The Crest 1

Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceSchool of Marine ScienceCollege of William and MaryP.O. Box 1346Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

CrestVolume 1, No. 2

Summer 1999www.vims.edu

&W MILLIAM ARY

V I M SIRGINIA NSTITUTE OF ARINE CIENCE

S M SCHOOL OF ARINE CIENCE

Current Issues in Coastal Ocean and Estuarine Science

The

Non Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Glou. Point, VA 23062Permit Number 6

This summer VIMS and VirginiaSea Grant will begin to work onculturing and raising several speciesof marine fishes in their new aquac-ulture facility on the GloucesterPoint campus.

The Marine Advisory Program atVIMS has been raising flounder andcobia for two years, and this yearplans to initiate a spawning programthat includes black sea bass andtautog, as well as cobia.

“The long term goal of thespawning program is to reach a point

where the culture facility is com-pletely self-sufficient, and no longerdependant on wild fish for spawningstock,” says Mike Oesterling, Com-mercial Fisheries Specialist with theMarine Advisory Program at VIMS,“Right now we are raising tautoglarvae that were spawned this spring,and we have just added 40-50 blacksea bass for brood stock. We hope toadd fifteen cobia to the three wealready have.”

The newly constructed green-house is a 2,000 square foot structure

with five large fiberglass tanks thatlook like giant hot tubs. The buildingtemperature is regulated with a com-pletely mechanized evaporative cool-ing system that serves as airconditioning without the use of acondenser or freon. Its simple designis dependant on only enough electric-ity to run a water pump, and a fewlarge fans that are dispersed through-out the greenhouse.

Finfish Aquaculture at VIMS

Continued on page 2

How do scientists study thebehavior of marine organisms thatlive inside sponges or test new hy-potheses on metabolism? For Drs.Emmett Duffy and Mark Patterson,Dept. of Biological Sciences, anaquarium is a very good place tostart. In collaboration with VIMSAdjunct Professor, Dr. Walter Adeyof the Smithsonian Institution, Duffyand Patterson have established a 210-gallon, coral-reef research micro-cosm system. Adey is the world’sleading authority on the design andscience of controlled marine micro-cosms. The technology and prin-ciples he pioneered are now appliedin a wide variety of scientific andcommercial enterprises including the500,000 gallon Great Barrier ReefAquarium in Townsville, Australia.The reef system at VIMS will beused for research in several areasrelated to physiology, ecology andbehavior of coral reef organisms.

Duffy’s plans for the systemfocus on understanding the ecologyand behavior of the curious sponge-dwelling shrimp, which he discov-ered several years ago. The shrimp,Synalpheus regalis, live in socialcolonies unique among marine ani-mals but strikingly similar to those ofsocial insects such as ants and honey-bees (see Duffy, J.E. 1996. Nature381:512-514). Because of their smallsize and retiring habits, these shrimpcannot be observed under naturalconditions in the field. The reefaquarium offers a unique opportunityfor extended long-term observationand experimentation under condi-tions approximating those found inthe organism’s natural habitat. Theresearchers will attempt to use medi-cal ultrasound techniques to imagethe shrimp as they go about theirhidden lives inside the sponges.

Patterson’s research will use themicrocosm to investigate how watermotion affects the metabolism (pho-tosynthesis, respiration, and calcifi-cation) of corals and their allies. In1992, Patterson published a paper inScience (vol. 255: 1421-1423) thatproposed a theory for how the geo-metric shape of aquatic organismslike corals, sponges, sea anemones,and algae should affect their metabo-lism. Organism shape affects the

New Research Aquarium System

Dr. Mark Patterson prepares to conduct studies in the new coral reef microcosm systemat VIMS.

pattern of water motion, which inturn affects the thickness of a regionof reduced flow found near everysurface in nature, called the boundarylayer. Thinner boundary layers resultin higher metabolic rates for thesesimple creatures, because dissolvedsubstances like carbon dioxide,oxygen, and other nutrients dissolvedin seawater do not need to “fight”their way in (or out) of the organismby molecular diffusion over a longdistance. Patterson coined the phrase“flow-modulated metabolism” todescribe how the speed of the water,interacting with the shape of theorganism, can directly regulate thesebasic life processes. While the theoryhas been supported by studies in a

Continued on page 3

The Crest2

The CrestVol. 1 No. 2 Summer 1999

Dr. L. Donelson WrightDean and DirectorVirginia Institute of

Marine Science/School ofMarine Science

Editorial BoardDr. Eugene Burreson

Director of Research andAdvisory Services

Dr. William DuPaulAssociate Director for

Advisory Services

Dr. Maurice LynchManager, CBNERRVA

Page HayhurstDirector for Development

Managing EditorWanda W. Cohen

Contributing EditorsDavid NiebuhrApril BahenCBNERRVA

John Olney, Jr.David Rudders

Virginia Sea Grant

Jim Schultz

PhotographsBill JenkinsDiana Taylor

Janet Nestlerode

Art DirectorSusan Stein

Chesapeake BayNational EstuarineResearch Reservein Virginia

a fair Bay Summer 1999Vol. 9, No. 2

Waterfront NewsVol. 6, No. 2

During this year’s General As-sembly session, House Bill -2401was passed and signed into law byGovernor Gilmore. Submitted bychief patron Delegate Harvey Mor-gan with co-patrons, Delegates BobBloxom, Marvin Cox, Jo Ann Davisand Tayloe Murphy, the law estab-lished a Virginia Estuarine andCoastal Research Reserve System.The law was passed “for the purposeof establishing a system of protected

Virginia Creates State Research Reserve System

CBNERRVA relies on volunteers to assist with water qualitymonitoring. Volunteer groups will be used at the new Virginiasystem sites also.

sites representative of the Common-wealth’s estuarine and coastal landsin which research and long-termmonitoring will be conducted insupport of the Commonwealth’scoastal resource managementefforts.”

