VIMS welcomed 20 new graduate students last week with a field trip from Gloucester Point to the Institute's Eastern Shore Lab in Wachapreague. Here, faculty and students disembark the VIMS research vessel R/V Pelican (a converted military landing craft) on Kiptopeke Beach. The students spent a day exploring Virginia's barrier-island ecosystems before returning to VIMS to begin fall semester classes. 1st row L-R: Asst. Prof Kam Tang, Juliette Poleto, Erin Shields, Payal Dharia, Katherine Brodie, Prof Iris Anderson, Constance Sullivan, Heidi Romine, and Lila Gerald. 2nd row: Asst. Prof Mark Brush, Karen Caposella, Tao Shen, Kyle Tom, Stacie Rice, Samantha Bickel, Samuel Sturdivant, Branson Williams, and Asst. Prof. Jesse McNinch. 3rd row: Geoff Wikel, Cielomar Rodriguez, David Elliot, Michael Congrove, Francisco Soto, Brian Barnes, David O'Brien, and Chris Prosser.