The Crest 1

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

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Crest Current Issues in Coastal Ocean and Estuarine Science

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Glou. Point, VA 23062Permit Number 6

NMFS Faculty Position Established at VIMSThe National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS) announced thatVIMS and Hampton University (HU)are now part of its Cooperative MarineEducation and Research (CMER)Program. This innovative partnershipprovides universities a senior levelNMFS scientist to serve as a full-timevisiting professor. Through NMFSsupport, the scientist will teach classesat VIMS and Hampton University,mentor students and serve as a liaisonwith NMFS and other federal pro-grams. This is the first time that twoschools have been involved in theCMER program. Other universities, inthe program are University of Rhode

Island, University of Massachusettsand Rutgers. U.S. Senators Robb andWarner along with U.S. Representa-tives Bateman, Pickett, Sisisky, andScott secured funding for the programthis spring. The search for a full timeCMER professor is underway. NMFS

will provide a pool of potentialcandidates to be screened andinterviewed by a joint VIMS/HU/NMFS committee. Plans are to fillthe position by the fall semester 2000

Dr. Michael Vecchione, Directorof NMFS Systematics Lab (VIMS,

A milestone in marine finfishaquaculture was achieved at theVirginia Institute of Marine Science(VIMS) on June 15 when cobia wereinduced to spawn in a recirculatingwater system. According to MikeOesterling, VIMS aquaculture special-ist, this is the initial step in the develop-ment of cobia aquaculture. Dr. BillDuPaul, head of the Virginia Sea GrantMarine Advisory Program, explained

VIMS Scientists Successfully Spawn Cobia

Through the CMER Program, VIMSstudents will have the opportunity forresearch cruises aboard NOAA vesselslike the R/V Gunther shown here.

NOAA

3.61mm

9.86mm

Larval cobia. 3 days old.

10 days old.

Volume 2, No. 2Summer 2000www.vims.edu

&W MILLIAM ARY

V I M SIRGINIA NSTITUTE OF ARINE CIENCE

S M SCHOOL OF ARINE CIENCE

Ph.D. 1979) is currently at VIMS twodays a week to initiate the program.Vecchione said, “VIMS has a longhistory of interaction with the NMFSSystematics Laboratory. This is an

that, “cobia are considered primecandidates for aquaculture develop-ment because of their fast growth rateas juveniles and an expanding demandfor them in the seafood marketplace.”

“Cobia are highly-prized both as afood-fish and a recreational trophyfish,” said Oesterling. “We’ve beeninvestigating the potential for cobiaculture for four years now. But, this isour first attempt at spawning.” Previ-

ous work wasconducted on wild-harvested juvenilecobia that wereobtained fromcommercialwatermen. Thosestudies set the stagefor the spawning by

Continued on page 2

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The Crest2

The CrestVol. 2 No. 2 Summer 2000

Dr. L. Donelson WrightDean and Director

Virginia Institute of Marine Science/School of Marine 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 WritersDr. David NiebuhrDr. William Reay

April BahenCBNERRVA

Sally MillsTom Murray

Mike OesterlingVirginia Sea Grant

Dr. Mohamed FaisalDr. Robert HaleDr. Roger Mann

VIMS

Jim SchultzConnie Goldman

Art DirectorSusan Stein

Chesapeake BayNational EstuarineResearch Reservein Virginia

Waterfront NewsVol. 7, No. 2

This work is the result of research supportedin part by NOAA Office of Sea Grant, U.S.Department of Commerce, under grantNo. NA56RG-0141 to the Virginia GraduateMarine Science Consortium and theVirginia Sea Grant College Program.

a fair Bay Summer 2000Vol. 10, No. 2

Scientists Discover New Species of PerkinsusA description of a new species of a

marine protozoan, named Perkinsuschesapeaki, recently published in thelatest issue of the journal Parasiteresulted from a research projectconducted in the laboratory of Profes-sor Mohamed Faisal, VIMS Depart-ment of Environmental Sciences incollaboration with Dr. Shawn M.McLaughlin, NOAA/MDDNR Coop-erative Oxford Laboratory.

