Citizen Science for the Win-Win Our December webinar took place on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 from 12-1pm and we discussed citizen science with two of the Bay region’s most far-reaching citizen science programs: the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) and Chesapeake DolphinWatch. During the first half of the webinar, our invited speakers provided an overview of their respective programs. For the second half of the [...]
Environmental Monitoring in the Time of COVID-19 Our first webinar took place on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 from 12-1pm and we discussed Environmental Monitoring in the Time of COVID-19. During the first half of the webinar, our invited speakers provided an overview from federal, state, and citizen perspectives. For the second half of the [...]
Democratizing Science in the Chesapeake Bay Citizen science creates a participatory pathway for the public to engage in the scientific process and data collection. Through our conversations with the community, we’ve learned that the term “citizen science” can be exclusive and wanted to clarify the use of the term in this article. Citizenship, or the [...]
Research in the Time of COVID-19 In the midst of great uncertainty brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Chesapeake Research Consortium’s (CRC) seven member institutions have shown resilience and adaptivity in conducting research, both in maintaining essential research but also in pursuing new and innovative research avenues. While we highlight how members of [...]
Global Impact of Microplastics Microplastics are any type of plastic fragment that is less than 5mm in length. These microscopic particles can be specifically fabricated for products like facial scrubs, or broken down from larger pieces of plastic debris. There has been growing concern from scientists and the public about the impact these microscopic fragments [...]
Shoreline and pier at the Naval Weapons Station Norfolk in Yorktown The Chesapeake Research Consortium is funding the design of a nearshore habitat restoration project on the York River in Virginia. The $40,000 in funding support will enable the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to develop a detailed blueprint and monitoring plan for an [...]
Dutton Institute Help Faculty Transtion to Online Learning Allen Kimel, associate teaching professor of materials science and engineering, successfully transitioned a course that requires group presentations to a dozen outside judges to Zoom with help from learning designers at Penn State. Credit: Penn State The Dutton Institute at Penn State had been working [...]
Study Predicts Heavier Rains for Five Eastern Shore Towns A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland gives a detailed look into how climate change will influence extreme storm rainfall in Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Overall, their findings suggest that by the mid-21st century, a 100-year storm will bring heavier and more intense [...]
Aerial SAV Surveys Support Collaborative Science, Management, and Restoration Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is a vital component in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and worldwide coastal ecosystems. The SAV program, centered at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is world-renowned for its monitoring and restoration projects. Robert “JJ” Orth, program director of the [...]
VIMS Researchers find that Invasive Blue Catfish are Poised to Expand in the Bay A recent study from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) found that blue catfish can tolerate higher salinities than previously thought, meaning this invasive species has the potential to expand into mainstem Chesapeake waters, surrounding tributaries, and even the Delaware [...]
