Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Assessment Of Changes Of Complex Shoreline From Medium‑Resolution Satellite Imagery, Nikolay P. Nezlin, Julie Herman, Jonathan Hodge, Stephen Sagar, Robbi Bishop-Taylor, Guangming Zheng, John M. Digiacomo

VIMS Articles

The imagery collected by medium-resolution earth-observing satellites is a powerful and cost-effective tool for the quantitative assessment of shoreline dynamics for water bodies of different spatial scales. In this study, we utilize imagery collected in 1984–2021 on the Middle Peninsula, Virginia, bordering the Chesapeake Bay, USA, by medium-resolution (10–30 m) satellites Landsat-5/7/8 and Sentinel-2A/B. The data was managed in the Earth Analytics Interoperability Lab (EAIL) Data Cube built and configured by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO, Australia and Chile). The assessments of shoreline change demonstrate adequate agreement with assessments based on aerial photography collected during 1937–2009 by …

Dataset: Baywide Distribution Of Benthic Ecological Functions In The Past Decades In The Chesapeake Bay, Philip Ignatoff, Xun Cai, Kara Gadeken

Data

We undertook the collection and analysis of long-term benthos data from the Chesapeake Bay Benthic Monitoring Plan. Multiple ecological function traits related to feeding and disturbance were assigned to each observed benthic species based on a thorough literature review. The spatial distributions of the ecological function groups will be utilized in a 3D hydrodynamic biogeochemistry model simulation. This approach aids in estimating the contributions of benthos to estuarine hypoxia and nutrient dynamics. Furthermore, it fosters a connection between ecologists and modelers, promoting collaborative efforts in understanding and modeling the ecosystem.

Sediment Characteristics Of The Chesapeake Bay And Its Tributaries, Virginia Province: Data Files, Gary F. Anderson

Data

During the 1990’s, Dr. Maynard Nichols and colleagues at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science compiled digital databases of sediment observations in the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal bays and rivers. These projects were performed under several cooperative agreements with NOAA, EPA and USGS. This particular dataset covers the Chesapeake Bay for bulk properties and contaminants. Additional references are provided below. The original files and filenames are provided without edit. See the readme.txt file for overall explanation of the datasets and individual .DOC files for the data dictionary and further data processing information for each waterbody.

Nitrogen Reductions Have Decreased Hypoxia In The Chesapeake Bay: Evidence From Empirical And Numerical Modeling, Luke T. Frankel, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent, Aaron J. Bever, Rom Lipcius, Gopal Bhatt, Gary W. Shenk

VIMS Articles

Seasonal hypoxia is a characteristic feature of the Chesapeake Bay due to anthropogenic nutrient input from agriculture and urbanization throughout the watershed. Although coordinated management efforts since 1985 have reduced nutrient inputs to the Bay, oxygen concentrations at depth in the summer still frequently fail to meet water quality standards that have been set to protect critical estuarine living resources. To quantify the impact of watershed nitrogen reductions on Bay hypoxia during a recent period including both average discharge and extremely wet years (2016–2019), this study employed both statistical and three-dimensional (3-D) numerical modeling analyses. Numerical model results suggest that …

2022 Hampton Roads Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

2022 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

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 …

Management Practices For Urban Areas In The Hampton Roads Vicinity: Data Files, Gary F. Anderson

Data

During 1980 through 1981, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science conducted studies in the Hampton Roads Virginia vicinity to assess pollutant loading in runoff from various land use types. The 13 urban study areas also included established BMPs such as grassy swales and retention ponds to measure their effectiveness in reducing pollutant loads to the Chesapeake Bay. The focus was on nutrients, BOD and suspended solids. The studies were conducted with support of the U.S. EPA under section 208 of the Federal Clean Water Act.

Methods and results are documented in the associated publication. Data files were processed using SPSS …

Ware River Intensive Watershed Study Data Files - Part 2. Estuarine Receiving Water Quality, Gary F. Anderson

Data

The Ware River is a small coastal estuary draining into the Chesapeake Bay estuary. VIMS monitored the Ware watershed for rain events, runoff, and impacts to the estuary from April 1979 through July 1981. This entry contains the estuarine receiving water quality monitoring data files for the portion of the study known as Part 2 – Estuarine Receiving Water Quality. A set of stations on the tidal estuarine portion of the river were sampled by-monthly during high slack tide events. The stations were also sampled during 24-hour ‘intensive surveys’ and immediately following storm events to document impacts. Methods and results …

Mechanisms Driving Decadal Changes In The Carbonate System Of A Coastal Plain Estuary: Associated Dataset, Fei Da, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

Data

This dataset includes model outputs presented in the associated publication (Da et al. 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans). This study used a three-dimensional ecosystem model to quantify the relative impacts of multiple anthropogenic drivers on the Chesapeake Bay carbonate system over the past three decades. Model simulations highlight that increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and decreased terrestrial nutrient inputs are two primary drivers causing nearly equal reductions in pH in surface waters of the Bay.