The cooperative research effort tocharacterize the new species ofPerkinsus parasite began three yearsago when Dr. McLaughlin sought theexpertise in Dr. Faisal’s laboratory toidentify pathogens of the softshellclam. Two morphologically distinctPerkinsus species were isolated fromthe clams and successfully cloned incontinuous culture. The investigatorsidentified the first isolate as the oysterpathogen, Perkinsus marinus, and the

second isolate as a new species ofPerkinsus based upon unique morpho-logical and life cycle characteristicsexhibited by the two isolates in culture.Dr. Ehab Elsayed, a visiting scientist atDr. Faisal’s lab, contributed to theefforts of adapting Perkinsus spp. toculture conditions.

The researchers then launched aseries of investigations to furtherexamine the biochemical, molecular,and ultrastructural characteristics ofsoftshell clam Perkinsus species.Dr. Ben Tall, from the Food and DrugAdministration, and Dr. Adel Shaheen,a visiting scientist at Dr. Faisal’s labconducted zoosporulation studies anddescribed the ultrastructural details ofzoospores.

Dr. Shaban Kotob, a ResearchAssistant Professor at the Departmentof Environmental Sciences at VIMSand Dr. Peter Van Berkum, a senior

scientist at the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, joined forces to applya molecular biology approach tothe investigations using genecloning and sequence analysis.“Molecular typing and phylogeneticanalysis were required to providethe quantitative estimates ofgenetic relatedness of the twoisolates to the genus Perkinsus,”said Dr. Kotob.

Although researchers havefound Perkinsus marinus(Dermo) in softshell clams, it is tooearly to say whether Perkinsuschesapeaki may be found inoysters. Dr. Mohamed Faisalemphasizes “These findings are

new and much more research must bedone before we know the extent of theparasite’s presence and whether theparasites are harmful to clams or othermarine mollusks.”

McLaughlin explains that in theearly 1990s an increase in Perkinsussp. infections was observed in softshellclams at some sites in the ChesapeakeBay following a series of extremelyhot and dry summers. This paralleledincreased infections in oysters duringthe same period. “The unique mor-phology of the parasites found in fixedtissues of some of the softshell clamsled us to question whether clams wereinfected with the same parasite foundin oysters or another unidentifiedspecies,” said McLaughlin.

Perkinsus parasites may be foundin bivalves worldwide in warmercoastal waters and are found innumerous bivalves without causingmortality. However, pathogenicspecies of Perkinsus have causedserious disease and mortality in otherbivalves including the eastern oyster,blacklip abalone, Portuguese clamsand cultured Japanese scallops.Dr. McLaughlin is currently investigat-ing virulence factors of Perkinsusparasites and their potential role inpathogenicity. These investigations willbe conducted in collaboration withSpanish researchers studying a similarparasite causing severe losses ofcommercial clams in Europe.

A zoospore of Perkinsus chesapeaki.

excellent opportunity for increasedinteraction in an area that is strategi-cally located in the mid-Atlantic region.Additionally, NMFS scientists will beinvolved in the education of youngscientists who need to be well preparedto deal with future problems andissues.” Vecchione will continue hisaffiliation at VIMS and will teach adeep-sea biology class in the fall andinvertebrate zoology in the spring. Thedeep-sea biology course will include a2-week research cruise aboard aNOAA vessel.

According to Dr. John Graves,Chair, VIMS Dept. of FisheriesScience, “This appointment allows usto support additional students and offer

new classes to both graduate andundergraduate students. In addition,the CMER Program provides access toNOAA vessels for teaching and fieldwork and increased opportunities forresearch funding.” “The guidance andcooperation we receive from VIMSand NMFS will help our researchprogram and student recruitment,” saidDr. George Burbank, Head of MarineScience at Hampton University.

In addition to funding the facultyposition, the program also providesannual funds for research in areas ofspecific interest to NMFS. These fundswill support research for three to fourstudents each year. Currently BruceCollette and Tom Monroe and MikeVecchione of the NMFS NationalSystematics Lab are adjunct faculty inVIMS’ Department of FisheriesScience.

