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Bay grasses up but still short of goalVIMS researcher Bob Orth, leader of Virginia's annual survey of underwater grasses (also known as submerged aquatic vegetation or SAV), joined with other scientists to issue the Chesapeake Bay Program's yearly report on grass health in the Bay and its tidal rivers. Says Orth, "While we saw a slight increase in SAV baywide in 2007—due in part to increases in the very large and dense beds in the upper Bay and upper Potomac River—overall there is concern about SAV in many areas because of declining water clarity." Read the full press release here. |
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Research by VIMS graduate student Heidi Geisz and colleagues shows that DDT and its breakdown products persist within the tissues of Adélie penguins, three decades after use of the powerful pesticide was banned in most countries. The findings raise concern about the potential cumulative effects of contaminants on penguins and other Antarctic predators. Read more.
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VIMS Dean and Director John Wells bestowed service and student awards on selected individuals from the VIMS community during
the Institute's 2007 Award Ceremony in Watermen's Hall.Read Service Award Citations | Read Student Award Citations |
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Norfolk Dredging gift helps VIMS make historyA major gift from Norfolk Dredging Company will help VIMS researchers advance their studies of seafloor history and ecology. VIMS will use the funds to purchase an automatic core logger that can uncover a wealth of environmental data from seafloor sediment cores. Read more. |
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Musick honored for Lifetime AchievementVIMS Emeritus Professor Jack Musick has been awarded the Commonwealth's Lifetime Achievement in Science award for his work on the ecology and conservation of marine fishes and sea turtles. The award was announced by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and Science Museum of Virginia Director Richard Conti. Read more. |
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Team wins grant to study blue crab diseaseA team led by VIMS Professor Jeff Shields has received a five-year, $2.4 million federal grant to study how fishing pressure and declines in water quality affect the emergence and spread of a blue crab disease in the seaside bays of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Read more. |
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Friedrichs wins Outstanding Faculty AwardVIMS Professor Carl Friedrichs has received the prestigious 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award, the Commonwealth’s highest honor for college and university educators. The award, sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education and the Dominion Foundation, recognizes accomplishments in teaching, research, knowledge integration, and public service. Read more. |
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Patterson helps launch Year of the ReefVIMS Associate Professor Mark Patterson joined with NOAA Chief Conrad Lautenbacher to launch the International Year of the Reef during a January 24 press conference. Patterson, lead scientist of a NOAA "Signature Expedition" to Bonaire, is using a trio of underwater robots to construct a detailed map of the island's reefs, arguably the most pristine reefs left in the Caribbean. Read more. |
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VIMS to assess menhaden valueA new three-year study led by researchers at VIMS seeks input from commercial and recreational anglers and other stakeholders to help assess the social and economic value of menhaden in Chesapeake Bay. These small, oily fish lie at the center of a debate concerning their relative importance to the Bay ecosystem and economy. Read more. |
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Prof. John Hoenig took part in the third annual Stock Assessment Meeting of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, an international treaty organization dedicated to wise use of fishery resources in the Caribbean. VIMS graduate student Lynn Waterhouse also attended, to lay the groundwork for her planned study of queen conch. Read more. |
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Scientists discover new life in Antarctic deepA new study in Nature by an international research team including VIMS Professor Robert Diaz reports the discovery of hundreds of new marine species in the vast, dark deep-sea surrounding Antarctica. Carnivorous sponges, free-swimming worms, crustaceans, and molluscs living in the Weddell Sea provide new insights into the evolution of ocean life. Read more. |
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Fishery scientists deploy Net NotesResearchers with VIMS' Juvenile Fish Survey have launched a monthly news item called Net Notes that describes interesting and unusual fish sightings and environmental observations from their sampling in lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Net Notes is available on-line and is featured in Don Lancaster's Daily Press fishing reports and weekly radio show. |
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Orth team shines light on global seagrass crisis A new study by VIMS Professor Robert Orth and an international group of colleagues reveals that seagrass loss is a worldwide problem, but that the public remains largely unaware of its scope and significance. Orth's team found that reported cases of seagrass loss have increased almost tenfold over the last 40 years, but that seagrasses receive from 3- to 100-times less media attention than other imperiled marine habitats. The study appears in the December issue of BioScience. Read more. |
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Chesapeake Bay Watch Chesapeake Bay Watch is a continuing program designed to engage the public in issues regarding the living resources and natural history of the Bay. Topics range from current issues to plant and animal species to seasonal changes in the Bay and other topics of general interest. Twelve clips of these public service announcements can be seen here. |
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