Vims Ferry Pier Ambient Water Monitoring Data, Salinity And Temperature, Daily Summary 1947-2003, Gary F. Anderson

Data

Bulk water parameters of Temperature and Salinity were measured at the VIMS Ferry Pier from 1947 to 2003. Initial methods were undocumented but likely automated with an instrument and chart recorder since the data consists of a daily high and low measurement from which a mean value was derived.

Beginning in 1971 an automated instrument recorded continuously from which 2-hour measurements were made and daily minimum and maxima were derived. Beginning in 1986 an Inter-Ocean CTD instrument placed at mid-depth was interfaced to a digital data logger (Campbell Scientific CRJ) that recorded data every six minutes, resulting in 240 measurements …

2021 Hampton Roads Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

Vims Hydrofile: Ambient Water Monitoring And Meteorological Data For Chesapeake Bay And Near Coastal Shelf Waters, 1942-1982, Gary F. Anderson

Data

Historical ambient water quality and meteorologic conditions from cruises conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Chesapeake Bay and nearshore coastal shelf waters over a 40-year period through 1982.

Bulk water parameters were routinely measured during cruises conducted in Chesapeake Bay and nearshore coastal waters conducted by VIMS over four decades. Data were punched on 80-character cards known as ‘Form 1’ format by the VIMS central Computer Center. These were later converted to digital files. For this publication the Form 1 files were unpacked into yearly flat files containing two record types:

Station records - Contain surface observations …

Nitrogen Reductions Have Decreased Hypoxia In The Chesapeake Bay: Evidence From Empirical And Numerical Modeling : Data Repository, Luke T. Frankel, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs

Data

This data repository is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication: Frankel et al., 2022, Nitrogen reductions have decreased hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay: Evidence from empirical and numerical modeling, Science of the Total Environment, accepted for publication in December 2021.

Real-Time Environmental Forecasts Of The Chesapeake Bay: Model Setup, Improvements, And Online Visualization, Aaron Bever, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

VIMS Articles

Daily real-time nowcasts (current conditions) and 2-day forecasts of environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay have been continuously available for 4 years. The forecasts use a 3-D hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model with 1–2 km resolution and 3-D output every 6 h that includes salinity, water temperature, pH, aragonite saturation state, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and hypoxic volume. Visualizations of the forecasts are available through a local institutional website (www.vims.edu/hypoxia) and the MARACOOS Oceans Map portal (https://oceansmap.maracoos.org/chesapeake-bay/). Modifications to real-time graphics on the local website are routinely made based on stakeholder input and are formatted for use on a mobile …

A Data Repository For Extent And Causes Of Chesapeake Bay Warming, Kyle E. Hinson, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

Data

This data repository is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication (Hinson et al. 2021, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12916

Ware River Intensive Watershed Study Data Files: Part 1. Nonpoint Source Contributions, Gary F. Anderson

Data

The Ware River is a small coastal estuary draining into the Chesapeake Bay estuary. VIMS monitored the Ware watershed for rain events, runoff, and impacts to the estuary from April 1979 through July 1981.

This entry contains the runoff volume, rainfall and water quality monitoring data files for the portion of the study known as Part 1 – Nonpoint source contributions. Streams and small catchments representing suburban, agricultural and forested small basins were monitored regularly and during large rainfall events to estimate pollution loading to the estuary from the watershed. Methods and results are documented in the related literature. Data …

Migration Of The Tidal Marsh Range Under Sea Level Rise For Coastal Virginia, With Land Cover Data, Julie Herman, Molly Mitchell

Data

The layers in this geodatabase were intended to represent the land that is encompassed by the average tidal range as sea level rises in the Virginia coastal region, including Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, the Atlantic Ocean side of the Eastern Shore, and Virginia Beach. The data layers in this geodatabase represent each two foot range of elevation incremented by 0.5 ft (e.g. 0-2 ft, 0.5-2.5 ft, 1-3 ft, etc.) with the current land cover that exists in that range.

ArcGIS metadata is included in the geodatabase.

Further details are provided in the Geodatabase Information file located from the download tab.