NMFS Faculty PositionEstablished at VIMScontinued from page 1

VIMS recently received achallenge grant of $500,000 fromthe Massey Foundation to createan unrestricted endowment atVIMS. This challenge has beenmet by an anonymous donor withthe expectation that we will raisean additional $500,000 in the nextfive years for a total unrestrictedendowment of $1.5 million. Acampaign to meet the endowmentcampaign match is underway.The income from this generousendowment will provide in-creased flexibility to fund cuttingedge research and criticaleducation needs and will benefitthe entire VIMS community.

$500,000ChallengeGrant

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By Robert Hale and James Schultz

Historically, some chemicals thathave performed as originally intendedalso have caused unforeseen problemswhen released into the environment.Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) anddichloro diphenyl trichloroethane(DDT) are two such examples. VIMSresearchers have recently discoveredthat another chemical with detrimentalenvironmental properties—a widelyused class of fire retardants known asbrominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs)—have become dispersed throughout theRoanoke and Dan rivers, in southcentral Virginia.

The biological effects caused byBDEs are not immediately obvious tothe eye, but interactions of thesechemicals with cellular metabolismmay lead to long-term damage toexposed organisms, including humans.Medical researchers suspect thatBDEs may impair immune systemresponses, disrupt endocrine functionand delay intellectual and physicaldevelopment. BDEs are also ofmounting concern in Europe, whereSwedish researchers have recentlyreported that concentrations of BDEsin human breast milk have been

doubling every five years. Althoughoverall levels remain low, the dramaticincrease over time is alarming.

“Although we don’t yet know thefull extent of their toxic effects, we doknow that BDEs are persistent andthat they can bioaccumulate to highlevels,” says Dr. Robert Hale, associ-ate professor in the Department ofEnvironmental Sciences. “We’refinding that their environmental proper-ties rival those of PCBs. BDEs persistin the field, accumulate in aquaticanimals and exhibit similar modes oftoxicity. They’re bad news— particu-larly since we continue to releasethem.”

PCBs were used as insulators orfire retardants in hydraulic fluids andelectrical transformers. Although PCBmanufacture was halted in the 1970s,the chemical, nevertheless, persists inmeasurable quantities in soil and water,and in the bodies of many fish andanimal species worldwide, even inareas far removed from their originalpoint of manufacture. Implicated as acause of liver cancer in lab animals,PCBs may cause eye, skin and respira-tory irritation in people in direct physi-cal contact.

Researchers Discover New PollutantsInfiltrating Virginia Rivers

Dr. Rob Hale and research team. Top row, L to R: GregMears, Dr. Rob Hale, and Mike Gaylor. Bottom row, L toR: Mark LaGuardia, Ellen Harvey, Matt Mainor, and MaraJacobs.

BDEs, on the otherhand, continue to be widelyused in the production offlame-resistant plastics, inthe housings of personalcomputers and as a con-stituent of foam padding inseat cushions. BecauseBDEs have only recentlybeen identified as anenvironmental threat, theirrelease to the biosphere isnot explicitly regulated bythe federal government orthe states.

The BDEs weredetected by VIMS in thecourse of a study supportedby and in collaboration withVirginia’s Department ofEnvironmental Quality(DEQ), examining theextent of contamination inedible fish from state tributaries. Afterthe discovery of the BDEs, the Com-monwealth formed a task forceconsisting of DEQ, the Virginia HealthDepartment, VIMS, and several otherstate and federal agencies to furtherinvestigate the extent of pollutionthroughout the Dan and Roanoke riverwatersheds.

The source of the BDEs and theirroute of entry to the rivers is currentlyuncertain. However, the polyurethanefoam production process may be key.VIMS research has already shown thatBDEs can be released to the atmo-

sphere from foam manufacturers’exhaust stacks.

“Our data show that these BDEshave been widely released withoutanyone really noticing,” Hale says.“The BDEs detected to date are likelythe top of the iceberg. Even if wefound the source today and eliminatedit, the chemicals already released willremain in the environment for years tocome. And the longer they are used,the greater these levels will be.”