The law requires the VirginiaInstitute of Marine Science (VIMS)to establish and administer theSystem and to coordinate thissystem, to the extent feasible, withthe National Estuarine ResearchReserve System. The companionstate system can be more closelytailored to Virginia’s research needs.

This new law, which went intoeffect on July 1, 1999, allows VIMSto accept gifts of land or easements;to enter into agreements with federal,state or local agencies; or to enterinto agreements with private propertyowners to include appropriate areaswithin the system. The new systemcan include sites anywhere within theregion defined as Tidewater Virginia,which includes all coastal countiesand cities up to the fall line (Rich-mond, Fredricksburg, and Arlington)

The law also calls for researchand long-term monitoring in supportof the Commonwealth’s coastalresource management efforts and

requires VIMS toconsult and seek theadvice of those agen-cies responsible foradministering theVirginia CoastalProgram. It also callsfor the dedication ofsystem sites into theCommonwealth’snatural areas preservesystem.

Sites currentlybeing considered areOak Island in theGuinea Marshes,Fishbone Island inChesapeake Baynorth of Tangier, anda wetland in thePagan River. Theseareas were previouslydonated to VIMS forresearch.

As the VirginiaEstuarine and CoastalResearch Reservetakes shape, researchand monitoring activi-ties at the new sitesshould begin to allow theCommonwealth’s coastal scientistsand managers to track long-termresource and habitat responses to

A 7,500 gallon tank will hold thebroodstock cobia, while a 5,800gallon tank has been built to hold theblack sea bass brood stock. After thefish have been conditioned for breed-ing, they will be placed in the smaller1,200 gallon tanks where they will beinduced to spawn. Eventually, these1,200 gallon tanks will hold thejuveniles throughout the entire grow-out phase.

“It hasn’t been documented, but Iexpect the grow-out time for theblack sea bass to be somewhere inthe neighborhood of 15-18 months,”says Oesterling, “and these fish aregoing to be in the 1 to 1½ poundrange. We are hoping that theaquacultured sea bass will be wellsuited for the Asian live fish market,as well as domestic specialtymarkets.”

Oesterling went on to explainthat the live fish market is important

to the future of the mariculture indus-try (especially finfish) because thecost of holding and feeding these fishfor over a year can be expensive, anda new aquaculture business will only

Finfish Aquaculture at VIMScontinued from page 1

be profitable if the sea bass receivesthe highest market price possible.Hopefully, by January 2001, we willsee if these fish are ready tomake the trip to the market.

Tanks in the new finfish aquaculture facility.

The Garden Club of America(GCA) recently selected VIMS toadminister a new student scholarshipin Coastal Wetlands Studies. TheGCA created the annual scholarshipaward to encourage sound scientificknowledge of coastal wetlands.Students are required to submit

VIMS To Administer Student Scholarship forThe Garden Club of America

wetlands research proposals to beconsidered for the $5,000.00 annualscholarship. Their work may beconducted at any leading educationalinstitution within the U.S. that spe-cializes in Wetlands studies. “Thisrepresents a significant commitmentfrom the Garden Club of America

and an excellent opportunity forstudents interested in wetlands sci-ence,” said Dr. Carl Hershner, Headof the Center for Coastal ResourcesManagement at VIMS. The firstaward will be presented in the springof 2000.

This work is the result of research supported inpart by NOAA Office of Sea Grant, U.S. Depart-ment of Commerce, under grant No. NA56RG-0141 to the Virginia Graduate Marine ScienceConsortium and the Virginia Sea Grant CollegeProgram.

watershed activitiesthroughout Virginia’sestuarine and coastal areas.

The Crest 3

James Schultz

Sometimes it’s better to let sleep-ing sediments lie. At least, that maybe the case in the heavily traffickedElizabeth River. The Elizabeth, siteof continuous maritime activity forthe last 300 years, has been espe-cially vulnerable to accidental releaseof fossil fuels and petroleum

byproducts, including the woodpreservative creosote.

Scientists had once hoped thatthe flow of toxins and heavy metalsinto the river would be interredwithin bottom-hugging silts andmuds. According to ongoing VIMSresearch, however, contaminants areregularly stirred up in well traveled

channels. Pollutants are thus able toinfiltrate the water column and affectmarine and plant life. Humans arealso at risk if they consume taintedorganisms.

“One of the main things we’vediscovered is that in channel areasthe sediment continues to be wellmixed,” says Dr. Rebecca Dickhut,VIMS Associate Professor of MarineScience in the Dept. of PhysicalSciences. “That’s not surprisingbecause of all the large transportactivity and dredging. It’s a verybusy harbor.”

“It would be nice if the sedi-ments laid down neatly and cleanly.The problem is that estuaries are verydynamic. Because both the sedi-ments and the contaminants areforced into the water column by shiptraffic and biological activity, animaland plant exposure to sediments islong and continuous.”

Dickhut is one of a team ofVIMS scientists investigating theways contaminant-containing sedi-ments move within the ElizabethRiver system. The project is part ofthe Chesapeake Bay EnvironmentalEffects Studies Toxic Research Pro-gram funded by the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration(NOAA).

Within the river are hot spots,regions where pollutants are concen-trated. Of particular concern is theextent and accumulation of polycy-clic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.Thought to be highly carcinogenic,PAHs result from the incompletecombustion of fossil fuels and arealso a component of coal and petro-leum products.

