controls based on water quality conditions to reduce pollution from …

Synthesis: Understanding Of Chesapeake Bay Water Clarity Patterns, Carl Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Hampton Roads Crossing Study Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Evaluation Of Potential Impact On Surface Water Elevation, Flow, Salinity, And Bottom Shear Stress, Yinglong J. Zhang, Harry V. Wang, Zhuo Liu, Mac Sisson, Jian Shen

Reports

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed alternatives for the highway crossing in Hampton Roads on physical characteristics of surface water elevation, flow, salinity, and bottom shear stress. The analysis is part of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Federal Highway Administration, and other stakeholders’ Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Hampton Roads Crossing Study (HRCS).

Gis Data: King George County, Virginia Shoreline Inventory Report, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Sharon A. Killeen, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie G. Bradshaw, Kory Angstadt, Karen A. Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The 2017 Inventory for King George County was generated using on-screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® -ArcMap v10.4.1 while viewing conditions observed in Bing high resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and 2013 imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP).Four GIS shapefiles are developed. The first describes land use and bank conditions (King_George_lubc_2017). The second portrays the presence of beaches (King_George _beaches_2017). The third reports shoreline structures that are described as arcs or lines(e.g. riprap)(King_George _sstru_2017). The final shapefile includes all structures that are represented as points(e.g. piers)(King_George_astru_2017).The metadata file accompanies the shapefiles and defines attribute accuracy, data development, and any …

Gis Data: The County Of Spotsylvania, Virginia Shoreline Manangement Model, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The Shoreline Management Model is a GIS spatial model that determines appropriate shoreline best management practices using available spatial data and decision tree logic. Available shoreline conditions used in the model include the presence or absence of tidal marshes, beaches, and forested riparian buffers, bank vegetation cover, bank height, wave exposure (fetch), nearshore water depth, and proximity of coastal development to the shoreline. The model output for shoreline best management practices is displayed in the locality Comprehensive Map Viewer. One GIS shapefile is developed that describes two arcs or lines representing practices in the upland area and practices at the …

Catch The King Tide 2017 Data: Gloucester & Mathews, Virginia, Jon Derek Loftis

Data

"Catch the King" was a citizen science GPS data collection effort centered in Hampton Roads, VA, that sought to map the King Tide's maximum inundation extents with the goal of validating and improving predictive models for future forecasting of increasingly pervasive "nuisance" flooding. GPS data points were collected by volunteers to effectively breadcrumb/trace the high water line by pressing the 'Save Data' button in the Sea Level Rise App every few steps along the water's edge during the high tide on the morning of Nov. 5th, 2017.

Response from the event's dedicated volunteers, fueled by the local media …

Partners In Natural Resource Management: The Virginia Institute Of Marine Science And The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

Produced by the Office of Research and Advisory Services, Partners in Natural Resources Management identifies all of the sections of Virginia legislation in which the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is named in relation to our advisory mandate.

Gis Data: Henrico County, Virginia Tidal Marsh Inventory, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Sharon Killeen, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The 2017 Tidal Marsh Inventory update for Henrico County, Virginia was generated using on-screen digitizing techniques in the most recent version of ArcGIS® - ArcMap while viewing conditions observed in the most recent imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). Dominant plant community types were primarily determined during field surveys from shallow-draft boats moving along the shoreline. Land-based surveys were performed in some locations. One shapefile is developed that portrays tidal marsh areas represented as polygons. A metadata file accompanies the shapefile to define attribute accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to the data.

