Virginia Water Center Nationally Recognized for Water Issues
The Virginia Water Resources Research Center, housed at Virginia Tech, was one of 12 institutes to be nationally recognized as “outstanding” by the U.S. Geological Survey. This designation was recently given after a panel of scientists reviewed the center’s progress between 2011 and 2015. In particular, the panel commended the Virginia Water Resources Research Center’s public engagement efforts and commitment to addressing water issues prevalent within the state. The center maintains several outreach activities that share water-related news, legislation, and information to wide audiences. Additionally, the center offers seed grants, internships, and training opportunities that allow students to play a part in solving Virginia’s water-related challenges.
Virginia Beach’s Forests Play a Key Part in Fighting Floods
Credit: Stephen M. Katz
New research from Virginia Tech and the Nature Conservancy in Virginia highlights how forests in Virginia Beach play an important role in fending off stormwater flooding for the city, an article from the Virginian-Pilot reports. The study found that the region’s wetland forests remove large amounts of incoming rainfall each day and release it into the atmosphere by evapotranspiration. Wetland forests encompass 23 percent of the city’s land area but contribute 42 percent of its water removal capacity. According to the study, strategically conserving and expanding these forests could be an instrumental part of the city’s future flood risk reduction plans.
VT Research Contributes to New Insights on Maryland Oyster Aquaculture
In a Chesapeake Bay Foundation commissioned report, researchers from Virginia Tech found significant growth in Maryland oyster aquaculture. The researchers were looking to uncover the effects of the state regulation reforms that began in 2010. They reported that production from aquaculture grew from just 1 percent of the Maryland public harvest in 2012 to 43 percent of the amount publicly harvested in 2018. This shows great promise for the future of oyster aquaculture in Maryland. The report predicts that aquaculture could overtake public harvest as the dominant source of Maryland oysters within the next decade.