Pollution-Laden Sediments In Constant FluxDickhut and her colleagues have

recently focused on an area known asSkuffletown Creek, an offshoot ofthe Southern Branch of the ElizabethRiver. The U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers intends to environmentallyrestore, or bioremediate, this area.Project scientists have conducted 24-hour baseline sampling over tidalcycles and at different times of yearto chart current speeds and sedimentmovement into the water column.

“The idea is to try to determinewhat processes move these contami-nant particles around in the estuar-ies,” Dickhut explains. “A lot of thecontaminants are particle-reactive—they attach themselves to sediments.If the Corps dredges out Skuffletown,they’re naturally concerned that thecreek will just fill in again withcontaminated sediments from themain river.”

A VIMS team is conducting asimilar investigation on the YorkRiver. Supported by the Office ofNaval Research, the York River studybegan in January 1999 and is slatedto run for three years. Through thiswork, Dickhut and her team hope togain a more precise understanding ofcontaminant transport and sedimentmixing in the upper three feet ofsediment.

Complete results from bothstudies will be made available once adetailed chemical analysis of allcollected data is conducted. In thecase of the Elizabeth River project,initial findings should be announcedby mid-2000. You may find moreinformation on this work on theVIMS web site at: www.vims.edu/physical/ongoing projects/Elizabeth River

Sediment sampling for contaminant transport on the Elizabeth River.

Chesapeake Bay National Estua-rine Research Reserve (CBNERRVA)education coordinator, Dr. DavidNiebuhr recently returned from a tripto Hainan, China where he helped tolead an environmental educationtraining workshop. The purpose ofthe workshop was to provide trainingfor Chinese coastal and estuarineresource managers in integratedcoastal management, specificallyplanning for public education, out-reach and ecotourism. The workshopwas part of continuing efforts tostrengthen working relationshipsamong US and Chinese marine re-serve managers, especially among thethree “partner reserves” establishedunder the US-China Science andTechnology Agreement. CBNERR isa partner with the TianjinPaleocoastal and Estuarine WetlandReserve in Tianjin, China.

The decision to hold a MarineReserve Management Workshopgrew out of the first meeting theIntegrated Coastal Management(ICM) Panel, held in Beijing inSeptember 1998. The ICM Panelincludes six-member teams from the

Reserve Educator Leads US-ChinaEnvironmental Education Workshop

The Craig L. Smith MemorialEducational Scholarship Endowmentwhich was formally established inMarch 1999 has reached $11,800.00toward a goal of $25,000. The schol-arship will be awarded to provideassistance for an academically distin-guished graduate student with dem-onstrated financial need. For moreinformation, contact the Office ofDevelopment at (804) 684-7099.

Craig SmithScholarshipEndowment

limited number of invertebratespecies, and algae, Patterson willconduct more extensive experimentsusing plants and animals maintainedin the microcosm. Patterson alsoplans to collaborate with a Frenchscientist, Dr. Eric Basillais, a biologi-cal engineer who has extended

US and China, consisting of coastaland marine management experts fromboth the national and provincial(state) levels. A training program forselected Chinese coastal specialistsand marine protected area managersin the principles of integrated coastalmanagement was identified as a highpriority for the ICM Panel. Subse-quent discussions further identifiedecotourism and education as conceptsof particular interest to the Chineseside of the panel.

Dr. Niebuhr was selected to leadthe education portion of this projectby the National Ocean Service (NOS)of the National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration (NOAA).

The workshop was held inHainan Province which includesHainan Island (China’s second larg-est island) and the South China Seaislands. The marine waters of theprovince stretch about 1,800 kmnorth and south and over 900 km eastand west. Hainan is being developedas a tropical beach resort and tourismarea, and is locally nicknamed “Ha-waii of the East.” Marine resourcemanagement officials are concerned

about protecting the healthy coralreef resources while increasing theeconomic prospects for the area.

The ICM agreement encouragesour two countries to share, teach andlearn strategies for effective coastalmanagement, through workshops,exchanges and joint projects.Dr. Zhang Jinguo, senior engineer,Tianjin Oceanic Administration,which is responsible for the TianjinPaleocoastal and Estuarine WetlandReserve, spent the monthof June at VIMS withthe staff of CBNERRVA.

Patterson’s theory by incorporatingthe theory of fractal geometry to ananalysis of the flow-modulatedmetabolism.

Ph.D. students Tripp Macdonaldand Ruben Rios are also involved inthe project, which will contribute totheir dissertation research.

New Research Aquarium Systemcontinued from page 1

The Crest4

David Rudders

In 1998, the New England Fish-ery Management Council approvedthe closure of two areas off the mid-Atlantic coast to the harvest of seascallops. The two areas totalingroughly 1,900 square miles arelocated (1) south of Hudson Canyonoff the New Jersey/Delaware coast,and (2) off of Virginia Beach, VA.These areas were selected due to the

high concentration of juvenile scal-lops observed by the annual seascallop survey conducted by theNational Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS).

Fishery managers and scientistsare currently concerned with thesmall size at which sea scallops arebeing harvested. The closure of themid-Atlantic areas addresses thisissue by protecting smaller scallops

Survey of Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop Closed Areas Setfor Summer 1999

from harvest until they grow to alarger size. By delaying the captureof scallops in the closed areas, gainsin both yield and reproductive poten-tial can be realized.

The detection of large numbersof juvenile scallops can provide thebasis for an area closure, yet long-term continued monitoring of theresource is necessary in order tomake correct decisions regarding thetiming of re-opening. Periodic sur-veys to assess the status of theresource within the closed areasprovides information regarding stockbiomass and allows managers toestablish catch limits once the areasare slated to re-open.

