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2019 Media Recap
VIMS was all the buzz in 2019

The 145 journal articles authored or co-authored by VIMS researchers in 2019 were talked about around the world. Here are the 15 that received the most "buzz."

Dead Zone Report Card 2019
VIMS dead-zone report card reflects improving Bay water quality

The 2019 “dead-zone” report card for Chesapeake Bay indicates that the volume of low-oxygen, “hypoxic” water was on the high end of the normal range, a finding that scientists actually consider relatively good news given the unfavorable weather conditions.

Catch the King 2019 Thumbnail
King tide provides royal value

Event provides water-level data used to improve VIMS’ street-level inundation model and its predictions of coastal flooding in Hampton Roads.

2019 Striped Bass Seine Survey
Juvenile striped bass maintain average abundance in Virginia waters in 2019

Researchers with VIMS' long-term survey recorded 9.54 young-of-year striped bass per seine haul in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay during 2019, similar to the historic average of 7.77. The 2019 year class represents the group of fish hatched this spring that will grow to fishable sizes in 3 to 4 years.

2019 Governor's Technology Awardees
VIMS teams win suite of Governor's Technology Awards

Two VIMS research teams have won 2019 Governor’s Technology Awards for developing online tools that allow users to track water levels and assess the health of coastal wetlands.

VIMS' 2019 Matriculating Class
New students enrich VIMS community

View our Infographic to learn about the diversity and accomplishments of VIMS' 2019 matriculating class.

Marsh  soils contain significant blue carbon.
VIMS receives USDA funding to map estuarine landscapes

Grant will enable VIMS researchers to better track the amount of organic matter stored in coastal ecosystems. This “blue carbon” can help reduce the impacts of climate change by removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Thalia Wallace (Community College of Philadelphia) enjoys her first encounter with a blue crab.
REU program celebrates 30th anniversary at VIMS

Thirteen undergraduates from across the nation spent ten weeks at VIMS this summer gaining experience in the field and laboratory as part of the 30th annual “Research Experiences for Undergraduates” program.

Chlordecone molecule
Int'l research project reflects mixed news on Kepone

A scientific discovery in the French West Indies plus a shared history of environmental contamination has kindled a research partnership between VIMS and the Université Paris Saclay.

Blue Crab
Study considers sensory impacts of global climate change

A study led by VIMS researcher Emily Rivest synthesizes the results of pioneering behavioral studies and provides a conceptual framework to help guide future research in this emerging field.

Survey indicates slight decline in underwater grass abundance

VIMS report estimates that 91,559 acres of underwater grasses grew in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries in 2018. The acreage is likely an underestimate as rain, cloudy water, and security restrictions prevented collection of aerial imagery in many areas.

Anderson earns Odum Award for Lifetime Achievement

World’s leading coastal research society honors Dr. Iris Anderson for her sustained accomplishments and important contributions to human understanding of estuaries and coastal ecosystems.

Blackwater Ghost Forest
Study highlights vulnerability of rural coast to sea-level rise

New paper in Nature Climate Change highlights growing recognition that existing knowledge is insufficient to best inform public and private decisions regarding the encroachment of wetlands into farm land and forests.

Professor Rob Hale
Hale honored with Plumeri Award

Professor Rob Hale will use stipend to engage students in field research and advisory service activities.

Blue crab stock healthy with above average abundance

Results from the latest Winter Dredge Survey—conducted annually by VIMS and the Maryland DNR—show the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab stock will be able to support quality commercial and recreational harvests.

VIMS christens RV Virginia

First Lady Pam Northam breaks the bubbly during a storm-tossed ceremony at the Yorktown waterfront.

PNAS Cozzarelli Prize
VIMS researchers honored with Cozzarelli Prize

The Editorial board of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences bestows award on a paper authored by a multi-disciplinary research team led by Dr. Jonathan Lefcheck of VIMS.

Catch the King catches Guinness World Record

More than 700 Catch the King volunteers surveyed a high tide in 2017, collecting a record-setting 59,718 measurements. All that data-gathering helped improve a tidal flooding forecasting model developed at VIMS.

Fish in seagrass
Study confirms and ranks nursery value of coastal habitats

Comprehensive analysis suggests that mangroves and seagrasses provide the greatest value as “nurseries” for young fishes and invertebrates, providing key guidance for managers of threatened marine resources.

VIMS updates Chesapeake Bay coastal inventory

VIMS researchers have just finished the latest iteration of a suite of online maps that can show users the condition of the Bay shoreline along its entire length, an investment that has paid off in ways both expected and unforeseen.

2019_tagging_100.png
Fish-tagging program recognizes top volunteers

The Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program recognized the efforts of top taggers during its annual awards ceremony at Bass Pro Shops in Hampton on February 22.

Deb Steinberg with krill
Krill range shrinks poleward with ocean warming

An analysis of 90 years of catch data from the South Atlantic Ocean shows that Antarctic krill are moving southward in concert with ocean warming, raising concerns for international fisheries managers.

VIMS reaches out to crabbers for guidance on derelict pots

Mail survey will ask local crabbers to share their opinions and experiences related to commercial hard crabbing and “ghost" crab pots; results will identify crabber preferences for hypothetical activities and incentives that could help reduce impacts in Virginia’s waters.

Oyster aquaculture limits disease in wild oyster populations

A study initiated by Dr. Ryan Carnegie of VIMS reveals that oyster aquaculture can limit the spread of disease among wild populations of the tasty bivalve. The findings counter long-held beliefs that diseases often spread from farmed to wild populations.