Life Sciences Commons^™

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2023, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia's Rivers: 2023 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Ashleigh Magee, Timothy Hoyt

Reports

This report describes the results of the twenty-sixth 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 2023, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007, ASMFC 2020). We also report on two fisheryindependent monitoring programs using anchor gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 6) and a major tributary of the James River, the Chickahominy River (year 9), to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of …

Center For Coastal Resources Management Annual Report 2022, Center For Coastal Resources Management

Reports

No abstract provided.

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2022, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve In Virginia Management Plan: 2022-2027, W. G. Reay, J. Baber, H. Brooks, A. Demeo, C. T. Friedrichs, C. Gonzales, J. Kuriawa, T. Hooper, S. Lerberg, E. J. Miles, B. Neikirk, S. Nuss, L. Ott, D. Parrish, T. Rudo, E C. Shields, S. Snyder, S. Wood

Reports

Established through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) represents a partnership program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the coastal states to promote informed management of the Nation’s estuaries and habitats. Designated in 1991, and administered by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of William & Mary, the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERR-VA or Reserve) is one of 30 protected areas, which encompass over 1.3 million acres and make up the NERRS.

As the nation's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay contains a diverse collection of habitats …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2021, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia’S Rivers 2022 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results 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 2022, evaluating hatchery programs and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007a; ASMFC 2020). We also report on a fishery-independent monitoring program to determine abundance and stock structure of river herring (A. pseudoharengus, and A. aestivalis) in Virginia by evaluating the adult spawning runs in the Chickahominy River, a major tributary of the James River, and the Rappahannock River. Further, a …

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia’S Rivers 2021 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results of the twenty-fourth 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 2021, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007, ASMFC 2020).

We also report on two fishery independent monitoring programs using anchor gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 4) and the Chickahominy River (year 7; a major tributary of the James River), to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run …

From The Subsurface To The Sky: Tracking Groundwater With Drones, Stephanie Wilson

Reports

Grades: High School Subjects: Earth Science | Physical Science

Determining the inputs of nitrogen to coastal waters from drone based radiometric temperature data.

Topics covered:

• Technology and radiometric imagery
• Drones in science
• Groundwater
• Nutrients / pollutants
• Water cycle/ Watersheds

Selectively Breeding Hard Clams, Leslie Speight Youtsey

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | AP Biology

Use knowledge of hard clam genotypes and inheritance patterns to cross parents and predict offspring phenotypes.

Center For Coastal Resources Management Annual Report 2021, Center For Coastal Resources Management

Reports

No abstract provided.

Killer From The Deep!, Tor Mowatt-Larssen

Reports

Grades: 6-12 Subjects: Life Science | Ecology

Explore the deep-sea environment and biological adaptations to living in the deep sea through murder-mystery investigation and graphing activities.

Shark Sanctuaries: Habitat And Climate Change, Kaitlyn O'Brien

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology

Utilize data collected from scientific surveys to explore the abiotic niche of multiple coastal shark species, and evaluate suitable habitats under differing climate change conditions.

Searching For Sea Scallops: The Role Of Science In Fisheries Management, Kaitlyn Clark

Reports

Grades: 6-8 Subjects: Life Science | Biology

Students will collect data on populations of sea scallops and then use those data to provide recommendations for sustainably managing the fishery in the next fishing year

The Seagrass Is Greener On The Other Side, Lauren Alvaro

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology

Students will collect data about animals in a seagrass meadow, learn how seagrass density affects species abundance and diversity, and calculate a biodiversity index.

Gelatinous Zooplankton In Biological Systems; Case Study: Salpa Thompsoni In The Western Antarctic Peninsula, Maya Thomas

Reports

Grades: 7th Subjects: Life Science

Teach about the importance of gelatinous zooplankton and examine their role in food webs, the biological pump, and the carbon cycle.

Virginia Seafood Sustainability, Samantha E. Askin, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

Virginia’s commercial fisheries operate sustainability under a suite of management tools based upon information received from marine scientists and fishery managers who regularly conduct biological sampling of fish while tracking commercial landings and other gathering of required information. Analyses of fishing effort and overall stock conditions, as well as formulas designed to calculate threshold limits for maintaining sustainable stocks are regularly performed. Restrictions on seasons, size, days at sea, and gear are imposed as needed to achieve management supporting long-term biological sustainability.

