VIMS

2013 Top Stories

VIMS Top 12 Stories from 2013

2013 was another great year for the students, staff, and faculty at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Take look back at the year's top stories.

SunTrust gift supports VIMS graduate student

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science recently recognized graduate student Mark Stratton as the recipient of the SunTrust Mid-Atlantic Foundation Fellowship for 2013-2014.

Humans threaten wetlands’ ability to keep pace with sea-level rise

Left to themselves, coastal wetlands can withstand rapid rates of sea-level rise. But humans could be sabotaging some of the wetlands’ best defenses, according to a Nature review paper by VIMS researcher Matt Kirwan and Pat Megonigal of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

VIMS alumnus elected Chair of ASMFC

Dr. Louis Daniel, Director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and a graduate of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, has been chosen as the new chairman of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Chesapeake Bay marsh expert joins VIMS faculty

New VIMS faculty member Matt Kirwan gained his interest in coastal wetlands the hard way—through years of muskrat trapping in the marshes of the Eastern Shore.

Annual MAMEA conference held at VIMS

Marine educators from Delaware to North Carolina traveled to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science last week for the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association’s annual conference.

Carl T. Friedrichs
VIMS professor honored with Mehta Award

Dr. Carl Friedrichs is recognized for his interdisciplinary achievements in research and teaching in the field of coastal hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics.

New faculty member studies changing shorelines

Research by Dr. Chris Hein reveals how shorelines shift in response to natural and human-driven changes in sea level, sediment supply, and coastal storms.

VIMS trains interns in oyster aquaculture

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science recently celebrated the graduation of four emerging professionals needed to advance Chesapeake Bay’s rapidly growing oyster-farming industry.

VIMS welcomes Virginia’s leaders to Gloucester Point

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science opened its doors last week for an esteemed group of Virginia’s leaders during one of their stops in the LEAD VIRGINIA 2013 Alumni Conference.

VIMS Eastern Shore Lab hosts first Marine Science Day

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Eastern Shore Laboratory (ESL) drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to its campus in Wachapreague for their first Marine Science Day open house on September 28th.

New VIMS professor joins “Gliderpalooza”

Assistant Professor Donglai Gong deploys his new ocean glider as part of a coordinated effort to simultaneously observe the coastal waters of the entire eastern seaboard.

VIMS graduate students pursue summer research in East Asia

VIMS Ph.D. students Katie May Laumann and Julia Moriarty were independently selected by the National Science Foundation for the prestigious East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for U.S. Graduate Students.

VIMS flooding report makes a splash

Participants in a conference organized by the Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic cite document as blueprint for state response to coastal flooding issues.

VIMS researchers monitor harmful algal bloom

VIMS researchers continue to monitor a large bloom of Alexandrium monilatum in the lower York River and blooms of Cochlodinium and other species throughout the lower Bay.

VIMS welcomes matriculating class of 2013

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science welcomes 19 new graduate students this week, bringing total enrollment in the College of William & Mary’s School of Marine Science at VIMS to 91 students.

Federal researchers investigate dolphin deaths

Researchers with the National Marine Fisheries Service have determined that a cetacean morbillivirus is causing unusually large numbers of dead dolphins to wash up on mid-Atlantic beaches.

VIMS helps local youth set new goals

Sediment coring lab donates aluminum piping to local welder for creation of goals posts for the Gloucester Youth Football League.

VIMS summer camps combine education and fun

Local children swam, splashed, fished, and crabbed their way to becoming stewards of Chesapeake Bay during a series of five week-long summer day-camps offered by VIMS.

Congressional interns visit VIMS

Summer interns from the Virginia offices of Senator Mark Warner and representatives J. Randy Forbes and Scott Rigell visit VIMS to learn more about the Institute and its efforts to protect and restore Chesapeake Bay.

Congressman Rigell visits Eastern Shore restoration sites

Representative joins VIMS scientists for visit to South Bay, epicenter of a 16-year collaborative effort to restore eelgrass, oysters, and bay scallops to the seaside bays of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

VIMS study shows “dead zone” impacts Bay fishes

Ten-year study provides the first quantitative evidence on a bay-wide scale that oxygen-poor waters impact the distribution and abundance of fishes that live and feed near the Bay bottom.

Seagrass restoration goes international

A team of European entrepreneurs and scientists aim to bring lessons learned from seagrass restoration in Virginia’s seaside bays to the coastal waters of Scandinavia.

VIMS welcomes oyster aquaculture interns

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science recently welcomed the fifth group of interns to its six-month Oyster Aquaculture Training Program (OAT) to learn the skills needed to enter Chesapeake Bay’s rapidly growing oyster-farming industry.

Lake awarded prestigious Thatcher prize

Recent VIMS Ph.D. recipient Dr. Sam Lake wins the 2013 Thatcher Prize for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Study during William & Mary’s commencement ceremony on May 12th.

Study: source of organic matter affects Bay water quality

VIMS-led research reveals that organic carbon in runoff from urbanized landscapes is more likely to persist as it is carried downstream, thus contributing to low-oxygen “dead zones” in coastal waters.

Scientific survey shows dip in blue crab population

Winter dredge survey of the bay-wide blue crab population shows a mixed bag of good and not-so-good news that may result in a slight tightening of commercial harvest restrictions.

Bay’s underwater grasses decline for third year

Results from the VIMS-led seagrass monitoring program show that underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers declined 24% between 2011 and 2012, approaching lows last reported in 1986.

Class project inspires research article in Ecology

A study that began as a class project among graduate students at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is now a peer–reviewed research article in Ecology, the flagship journal of the Ecological Society of America.

VIMS faculty members honored with Plumeri Awards

VIMS Professors of Marine Science John Graves and Robert (J.J.) Orth have been selected as recipients of 2013 Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence at the College of William & Mary.

Tom Murray Honored with BoatUS Access Award

Thomas Murray, Associate Director for Advisory Services at VIMS, was presented with a Recreational Boating Access Award from the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS).

VIMS celebrates Pi with pie

Students, faculty, and staff celebrate the mathematical and gastronomical versions of pi(e) with a community-building and fund-raising event.

VIMS faculty to serve as experts for simulated legal hearing

Professors Walker Smith and Deborah Steinberg will testify in a March 22 simulation that is designed to determine how legislative hearings can best use modern technology to enhance success, efficiency, and transparency.

VIMS professor’s legacy lives on through generous gift

The family of the late VIMS Professor of Marine Science Rebecca Dickhut has provided the Virginia Institute of Marine Science with a generous gift of $300,000 to establish The Rebecca Dickhut Endowment for Support of Students and Young Early Career Scientists.

New faculty member glides into marine research

Physical oceanographer Donglai Gong uses gliders and moorings to study the movement and properties of coastal waters in the mid-Atlantic and Arctic.

VIMS scientists contribute to "Bay Barometer"

Research and monitoring at VIMS provide data used to compile Chesapeake Bay Program's annual report on Bay health and the status of restoration efforts.

VIMS researchers share findings at Sea Grant Symposium

Students, staff, and faculty from VIMS took part in Virginia Sea Grant’s 4th Annual Project Participants’ Symposium by sharing their efforts to protect and restore coastal Virginia.

Duffy receives Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award

VIMS professor honored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for excellence in teaching, research, knowledge integration, and public service.