An article on VIMS’ BDE research wasrecently featured in the journal Environ-mental Science and TechnologyBy Sally Mills

Scientists in the Marine AdvisoryProgram are gearing up for anotherseason of sea scallop research in theMid-Atlantic Closed Areas. This is acooperative effort among VIMS, theNational Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS), and commercial fishermen.A 15-day trip to the Hudson CanyonSouth site took place in June aboardthe vessel, Alice Amanda, owned byMark Shackelford of S&S Marine inHampton, Virginia, and captained byKenny Brown of Gloucester Point.Under the direction of Dr. WilliamDuPaul, students and researchers areplanning a second survey to theVirginia Beach site in August. The2000 survey provided baseline informa-tion to help resource managers setharvest limits for scallops in these twoareas, which are scheduled to re-openin March 2001.

Sea Scallop ResearchResumed in June

Among other things, the data areused to estimate total biomass in eachclosed area, or an estimate of thenumber of pounds of scallop meatsavailable for harvesting. That informa-tion directly impacts how the openingof an area will take place, including thelength of the opening and the numberof vessel trips allowed. Final decisionsare made by the New England Fisher-ies Management Council with inputfrom NMFS and the Sea Scallop PlanDevelopment Team.

Researcher Dave Rudders hasbeen part of the sea scallop researchteam for three years and has witnessedsome refinements in the equipmentused to conduct surveys. One ad-vancement that is sure to help resourcemanagers is the “inclinometer,” aninstrument adapted from torpedoes. Itssmall sensor indicates when the dredgeis in contact with the ocean bottom.

This 10-minute commercial survey tow yielded 30 baskets of 4-inch scallops.Continued on page 11

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The Center for Coastal ResourcesManagement (CCRM) initiated a newMARSH (Monitoring Active Replen-ishment of Subsiding Habitat) Projectthis spring. The project involvesstudying vegetation changes occurringon tidal marshes in the York Riversystem and evaluating several man-agement options that may mitigatethese changes. The goal of the four-year study is to obtain informationneeded to develop the policy andmanagement responses that canpreserve these critical habitats. Ac-cording to Dr. Carl Hershner, Directorof the CCRM, “The MARSH Projectrepresents a unique opportunity towork towards preserving a valuable,fairly pristine wetland, rather thanrestoring a lost marsh or fixing adegraded wetland as is usually done.”

Tidal wetlands are an importantnatural resource that provide habitatfor a variety of species, protectshorelines from erosion, and helpimprove water quality by trappingpollutants and sediments. Recentchanges noticed in the plant communi-ties of Chesapeake Bay area marsheshave alarmed many scientists andresidents. These cases show anincreasing dominance of the plantstypically found at the lowest andwettest parts of tidal marshes, which isbelieved to indicate that the marshesare being inundated with water and

slowly sinking away. The MARSHProject seeks to document the relation-ship between marsh surface elevationand the composition of its plant com-munity, and then to evaluate thepotential for controlling the marshvegetation by raising the level of themarsh surface.

When sea levels rise, mostmarshes can match the encroachingwaters by growing vertically assediment and plant material accumulateon the marsh surface. However, overthe past several decades there hasbeen a documented acceleration of therate of sea level rise in Mid-Atlanticcoastal regions. “We have certainlyaltered the amount of sediment incoastal waters and taken over manyareas of shoreline that wetlands wouldnormally invade,” says Hershner. It isassumed that these and other factorsare preventing some wetlands fromaccreting enough material to maintainthemselves. “The MARSH Projectwill explore methods to allow themarshes to keep pace with a relativerise in sea level,” explains Dr. KirkHavens, Assistant Director of theCCRM.

Experimental studies will beconducted at Lee, Sweet Hall, Cousiacand Hill marshes in the PamunkeyRiver, where VIMS has conductedwetland studies for the past 30 years.One of the most promising methods for

Dr. Kirk Havens (l) and Dr. Gene Silberhorn (r) studying vegetative communities in thearea of the experimental MARSH Project.

raising the marsh surface is spraydredging. In this procedure, materialdredged from the river bottom will besprayed in thin layers onto the surfaceof study areas in the marshes. If thevegetation can be successfully man-aged by adding material to the surfaceof the marsh, spray dredging could be abeneficial use for the matter dredgedup during navigation channel mainte-nance.