In the spirit of the experimentalfishery that took place on GeorgesBank during the summer of 1998, themid-Atlantic survey will again fea-ture a cooperative effort between thesea scallop industry, academia, andthe federal government. The surveyis being led by VIMS Professor Dr.William DuPaul in close conjunctionwith the NMFS Northeast FisheriesScience Center in Woods Hole, MA.

The major goal of the project isto conduct a systematic survey of thesea scallop resource in the closedareas using two commercial seascallop dredge vessels. The surveywill consist of the sampling ofroughly 400 pre-determined stationswith unmodified commercial seascallop dredges to quantify scallopdistribution and size composition.The bycatch of finfish and non-target

invertebrate species will also bequantified. Comparisons of perfor-mances between the commercialscallop dredge relative to the NMFSsurvey dredge will be made. TheNMFS survey vessel, R/V Albatross,will conduct its annual survey con-sisting of stations within the closedareas in the same time frame as thecommercial survey so a comparisoncan be made. Additional experi-ments attempting to determinedredge efficiency will also be con-ducted. Understanding dredgeefficiency is vital in order to cor-rectly estimate scallop biomass in theclosed area. In addition, the environ-mental impacts of scallop dredgesalso will be examined.

The summer of 1999 has thepotential to be an eventful one in theevolving management of the Atlanticsea scallop. Scallop managers arecurrently exploring measures toutilize rotational closures as a man-agement strategy of the future. Thisstrategy has the potential to increasethe size of scallops landed, and tobroaden the age distribution of thesea scallop population. The successof the mid-Atlantic survey is signifi-cant in that it could provide informa-tion in support of a rotational areamanagement strategy. The continua-tion of resource surveys involvingindustry, academia, and the federalgovernment can only help tostrengthen the cooperative spirit thatis necessary to tacklecomplex fishery problems.

In June, twenty-six teachers andpreservice science education studentsfrom the mid-Atlantic region tookpart in an oceanography course atVIMS and Kitty Hawk, NC. The“Operation Pathfinder” program, oneof six offered nationwide, was sup-ported by the National Ocean Part-nership Program and Sea Grant. Thecourse was designed to help teachersincorporate marine science conceptsand local coastal issues into theirclassroom programs. Activities atVIMS included field, lab and class-room work conducted by VIMS

scientists and marine educators.Topics included shoreline processes,tides, oyster reef ecology, underwaterresearch, salt marshes, and blue crabbiology.

The final week took place inKitty Hawk where the group studiedbeach erosion and had a first-handlook at the relocation of the CapeHatteras lighthouse. In addition, theyinvestigated inlets and sounds fromsmall aircraft and kayaks, and partici-pated in a two-day computer tech-nology workshop.

Pathfinders Course

Since 1997, when fish kills inthree Maryland rivers were linked toPfiesteria piscicida, VIMS scientistshave devoted a great deal of effort tolearning more about the microorgan-ism. With support from both stateand federal sources, VIMS hasfocused multidisciplinary programson all aspects of Pfiesteria. In addi-tion to the long-term finfish monitor-ing program, ongoing work includesthe development of molecular diag-nostics, Pfiesteria Like Organisms(PLO’s) culture, scanning electronmicroscopy identification, fish pa-

Pfiesteria Updatesays. Vogelbein’s current researchdemonstrates that a pathogenic andhighly invasive fungus calledAphanomyces is consistently found inthe lesions and is considered to bethe causative agent. “If Pfiesteria isplaying a role, it’s playing a veryearly role. It may be an initial event,a sub-lethal exposure that provides aport of entry for the fungus.”Vogelbein feels it is difficult to pin-point the source of infection, fungalor not, simply by finding diseasedfish in a given river or cove. By thetime lesions are noted, they are oneor two weeks old; adequate time for

thology and lab challenge studies.Researchers are also involved in anecological study in the GreatWicomico River to understand therelationship between PLO’s,fish lesions and environmentalparameters.

Dr. Wolfgang Vogelbein, head ofthe VIMS Aquatic Animal DiseaseDiagnostic Lab, has extensivelyexamined scores of fish with lesionsduring 1997 and 1998. “Most peopleassociate fish lesions or sores withPfiesteria, but lesions can be presentfor a number of other reasons,” he

the fish to have swum dozens if nothundreds of miles.

“While there are still many unan-swered questions, scientists are muchbetter prepared to deal with the issuethan they were in 1997,” says Dr.Gene Burreson, Director of Researchand Advisory Service. Today, VIMShas a facility for culturing toxicorganisms, the ability to identify thePLO’s and perform necessary toxic-ity testing. “With this capability thestate does not have to rely on outsidelaboratories for work as it did in1997.”

VIMS scientists taking samples to culture PLO�s from surface sediments in the GreatWicomico River.

1 - 100

101 - 1000

1001 - 10,000

EasternGeorges BankClosed Area II

South ChannelClosed Area I

Nantucket LightshipClosed Area III

Hudson CanyonClosed Area

Virginia BeachClosed Area

NortheastNational Marine Fisheries Service

Fisheries Science CenterScallop Survey, 1998

Number/Tow

The Crest 5

James Schultz

Population density is on the risewithin the Chesapeake Bay water-shed. With development comespollution, runoff, deforestation andhabitat reduction that can seriouslyimpact coastal ecosystems. There isnow help for local decision-makerswho must weigh difficult trade-offsbetween human habitation and envi-ronmental protection.