Restoration Of Seagrass Habitat Leads To Rapid Recovery Of Coastal Ecosystem Services, Robert J. Orth, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Karen S. Mcglathery, Lillian Aoki, Mark Luckenbach, Kenneth A. Moore, Matthew P.J. Oreska, Richard A. Snyder, David J. Wilcox, Bo Lusk

VIMS Articles

There have been increasing attempts to reverse habitat degradation through active restoration, but few largescale successes are reported to guide these efforts. Here, we report outcomes from a unique and very successful seagrass restoration project: Since 1999, over 70 million seeds of a marine angiosperm, eelgrass (Zostera marina), have been broadcast into mid-western Atlantic coastal lagoons, leading to recovery of 3612 ha of seagrass. Well-developed meadows now foster productive and diverse animal communities, sequester substantial stocks of carbon and nitrogen, and have prompted a parallel restoration for bay scallops (Argopecten irradians). Restored ecosystem services are approaching historic levels, but we …

Estuarine Forecasts At Daily Weather To Subseasonal Time Scales, Andrew C. Ross, Charles A. Stock, Keith W. Dixon, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Most present forecast systems for estuaries predict conditions for only a few days into the future. However, there are many reasons to expect that skillful estuarine forecasts are possible for longer time periods, including increasingly skillful extended atmospheric forecasts, the potential for lasting impacts of atmospheric forcing on estuarine conditions, and the predictability of tidal cycles. In this study, we test whether skillful estuarine forecasts are possible for up to 35 days into the future by combining an estuarine model of Chesapeake Bay with 35-day atmospheric forecasts from an operational weather model. When compared with both a hindcast simulation from …

Associated Dataset: Relative Impacts Of Global Changes And Regional Watershed Changes On The Inorganic Carbon Balance Of The Chesapeake Bay, Pierre St-Laurent, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs

Data

The dataset is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication (St-Laurent et al. 2020, Biogeosciences).

This study used a biogeochemical module embedded in the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to examine the relative impacts of global changes and regional watershed changes on the inorganic carbon balance of the Chesapeake Bay over the past century. The numerical experiments contrast the periods 1900-1914 and 2000-2014 and the results are fully described in the associated publication.

2020 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

A Model Archive For A Coupled Hydrodynamic-Sediment Transport-Biogeochemistry Model For The Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Julia Moriarty, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Courtney K. Harris

Data

No abstract provided.

Old Macdonald Had An Aquaculture Farm, Shantelle Landry

Reports

Grades: 6 Subjects: Earth Science | Natural Resources

With this activity, students will learn the importance of aquaculture and how it can be used to manage a resource.

2019 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

Associated Dataset: Impacts Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition And Coastal Nitrogen Fluxes On Oxygen Concentrations In Chesapeake Bay, Fei Da, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

Data

The dataset includes model outputs used in publication Da et al. (2018), which used the Estuarine-Carbon-Biogeochemistry model embedded in the Regional-Ocean-Modeling-System (ChesROMS-ECB) to examine the relative impact of direct atmospheric dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) deposition and DIN from the continental shelf on the Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen. Model simulations highlight that DIN from the atmosphere has roughly the same impact on hypoxia as the same gram-for-gram change in riverine DIN loading. DIN concentrations on the continental shelf has a similar overall impact on hypoxia as DIN from the atmosphere.

Section: 01 Line Frame: 01, 18 October 2017: 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

Data

Multispectral aerial imagery acquired in 2017 to monitor the distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays

Section: 01 Line Frame: 06, 27 August 2017: 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

Data

Multispectral aerial imagery acquired in 2017 to monitor the distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays

Associated Dataset: The Competing Impacts Of Climate Change And Nutrient Reductions On Dissolved Oxygen In Chesapeake Bay, Isaac D. Irby, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs

Data

This research uses an estuarine-watershed hydrodynamic–biogeochemical modeling system along with projected mid-21st-century changes in temperature, freshwater flow, and sea level rise to explore the impact climate change may have on future Chesapeake Bay dissolved-oxygen (DO) concentrations and the potential success of nutrient reductions in attaining mandated estuarine water quality improvements.

Shoreline Hardening Affects Nekton Biomass, Size Structure,And Taxonomic Diversity In Nearshore Waters, With Responses Mediated By Functional Species Groups, Ms Kornis, Donna Marie Bilkovic, La Davias, S Giordano, Dl Brietburg

VIMS Articles

Coastal shoreline hardening is intensifying due to human population growth and sea level rise. Prior studies have emphasized shoreline-hardening effects on faunal abundance and diversity; few have examined effects on faunal biomass and size structure or described effects specific to different functional groups. We evaluated the biomass and size structure of mobile fish and crustacean assemblages within two nearshore zones (waters extending 3 and 16 m from shore) adjacent to natural (native wetland; beach) and hardened (bulkhead; riprap) shorelines. Within 3 m from shore, the total fish/crustacean biomass was greatest at hardened shorelines, driven by greater water depth that facilitated …