- About
- With 500+ faculty, staff and students and three campus locations, the Batten School & VIMS are equipped to tackle pressing challenges through research, education and advisory service.
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- Research & Advisory
- Purple marsh crabs are significantly disrupting carbon cycling in salt marshes along the East Coast of the U.S., according to a study led by Batten School & VIMS scientists.
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- Batten School
- The R. Todd Stravitz Scholars Program will provide full tuition support for students pursuing the new bachelor’s degree in coastal & marine sciences at the Batten School & VIMS.
  
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- Engage
- Popular, free camps enable rising third through eighth graders to learn about the Chesapeake Bay, coastal ecosystems and environmental stewardship.
  
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- News & Events
- National TRAP Program funds large-scale cleanup of discarded fishing gear, first round of subawards totaling more than $1.4M supports 11 projects focused on removing derelict fishing gear from coastal waters in nine U.S. states and Palau.
  
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- Giving
- As an expression of parental pride in their daughter, Taylor Spencer ‘83 and Martha Spencer recently established an undergraduate field research endowment at the Batten School & VIMS.
  
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2026 Top Stories

Virginia Sea Grant welcomes new director

Bayleigh Albert, Virginia Sea Grant | January 27, 2026

Virginia Sea Grant welcomes Mona Behl as its new director. With over a decade of experience and achievements in the Sea Grant network, Behl brings with her an essential foundation to successfully lead Virginia Sea Grant.

Keeping birds away from oysters could help farmers balance productivity and ecology

Adapted from a press release by Old Dominion University | January 22, 2026

A new collaboration between William & Mary and Old Dominion University researchers seeks develop an innovative bird-deterrence system that meets new federal sanitation guidelines for aquaculture farms while minimizing disruption to surrounding wildlife and coastal communities.