Gis Data: The County Of Isle Of Wight, Virginia Shoreline Inventory Report, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, Christine Tombleson, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The 2017 Inventory for the Isle of Wight County was generated using on-screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® -ArcMap v10.4.1while viewing conditions observed in Bing high resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and2013imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). Four GIS shapefiles are developed. The first describes land use and bank conditions (IsleofWight_lubc_2017). The second portrays the presence of beaches (IsleofWight_beaches_2017). The third reports shoreline structures that are described as arcs or lines(e.g. riprap)(IsleofWight_sstru_2017). The final shapefile includes all structures that are represented as points(e.g. piers)(IsleofWight_astru_2017).The metadata file accompanies the shapefiles and defines attribute accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions …

Gis Data: The County Of Isle Of Wight, Virginia Shoreline Management Model, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, Christine Tombleson, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The Shoreline Management Model is a GIS spatial model that determines appropriate shoreline best management practices using available spatial data and decision tree logic. Available shoreline conditions used in the model include the presence or absence of tidal marshes, beaches, and forested riparian buffers, bank vegetation cover, bank height, wave exposure (fetch), nearshore water depth, and proximity of coastal development to the shoreline. The model output for shoreline best management practices is displayed in the locality Comprehensive Map Viewer. One GIS shapefile is developed that describes two arcs or lines representing practices in the upland area and practices at the …

Gis Data: Hanover County, Virginia Tidal Marsh Inventory, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Sharon Killeen, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen A. Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Stanhope, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The 2017 Tidal Marsh Inventory update for Hanover County, Virginia was generated using on-screen digitizing techniques in the most recent version of ArcGIS® - ArcMap while viewing conditions observed in the most recent imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). Dominant plant community types were primarily determined during field surveys from shallow-draft boats moving along the shoreline. Land-based surveys were performed in some locations. One shapefile is developed that portrays tidal marsh areas represented as polygons. A metadata file accompanies the shapefile to define attribute accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to the data.

Gis Data: The County Of Spotsylvania Shoreline Inventory Report, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Data

The 2017 Inventory for Spotsylvania County was generated using on-screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® -ArcMap v10.4.1while viewing conditions observed in Bing high resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and2013imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP).Four GIS shapefiles are developed. The first describes land use and bank conditions (Spotsylvania_lubc_2017). The second portrays the presence of beaches (Spotsylvania_beaches_2017). The third reports shoreline structures that are described as arcs or lines (e.g. riprap)(Spotsylvania_sstru_2017). The final shapefile includes all structures that are represented as points (e.g. piers)(Spotsylvania_astru_2017).The metadata file accompanies the shapefiles and defines attribute accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain …

Hanover County, Virginia - Shoreline Inventory Report: Methods And Guidelines, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Sharon Killeen, Tamia Rudnicky, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Duhring, Kallie Brown, Jessica Hendricks, David Weiss, Carl Hershner

Reports

The 2017 Inventory for Hanover County was generated using on-screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® -ArcMap v10.4.1while viewing conditions observed in Bing high resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and 2013 imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP).Four GIS shapefiles are developed.The first describes land use and bank conditions (Hanover _lubc_2017). The second portrays the presence of beaches (Hanover _beaches_2017). The third reports shoreline structures that are described as arcs or lines(e.g. riprap)(Hanover _sstru_2017). The final shapefile includes all structures that are represented as points(e.g. piers)(Hanover _astru_2017).The metadata file accompanies the shapefiles and defines attribute accuracy, data development, and any use …

2016 Aerial Imagery Acquired To Monitor The Distribution And Abundance Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In Chesapeake Bay And Coastal Bays, Robert J. Orth, David J. Wilcox, Jennifer R. Whiting, Anna K. Kenne, Erica R. Smith, L. Nagey

Data

Multispectral aerial imagery acquired in 2016 to monitor the distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays.

Catch The King Tide 2017 Data: Chesapeake, Virginia, Jon Derek Loftis

Data

"Catch the King" was a citizen science GPS data collection effort centered in Hampton Roads, VA, that sought to map the King Tide's maximum inundation extents with the goal of validating and improving predictive models for future forecasting of increasingly pervasive "nuisance" flooding. GPS data points were collected by volunteers to effectively breadcrumb/trace the high water line by pressing the 'Save Data' button in the Sea Level Rise App every few steps along the water's edge during the high tide on the morning of Nov. 5th, 2017.

Response from the event's dedicated volunteers, fueled by the local media …