The MARSH Project has beenfunded for its first year by the ownersof the study marshes themselves,demonstrating the cooperative naturethat has characterized this project sofar. VIMS is seeking additionalfunding for this unique endeavor whichis joining scientists and landowners inthe effort to save our wetlands.

By Tom Murray

With this issue of The Crest, wewill begin to chronicle trends in thecurrent use of the Chesapeake Bay’sresources by its diverse marine-relatedindustries. By documenting selectedindicators of the vibrant pace ofexpansion, contraction, and overallchange, which has been the hallmarkof the 20th century, we can gain someinsight into the path our marine-relatedcommunity is following as the nextcentury on the Bay unfolds.

As the “Discovery,” the “God-speed,” and the “Susan Constant”headed up the James River in 1607they could not have realized howimportant a part the surroundingwaters would play in the history andeconomy of Virginia. Growth has notcome without displacement, and thecompetition for use of the commonswill grow along with the people wholook to it for food and fun andindustry and wonder.

Population, and in particular,coastal population, is growing rapidly

in Virginia. Overall,the last century sawmore change in theregion than theprevious 300 yearscombined.

According to theU.S. Bureau of theCensus, during theperiod 1995-2000Virginia ranked 10th

among all states in largest net popula-tion growth. The graphic above furtherprojects Census estimates through thefirst quarter of this century. Relative tothe rest of the nation, Virginia isexpected to grow in population by 28%and place 8th in largest net populationgrowth.

During the next decade, populationgrowth and per capita income in-creases will continue to increasedemand for recreational activity, asfederal and state statistics regardingparticipation in saltwater angling and

Virginia�s Changing Coastal Community - Indicators of Change

private boat ownership in Virginiaindicate.

The activity of private boat anglersis of critical importance in the Com-monwealth. It is estimated that two-thirds of the total economic activityassociated with recreational saltwaterangling in Virginia is contributed byprivate boat anglers.1

A brief review of the trends inVirginia’s population and boat owner-ship shows a citizenry who owns moreboats per capita. For example, prior

Virginia Population 1995-2025

Population 6,618, 6,997, 7,324, 7,921, 8,466,

1995 2000 2005 2015 20250

10,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

MARSH Project Will Help Save Tidal Wetlands

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

1993 1995 1997 1999

Saltwater Licenses

Recreational Boats

Recent Growth of RecreationalSaltwater Fishing Licenses and Boats

Continued on page 10

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By James Schultz

Within the last decade, balancingthe competing interests of fisheriesconservation, strong consumer desirefor fresh fish, and a proud tradition offishing for profit and pleasure hasbecome increasingly difficult. VIMSgraduate student Christian Hager, alicensed commercial fisherman, mayhave found part of the solution.

In two studies underwritten by thePotomac River Fisheries Commission(PRFC), Hager has shown that aninexpensive modification to traditionalpound nets can, under optimal condi-tions, permit the escape of more than80 percent of small fishes that by lawcannot be retained for sale. Tradition-ally such juveniles are thrown back inthe water— supposedly withoutdamage. In fact, most die from thetrauma of physical handling and/oroxygen deprivation. This “bycatch” is acontinuing problem because it kills fishbefore they can provide a return to thefishery and before they can reproduce.

Hager’s innovation involves theaddition of rings and slots to traditionalnetting. Field tests were used todetermine optimal sizes for bothmechanisms. Sub-legal flat fish, suchas flounder, are able to slip through theslots, while cylinder-like finfish, such astrout, escape through the rings. Larger,

legal fishes cannot fit through eitheropening and are thus retained forharvest.

“Allowing sub-legal fishes to exit apound net before it’s fished eliminatesall the stresses associated with han-dling. Released fishes are completelyhealthy,” Hager says. “This newapproach works without any effortexpended by the fisherman. Overtime, fishermen will actually catchmore legal fish with less effort, and the

fisheries will realize a greater yield-per-recruit due to the reduction injuvenile mortality. These modificationswork. Everybody’s happy.”