VIMS Professor of MarineScience, Dept. of Biological Sci-ences, Dr. Richard Wetzel and col-league Dr. Ting Dai have developed acomputer program that can simulateand predict the effects of populationgrowth, pollution and nutrient dis-charge into the Bay’s rivers andstreams. Their creation, BasinSim1.0, is a user-friendly Windowsinterface that links with sophisticateddatabases containing updated infor-mation on climate, land use, regionalpopulation, soil type, water volumeand quality, and non-point-sourcedischarges.

Co-designer Wetzel says that thesoftware is a new kind of computertool that will enable managers todevise methods of reducing highlevels of sediment, nitrogen andphosphorus that flow into waterways.Lower amounts of those substancesshould boost Bay health by increas-ing dissolved oxygen, promotingplant growth and fostering healthymarine life.

“The beauty of this model is thatit uses real data,” Wetzel points out.“Land-use managers can play ‘what-if’ scenarios. You can look at theeffects of increased populationgrowth or changes in land use on theestuary. You can predict the effectsof runoff and what happens whensediments or nutrients end up in thewater. It’s a fairly sophisticatednumerical model.”

Developed over three years,BasinSim will work on any Win-dows-based desktop computer. Be-fore running a given simulation, theprogram automatically checks andincorporates three primary user-

defined input files — including suchfactors as sediment amounts, erosionrates, nutrient levels and currentweather — plus seven optional,advanced-features files. Once thesimulation concludes, the user cansave the results for later analysis. Inits present form, BasinSim has someconnectivity to the Internet, but reliesmostly on archived informationsupplied by such federal and localagencies as the U.S. GeologicalService, the Environmental Protec-tion Agency, local Soil ConservationDistricts and gauge stations on arearivers and streams.

Current plans call for BasinSimto be introduced to local and regionalplanners in mid-summer throughhands-on seminars at VIMS’Gloucester Point campus. User sug-gestions for improvements to this“beta” model will be subsequentlyadopted and a modified final versionproduced no later than this comingDecember 1999. BasinSim will thenbe distributed free of charge to envi-ronmental managers.

Planners throughout Virginia willeventually be able to use BasinSimto model tributaries and small coastalbasins in all parts of the state. Futureversions should be available fordownloading directly over the Inter-net, at a website which will be hostedby the Chesapeake Bay Local Assis-tance Department (CBLAD). “We areexcited about this project since ithelps CBLAD provide state-of-the-art technical assistance to Tidewaterlocal governments who implementthe Chesapeake Bay Preservation Actthrough land use planning that pro-tects water quality,” said MichaelClower, director of CBLAD.

“Knowledge is power. What cancome out of models like this is theability to minimize the impact onliving resources like animals, plants,finfish and shellfish,” Wetzel asserts.“What’s exciting to me about thisproject is that it’s something that willhave a widespread, common use. Wethink it will be greatly beneficial.”

New Computer Program Helps Planners Balance Growth,Protection

Dr. Richard Wetzel will conduct courses for research managers to incorporate themodelling.

Oyster Reef TankDr. William J. Hargis, Jr., former

Dean and Director of VIMS, hasprovided support to develop a livingoyster reef tank in the VIMS’aquarium. The support was given inmemory of Dr. Donald Pritchard andDr. Eugene Cronin. In the late 1960s,their increased awareness of prob-lems within the Chesapeake Bay ledCronin, Pritchard, and Hargis toestablish the Chesapeake BayCouncil.

The purpose of this council wasto initiate collaborative researchefforts among Maryland and Virginiascientists. As a result of their work,the Council was asked by theNational Science Foundation to“examine the research needs of theBay.” Their report led to the creationof the Chesapeake Research Consor-tium, which is still active today.

Each year the Office of CoastalResource Management of NOAAselects two fellows to conduct re-search at each of the National Estua-rine Research Reserves in the UnitedStates. This year’s fellows at Chesa-peake Bay National EstuarineResearch Reserve in Virginia(CBNERRVA) are Ph.D. studentsJanet Nestlerode and Scott Neubauerfrom the Dept. of BiologicalSciences.

Neubauer, a second yearCBNERRVA fellow, is focusing ontidal freshwater marsh carbon cyclingat Sweet Hall Marsh, one of theCBNERRVA sites. Carbon is one ofthe nutrients that is necessary for lifeand is essential in the photosynthesis/

CBNERRVA Research Fellows Chosen For the 1999 Year

Scott Neubauer at research site in SweetHall Marsh.

respiration cycle of plants. Scott andfellow researchers are examining twoquestions: What are the sources ofcarbon to this tidal freshwater marsh?What ultimately happens to thiscarbon?

Neubauer and his team created aprocess-based carbon mass balancemodel to determine plant materialexported from the marsh to adjacenttidal waters. This model comparesplant photosynthesis, respiration, andthe rates of sedimentation within themarsh and marsh burial by incomingsediments.

From the data collected,Neubauer calculated that plant respi-ration exceeded plant photosynthesisat Sweet Hall Marsh. When a plantphotosynthesizes, it fixes carbondioxide from the air into glucose.Then during respiration it uses theglucose to produce energy. If thiscarbon is used in respiration and notreplaced, a plant could stop its pro-duction of energy and eventually die.If the entire marsh was doing this, itwould suggest that the marsh isshrinking. However, he found in thesedimentation data that the amount ofcarbon entering the marsh in im-ported sediment was offsetting therespiration deficit. Data suggest tidalmarshes could be less importantsources of organic matter than wasonce thought. The research willcontinue through this summer.