Estimated Consumer Sensory Shell Life Of Fresh Blue Catfish Filets Stored In Ice (Ictalurus Furcatus), Robert A. Fisher

Reports

Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is the largest species of catfish in North America where it is native to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio river drainages. It was introduced in fresh water Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay to enhance recreational fisheries in the 1970’s, from which significant recreational and commercial wild caught catfish fisheries developed. Since introduction, Blue catfish populations have expanded from upriver freshwater habitat to brackish-water sub-estuaries with reports of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay proper. Blue catfish are voracious, opportunistic predators feeding on a variety of natural prey items, including native fish and shellfish species, and …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl : Annual Report 2020, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment to educators for their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term status and …

The Status Of Virginia’S Public Oyster Resource 2020, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) monitors recruitment of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), annually from late spring through early fall, by deploying spatfall[1] (settlement and recruitment of larval oysters to the post metamorphic form termed spat) collectors (shellstrings) at various sites in three Virginia western Chesapeake Bay tributaries. The survey provides an estimate of a particular area’s potential for receiving a "strike" or settlement (set) of oysters on the bottom and helps describe the timing of recruitment events in a given year. Information obtained from this monitoring effort provides an overview of long-term recruitment …

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia’S Rivers 2020 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results of the twenty-third 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 2020, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007, ASMFC 2020).

We also report on two fisheryindependent monitoring programs using anchor gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 3) and the Chickahominy River (year 6; a major tributary of the James River), to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of …

Sunny-Side-Up: Temperature & Lobster Egg Development, Abigail Sisti

Reports

Grades: 6-12 Subjects: Biology

This lesson allows students to use math and science to characterize the effects of temperature on lobster egg development. Students will measure features of lobster eggs at different time points and plot how they change across development. This development will be compared between lobsters from different environments, and students will be asked to draw conclusions about how these differences may relate to lobster performance and climate change.

Virginia Institute Of Marine Science Research Experiences For Undergraduates Program : Final Research Papers 2019, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

• Sediment Modeling – iRUSLE via Bayesian Melding / Kayla Rutherford
• Bottom Boundary Layer Dynamics Modelling in the Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone”/ Jacob Wacht
• Interactions between Vibrio Bacteria and Phytoplankton Species / Coral O’Brien
• Red Disease and Antibiotic Resistance of American Eels / Thalia Wallace
• Understanding the feeding ecology of the Atlantic deep-sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus using DNA barcoding / Brittany Baker
• Using macroinvertebrate assemblages to assess nursery habitat quality for juvenile black sea bass and summer flounder/ Nicholas Coleman
• Characterizing York River estuary Benthic Metabolism/ Mary McGuinness
• Effects of pH and temperature on the growth, development, and metabolic rate …

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay Annual Progress Report: 2020-2021, Jack R. Buchanan, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

No abstract provided.

Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing: The Search For Antibiotics, Amanpreet Kohli

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Life Science | Biology

Examining agar plates, students determining the effectiveness of antibiotics for fish pathogens.

Dial C For Collaboration: Finding Unknowns With Your Fellow Scientists, Brianna Stanley

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Chemistry | Mathematics | Oceanography

In the sciences, collaboration is key. This exercise allows students to explore scientific collaboration and how to use "knowns" to measure an unknown using a linear equation.

Fish Census: Monitoring Finfish Populations In Chesapeake Bay, Rachel Dixon

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Life Science | Biology | Oceanography

In this activity, students will utilize data collected from a scientific survey to explore where different fishes live in a coastal estuary, and how their populations change over time.

Case Of The Stressed-Out Larva: A Study Of Climate Change Effects On Oyster Cellular Physiology, Annie Schatz

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Advanced Biology | Chemistry | Oceanography

Using a jigsaw puzzle approach, students will piece together the results of three molecular measures to understand how warming and acidified waters affect the health of oyster larvae.

Growing Up Is Hard: Vertical Accretion In Salt Marshes, Alex Smith

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

In this exercise, students will use graphing to examine the importance of natural environmental feedbacks on marsh survival.

High To Low: Exploring Estuarine Gradients, Cristin Wright

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Earth Science | Biology | Oceanography

In this lesson, student scientists will examine nutrients, suspended sediment, and phytoplankton level then plot their results to track estuarine gradients.