Pound nets are staked seasonallyin shallow estuarine areas to capturefish as they migrate in and out of riversystems. The basic concept behind thenets’ design pre-dates European arrivalin North America and takes advantageof fishes’ tendency to funnel, or travelin one direction along boundary edges.

Once inside a series of three intercon-nected enclosures, fish are trapped,and few can find the narrow openingsby which they entered the trap.

“It’s essential that we begin to dealwith the negative impacts of bycatchon the fisheries,” says Hager. “Wehave to figure out ways to avoid killingthe juveniles before they can contributeto their species’ reproductive effort. Iffishing methods don’t allow for pre-mortality culling of sub-legal bycatch,then legal restrictions on size limitsaccomplish nothing.”

Hager’s new pound-net modifica-tions are slated to be adopted in thePotomac River by the end of 2001.The PRFC will modify one net free ofcharge for each fisherman, placing twopanels consisting of 1 7/8” rings and7/8” x 5” slots at right angles to oneanother in each corner. Eventually, hehopes that fishermen throughout theChesapeake Bay watershed— includ-ing those involved in the haul-seinefishery— might be persuaded to givethe bycatch-reduction devices a try.

“Looking down the road, if thisdesign is universally adopted, it willassist in the recovery of stocks thathave been seriously depleted,” Hagersays. “Reduce juvenile mortality and,as the fisheries rebound, you’ll seegreater sustainable yields.”

Commercial fisherman David Bradley and his son Bill with Chris Hager, raising�pocket� to harvest fish from pound net.

New Pound-Net Design Spares Young Fish

CBNERRVA Teams with NewEngland Aquarium for the1st of Five �Coastal Science forLawyers� Pilot Workshops

A glorious spring day at the NewEngland Aquarium (NEAq) in Bostonwas the setting for the premier of theNERR Coastal Science for Lawyersworkshops. Fifty-four law studentsand practitioners from the Boston areaattended the “crash course” in basiccoastal science. Law students fromHarvard University, NortheasternUniversity, Boston University, BostonCollege and Suffolk University LawSchools along with lawyers from theMassachusetts Department of Environ-mental Quality were represented in theaudience for the program.

The “Science for Lawyers”workshops were developed byDr. David Niebuhr, education coordina-tor for CBNERRVA, VIMS graduate

and assistant research professor ofeducation at the College of William andMary in conjunction with Lynda Butler,professor of law at the William andMary School of Law. The project issupported through a grant from NOAAto CBNERRVA and the College’sEnvironmental Science and PolicyCluster (ESPC).

Participants were treated to avariety of speakers who conveyed asense of the vast amount of informa-tion required for them to make “in-formed decisions” about environmentalissues. Along with Dr. Niebuhr, speak-ers included Dr. Gerry Schubel, coastalscientist and CEO of the NEAq;Dr. Scott Kraus who spoke aboutinternational regulations and right

whale research; Dr. Michael Tlustyaddressed the clash of politics andscience in aquaculture development;Ms. Britt Anderson, J.D. (assistantdirector of the ESPC) who presented adiscussion on the role of the “publictrust doctrine” in environmentallegislation; and Dr. Michael Connorwho gave two presentations on waterquality issues and on environmental riskassessment and the scientific method.

This project will continue throughthis coming September, when fouradditional pilot workshops will be heldthroughout the country. Tentative planshave been made to offer workshops inSeattle, Baltimore, Raleigh andWilliamsburg. For additional informa-tion on the “Coastal Science forLawyers” please contact Dr. DavidH. Niebuhr, EducationCoordinator, CBNERRVAat 804-684-7144.

Juli Harding, Ph.D. was awardedthe first Thatcher Award at the College

of William andMary com-mencementceremony onSunday, May 13,2000. TheThatcher Awardwas establishedto recognizeexcellence ingraduate and

Juli Harding Honoredprofessional study. While earning herPh.D., Juli published 12 papers as firstauthor and was co-founder of theVirginia Oyster Reef Teaching Experi-ence for science educators. She alsoserved as the co-principal investigatorfor the Veined Rapa Whelk Projectsince the non-native whelk was foundin Chesapeake Bay in 1998. Throughher performance, Juli has set a highstandard for future recipients of thisprestigious award and honored herSchool and her discipline.