Nestlerode beganher research in July.She will focus oncharacterizing andquantifying thebenthic (bottomsurface-dwelling)community at a man-made oyster reef offthe Goodwin Islands.In the spring of 1995,the Virginia MarineResources Commis-sion (VMRC) andAmoco Oil Refineryinstalled an oyster reef. Due to ashortage of oyster shells, 30,000bushels of shucked clam shell wereused to construct the reef. The col-lected data will be used to determinesecondary production of the benthic

macrofauna (animals large enough tobe seen with the naked eye) associ-ated with the constructed reef and tobegin charting the movement ofenergy of the reef inrelation to adjacent habitats.

Janet Nestlerode on-site at man-made oyster reef.

The Crest6

There is good news for commer-cial fishermen in Virginia. This year,the General Assembly has approvedthe allocation of $300,000 in grantmoney to establish the CommercialFishery Resource Grant Program(CFRGP) in Virginia. Already wellreceived in North Carolina andfunded at a level exceeding$900,000, the CFRGP financesresearch proposals submitted bycommercial fishermen to “protectand enhance the state’s coastal fish-ery resources.”

What this means for Virginia isthat fishermen with innovative ideasfor improving fishing gear, eliminat-ing bycatch, developing new markets,or improving Virginia’s seafoodindustry, can receive financial sup-port from the General Assembly fortheir ideas. A similar project hasdone extremely well in North Caro-lina and has funded projects such asPound Net Bycatch Reductionthrough Escape Panels; Gear Devel-opment for the Live Flounder Mar-ket; TED Development for SmallTrawls; and HACCP Program Assis-tance for Small Seafood Processorsand Dealers, among others. Thebasic principle of the program is that

people in the industry often haveexcellent ideas for enhancing andprotecting fisheries, but they lack thefinancial resources to experimentwith innovations.

The grant money will be avail-able on a competitive basis to allpersons actively involved in a fishingindustry. Individuals not directlyinvolved with a fishing industry maybe eligible if their projects havewritten endorsements from organiza-tions representing fishing industries.

All proposals will be reviewedby a panel of seven members. Fivemembers shall be appointed fromnominations made by variouswatermen’s associations in Virginia,one member will be appointed by theCommissioner of the Marine Re-sources Commission, and one mem-ber shall be appointed by theDirector of the Virginia Institute ofMarine Science. Based on panelreviews and Advisory Board input,proposals will be recommended tothe Virginia Graduate Marine Sci-ence Consortium. The Consortiumwill make all final decisions ongrants, including the level of fundingfor each project.

A list of potential research areashas been developed and approved bythe CFRGP Advisory Board. Thoughthis is not intended to be an all inclu-sive list, it is provided to give sug-gestions about the types of programsthat could be appropriate for propos-als to the CFRGP. There are certainlymany more research areas that couldqualify as appropriate. Approvedresearch areas include: 1) new fisher-ies equipment or gear, 2) environ-mental pilot studies, including waterquality and fisheries habitat, 3) aqua-culture or mariculture of marine-dependant species, and 4) seafoodtechnology.

Though the dates have yet to beannounced, several grant writingworkshops are going to be madeavailable to the public to betterexplain the grant program, the eligi-bility and funding priorities, how tocomplete the application form, andwhere to go for more help in devel-oping the grant package. Dates andregistration information will beannounced in the near future.

If you would like more informa-tion, please contact Bill Rickards,

Virginia Sea Grant to Administer Commercial FisheryResource Program

Director, VGMSC, at (804)924-5965,or Bill DuPaul, Sea Grant MarineAdvisory Program,VIMS, at (804)684-7163.

The season for sea turtles in theChesapeake Bay and its tributaries ishere again and VIMS scientists urgeanyone who finds a stranded seaturtle to call (804) 684-7313. “Weneed your help,” says Soraya Moein-Bartol of VIMS, “we can’t continuecollecting this valuable data withouthelp from our local residents, visitorsand fishermen. All information isimportant to us and helps us learnmore about these marine animals.”VIMS scientists have been collectingdata on sea turtles in Virginia watersfor 19 years and respond to anystranded sea turtle (alive or dead)found north of the James River.

Up to 10,000 loggerhead seaturtles are in the Bay during thesummer. Turtles start to arrive in theBay when the water temperatureapproaches 66° F, and migrate out ofthe Bay to wintering grounds off the

Florida coast when temperatures dropto around 60 degrees F. ChesapeakeBay provides summer feedinggrounds for both adult and juvenileloggerheads. Kemp’s ridleys are thesecond most abundant sea turtle inthe Bay. Kemp’s are the most endan-gered of all sea turtles. They usuallybecome stranded during their migra-tion into and out of the Bay. Ridleysforage in the shallow waters aroundthe margins of the Bay while logger-heads most often utilize deeper waternear channels. Green and leather-back turtles have on occasion beenfound in Bay waters.

If you see a stranded sea turtleanywhere north of the James River,please contact: VIMS at (804) 684-7313. This number is checked fre-quently during the day and afterhours.

VIMS Stranded Sea TurtleProgram Underway

Loggerheads are the most abundant sea turtle in the Chesapeake Bay.

Second Master OysterGardeners Course

Oyster gardening has become amajor hobby all over the ChesapeakeBay with more than 1,000 now par-ticipating. In response to this over-whelming interest, the second classof Master Oyster Gardeners com-pleted their course at VIMS in earlyJuly. Developed in collaboration withthe Tidewater Oyster GardeningAssociation (TOGA) and the SeaGrant Marine Advisory Program, thecourse focused on the oyster’s lifecycle, disease and predator control,water quality issues, grow-out tech-niques and permitting requirements.Scientists from VIMS and variousstate agencies taught the four day

course. In addition to classroomactivities, participants spent a fullday working in the VIMS hatchery,visited the Piankatank River oysterreefs and the Middle PeninsulaAquaculture Hatchery. To be eligibleto become a Master Oyster Gardener,participants must have been garden-ing for at least a year and agree toserve as a resource for other garden-ers in their area. The Master Garden-ing course was developed to educatea network of gardeners to comple-ment ongoing efforts to conserve thenative Chesapeake Bayoyster stock.

Dr. Stan Allen with master oyster gardeners in the Gloucester Point Hatchery.

As of now, the applicationshall include but not be limitedto the following:1. Name and address of the

primary applicant;2. List of the licenses issued to

the applicant by the state ofVirginia;

3. A description of the project;4. A detailed statement of the

projected costs of theproject including the cost toplan and design the project;

5. An explanation of how theproject will enhance thefishery resource;

6. List of names and addressesof any other persons whowill participate in theproject; and

7. Any other informationnecessary to make arecommendation on theapplication.

The Crest 7

April Bahen

While Giancarlo Cicchetti, arecent CBNERRVA fellow, wascompleting dissertation work in thenearshore habitats of the GoodwinIslands, he noticed that quite a num-ber of juvenile summer flounderwere frequenting his research areas.Summer flounder is an economicallyimportant fish in Virginia and in theBay. Cicchetti, with CBNERRVAResearch Coordinator Dr. WilliamReay, designed a quantitative surveyof juvenile summer flounder use inunvegetated nearshore sandy-bottomand mud habitats around GoodwinIslands. There is not a large volumeof literature available on these habi-tats and the nekton they support. Thestudy included examining whenflounder were using the areas, howmany of them were present duringthe recruitment period, and what foodsource was attracting them to thehabitats.

Summer flounder begin their lifein a planktonic stage. When theymetamorphose into their more famil-iar form, they move to the bottomand many look to these shallow areasfor protection and food. Once theyleave the shallow waters, they swimout to deeper water, many times atthe edge of deeper channels.

Recruitment of juvenile flounderinto the unvegetated shallow waterhabitats begins in March. The youngfish utilize these habitats through

June with very few remaining in theareas by July. Flounder are a rapidlygrowing fish. Therefore, by the timethey leave the shallow water andswim out to deeper areas, they aretypically about 6.0 cms in length.

At this point, there does not seemto be a large difference in the numberof flounder using the sand vs. mudbottom environments. The fish werefound to be feeding primarily on aplentiful benthic worm, Spionids, inthese nearshore habitats. When thequantification of benthic infauna iscompleted, a profile can be com-pleted on summer flounder use ofnearshore sand and mud habitatsduring the juvenile phase of theirexistence.

Seemingly Barren Habitat Proves Vital for EconomicallyImportant Virginia Fish

Field work on the juvenile flounder research project.

James Schultz

Pouring from mountainousuplands into rivers and bays is avoluminous collection of eroded soiland rock, cataloged in non-erasablelayers of silts, muds and liquifiedsoils. For Dr. Steven Kuehl, VIMSProfessor of Geological Oceanogra-phy and Chair of the Dept. of Physi-cal Sciences, such coastal sedimentstell a complex tale of human use,natural development and climatechange.

In research extending over twodecades, Kuehl has made a conti-nents-spanning career studyingwhere these sediments accumulateand how they affect near-coast anddeeper-ocean transport of pollutantsand toxic materials. With accelerat-ing concerns about human influenceon global climate and possible, long-term rise in planetary temperature,coastal-sediments research has ac-quired singular relevance. Becausecoastal sediments set down an un-blinking record of the history of landand water, they reveal past events invivid geochemical detail.

“Clues about past environmentsare locked up in ancient rocks,”Kuehl explains. “Understand whatphysical, chemical and biologicalprocesses form the rocks, and whathappens to them once they turn tosoil or silt and you have an idea ofthe past. Using the past as analogue,

you can begin to understand thepresent.”

Working in the Chesapeake Bay,Kuehl and his students have discov-ered that contaminant laden sedi-ments have long residual times in the

environment becauseof frequent bottomresuspension.

“The hope wasthat contaminantswould eventuallybury themselves inthe sediments at alevel where they’renot taken up,” Kuehlsays. “Unfortunately,from the studieswe’ve done, thosesubstances are con-tinually recycled upinto the water col-umn and affect plantand animal life.We’ve calculated thatthis stuff could hangaround for centuriesbefore it’s removedfrom the water.”

Kuehl is cur-rently working on atwo-year project tounderstand the pastand present of theGanges-Brahmaputrariver system in Indiaand Bangledesh, inparticular the archi-

tecture of its underwater delta. Assuspended sediments settle out justbeyond the mouths of large rivers,they assume a unique shape knownas a clinoform. More precise under-

Coastal Sediments Offer Clues to Climate Change, Pollutionstanding of the geometry and trans-port of river sediments should aid inefforts to improve water quality inone of the most flood-prone areas inthe world.

A better understanding of thestructure and dynamics of coastalsediments may, in the long run, alsoprovide more accurate prediction ofclimate change. Although manybelieve that human-generated, green-house-gas emissions are driving aplanetary warmup, it may be thatsuch gases have delayed an expectedand overdue planetary glaciation.Nevertheless, a major unansweredquestion concerns the ultimate fate ofcarbon, one of the biggest contribu-tors to global warming.

It is here, Kuehl points out, thatthere is plenty of opportunity forfurther study. Researchers are onlybeginning to understand the complexprocesses that drive the accumulationand cycling of carbon in coastalenvironments.