The Crest6

NOAA officials recently visitedwith VIMS Scientist and ResearchCoordinator for the Chesapeake BayNational Estuarine Research Reserve -VA, Dr. William Reay for an overviewof current research. Some of theresearch highlighted during their visitincluded activities conducted by theVIMS Seagrass Restoration Program,essential fish habitat research examin-ing the importance of intertidal habitatsto commercial and ecologically impor-tant fin and shellfish, characterizationof resident and transient fauna associ-ated with constructed oyster reefhabitats, and the NERRS system-widewater quality and meteorologicalmonitoring program.

Scott Gudes, Deputy UnderSecretary for NOAA, Captain TedLillestolen, Deputy Assistant Adminis-trator for National Ocean Service alsovisited the Godwin Islands Reserve sitewhile on campus. Virginia DelegateHarvey Morgan and his wife HelenMorgan joined the group. DelegateMorgan was the primary sponsor of a

1999 bill creating the Virginia Estuarineand Coastal Research Reserve Sys-tem, which when combined with thenational system, enhances theCommonwealth’s ability to conductresearch and education activities tosupport coastal resource managementefforts.

By providing a long-term protectedresearch site and supporting monitoringdata, Reserve sites become a focusarea for research and educationactivities for both VIMS and otheruniversities/institutes. CBNERRVAcurrently has 5 institutes conductingresearch within the Virginia system. Acase in point is CBNERRVA’s involve-ment with Hampton University (HU)graduate and undergraduate environ-mental studies. Masters student EricaHolliman along with her faculty advisorDr. Debbie Bodolus are currentlyinvolved in a project looking at theeffects of urbanization on fish utilizingintertidal wetland habitats. Holliman isusing the Goodwin Islands componentof CBNERRVA as a pristine reference

site for her investigation. Eric Wooden,CBNERRVA Monitoring Coordinator,and an alumnus of both HU and VIMS,has been instrumental in developing aworking relationship with HamptonUniversity. This program exposes HUstudents to the National Estuarine

Visitors discussed current research at the Goodwin Islands Reserve site. (l) to (r)Dr. Debbie Bodolus, Hampton University; Capt. Ted Lillestolen, National Ocean Service;Delegate Harvey Morgan; Sec. Scott Gudes, NOAA; and Dr. William Reay of VIMS.

Research Reserve System (NERRS)program and research opportunities inestuarine environments. NERRS is anetwork of protected areas establishedto promote informed resourcemanagement through researchand education activities.

NOAA Officials Visit Reserve Site

VIMS Scientist Studies Oysters in India

The oyster fishery is rudimentary and low tech. Fishermen use cane poles to locateoysters on the river bottom and then imbed the pole in the bottom and dive down along itto retrieve oysters which are then thrown into the canoe.

As part of the ongoing researchinvestigating the risk, feasibility andpotential associated with use of a non-native oyster species in Virginia’sestuarine and marine waters, Dr.Francis O’Beirn, of VIMS EasternShore Laboratory, recently visited anumber of locations in India. WhyIndia? India is purported to be withinthe natural range of the Suminoeoyster, Crassostrea ariakensis, one ofthe species VIMS scientists have beenevaluating for several years. Unlikeother locations within the range of thisoyster, the populations within India(primarily located on the west andnorthwest coasts) have up to now

A shore based fishery primarily for smaller intertidal oysters,harvests the meats directly from the substrates.

remained relatively undisturbed fromfishing, aquaculture and pollutionpressures. Therefore, they retain muchof their natural state from an ecologicaland a natural history perspective.

O’Beirn’s travels took him fromthe southeast coast of India (Tutticorin)along the west coast (Cochin and Goa)to the northwest province of Gujurat.By also visiting areas outside the rangeof C. ariakensis O’Beirn had theopportunity to acquire tissue samples ofother oyster species and to evaluatethe environment and species interac-tions within these ecosystems.