“There’s a lot of dissolved car-bon in the oceans — about 60 timesmore than we have in the atmo-sphere,” he explains. “We’re tryingto understand the role of carbondioxide in climate change. In order todo that, we have to understand howcarbon separates into its variouscomponents. The whole picture ispretty complicated and we franklydon’t understand it completely.”

Dr. Steve Kuehl and MS student David Heroy sampling forcesium and lead 210 on the Ganges-Brahmaputra floodplane in Bangladesh.

Two students in the Dept. ofFisheries Science recently receivedawards at national conferences. BrettFalterman received the ManuelCaboz Award for the best studentabstract submitted prior to the con-ference. The award provided fullexpenses to the 50th Annual TunaConference in California whereFalterman presented his paper en-titled “Population Structure of the

Fisheries Science Students Receive AwardsBlack Marlin, Makaira nigricans,Inferred from Analysis of Nuclearand Mitochondrial Molecular Mark-ers.” Falterman is the third VIMSstudent to receive this award in thepast ten years.

Meredith Bostrom was winnerof the Storer Poster award at theannual meeting of the AmericanSociety of Ichthyologists and Herpe-tologist. Bostrom's poster entitled

“An Investigation of PossibleHybridization between the Coney,Cephalopholis fulva, and the Creole,Paranthias furcifer” is based on herdissertation research. The meetingwhich was attended by approxi-mately 1,000 members was held atthe University of Pennsylvania inJune, 1999.

The Crest8

Calendar of Events�August�

14 �Shark and Man: Roll Reversal - The Plight of an Ancient Beastin a Modern World� presented by Dr. Jack Musick. 2pm, Nauticus

23-24 Orientation for New StudentsSchool of Marine Science

�September�13 Seafood Seminar: VIMS15-17 Wetlands Education Workshop: VIMS15 Mini-School of Marine Science: Mariners� Museum16 VIMS Council Meeting21 Seafood Seminar: VIMS22 Mini-School of Marine Science: Mariners� Museum27 Seafood Seminar: VIMS29 Mini-School of Marine Science: Mariners� Museum

The Crest

The winning team from the BlueCrab Bowl, regional competition forthe National Ocean Sciences Bowl,came back to VIMS in June for aresearch cruise aboard the R/V BayEagle. The three students and twocoaches from Lord Botetourt HighSchool in western Virginia wereaccompanied by a secondary schoolsupervisor from Botetourt County.The team participated in a sharkresearch cruise to capture, measure,tag and release sandbar sharks. Dur-ing the cruise, VIMS scientists were

testing the use of side-scan sonar todetermine if small sharks producedistinct, recognizable sonar signals.With this information, scientistscould gain a better understanding ofwhether concentrations of juvenilesandbar sharks are random aggrega-tions or organized schools and esti-mate how many of the juvenilesfrequent an area.

The Lord Botetourt studentsassisted in preparing and recoveringthe long-lines andlogging data.

Blue Crab Bowl Winners

BCB team member assists Ph.D. student Dean Grubbs with shark survey.

On September 11th, an oysterfloat construction workshop will beheld at the VIMS oyster hatchery atGloucester Point. This hands-oncourse will be conducted by TOGAand will give the participants instruc-tion on how to begin their own oystergarden. Each participant will havethe opportunity to build their ownTaylor float for off- bottom culture.Oyster seed will be provided so thatparticipants can begin their owngrowing operation. All of the con-

Oyster Float ConstructionWorkshop

struction materials necessary to buildthe float will be provided. There isno registration fee for the event, butthe participant will be responsible forpaying for the materials that are usedin their float construction.

For more information on thisevent or on becoming a TidewaterOyster Gardening member, pleasecontact TOGA presidentJackie Partin at(804) 694-4407.

Virginia�s Oyster ReefTeaching Experience

In July, Virginia middle and highschool teachers had the opportunity toparticipate in hands-on workshopsdescribing oyster reefs and theirecological role in the Bay. The twofield and laboratory workshops weresponsored by VIMS, Virginia SeaGrant, Virginia’s EnvironmentalEndowment and the Chesapeake BayRestoration Fund Advisory Commit-tee. Teachers from Hampton Roads,Virginia Beach, Yorktown, New Kent,Charlottesville, and northern Virginiaattended one or both of the one-dayworkshops that provided teachingresources and scientific content tosupport teaching Virginia Standardsof Learning (SOL’s) in life science,biology, ecology, marine science and

earth science. VIMS fisheries scien-tists and marine educators presentedboth workshops. Classroom andlaboratory instruction provided anoverview of the history of the Bay’soyster reefs, oyster biology and waterquality relationships. Field activitiesin the Piankatank River demonstratedreef physical habitat structure, reefcommunity trophic relationships, andconnections with local water quality.Participants working in researchteams collected and analyzed dataand applied the information to makeoyster reef restoration site selectionrecommendations. For more on thisprogram visit the web site at:www.vims.edu/fish/oyreef/vortex/html

�October�6 Mini-School of Marine Science: Mariners� Museum10 Garden Club's Program, 2 pm, VIMS auditorium13 Mini-School of Marine Science: Mariners� Museum23 Teacher Workshop23 Homecoming : Tours BayScapes Coastal Habitat and

Teaching marsh27 Seafood Seminar: VIMS27 York River Watershed Conference28-31 William and Mary Homecoming

Support research and educa-tion with a gift to VIMS. All giftshelp generate new knowledge incoastal marine science. In additionto outright gifts, other types ofcharitable donations help VIMSand may have tax benefits for thedonor. Please contact the Directorof Development at (804) 684-7099for more information.

Support VIMS