At each location, O’Beirn evalu-ated the overall habitat including

temperature and salinityregimes. He alsostudied the location ofoysters (intertidal vs.subtidal, or both),structure of oysterbeds, organisms associ-ated with the beds,interactions betweenoyster species, preda-tory species anddisease causing organ-isms. Of particularinterest was the degreeof fishing pressure andother anthropogenicinfluences. Tissue

samples of all oyster species weretaken for genetic analysis to verifyspecies identification.

Genetic probes, developed by Dr.Kim Reece at VIMS, will also be usedto facilitate the identification of someparasitic disease causing organisms,such as Perkinsus marinus or Dermothat has devastated native oysterpopulations. “Identifying potentialdisease causing organisms is animportant aspect of this research andwill have major implications whendecisions are made regarding use of

non-native oyster species,” saidO’Beirn.

It is hoped the information gener-ated by this trip will aid in the decision-making process regarding use of a non-native oyster species in the Chesa-peake Bay. “An added benefit of mytrip” said Dr. O’Beirn, “has been theincreased probability for future collabo-rative efforts with Indian institutions, inparticular the Suganthi DevadasonMarine Research Institute in Tutticorin,Tamil Nadu and Gujurat AgriculturalUniversity.”

The Crest 7

By James Schultz

A highly migratory fish like theAmerican shad doesn’t remain in oneplace too long. This behavior has madeit difficult for researchers to determinethe kind of environments shad preferas nursery areas for their young.

Exactly what kind of habitats shadprefer is the subject of a three-yearstudy conducted by VIMS Ph.D.candidate Donna Marie Bilkovic.Reproductive vitality is of particularconcern because shad populations havebeen on a slow but steady decline formore than 100 years. Although recentsurveys indicate that shad levels in theYork and Rappahannock rivers havestabilized, apparently due to a fishingmoratorium, questions remain about theshad’s long-term prospects.

Beginning in spring 1997, Bilkovic,colleagues and volunteers collectedshad eggs and larvae from theMattaponi and Pamunkey rivers—relatively pristine tributaries whoseprevalence of shad, while low byhistorical standards, is at the highestlevel of other Virginia estuaries — inorder to map the shad’s use of therivers as spawning and nurserygrounds. Bilkovic is now in theprocess of developing a habitat-suitability index, based on shad egg and

larval distribution, and incorporatingwithin the index computerized data onriver flow, current, geographies andpatterns of land use.

“Although these fish have beenunder moratorium for years, thepopulations are still low,” Bilkovic says.“Obviously, traditional fisheries man-agement hasn’t been completelyeffective. We’re trying to figure outwhat habitat is essential if this popula-tion is to expand.”

Initial findingsindicate thatshallow, fast-current areas withhigh levels ofdissolved oxygenseem to be idealspawning spots.Consistently fewershad eggs werefound in deep,sluggish water.Topographicfeatures aboveand below thewaterline alsoseem to play animportant role.Preliminaryanalysis indicatesan abundance of

eggs in reaches of sandy sedimentsand gravels, wide and shallow sand-bars, and extensive falls of dead treesand branches.

“What we’re doing is picking apartthe shad’s life cycle and looking atcritical stages,” says Bilkovic’s facultyadvisor Carl Hershner, director of theVIMS Center for Coastal ResourcesManagement. “Everybody acknowl-edges that if we’re going to be suc-cessful in managing the fishery, we’re

going to need to be effective in protect-ing habitat. It’s not merely a matter ofthrowing a fence around tidal riversand not messing them up anymore. It’sa matter of figuring out what conditionsenable the fisheries to survive andthrive.”

Hershner says that Bilkovic’sinvestigation, co-funded by the Ameri-can Fisheries Society and VIMS, is thefirst of its kind to be conducted inVirginia and is notable for its acknowl-edgment of ecosystem complexity.Boosting shad populations will notsimply be a matter of isolating one keyvariable and then modifying thatvariable to change the existing equa-tion. Rather, the entirety of thecomplex interactions of a completeecosystem must be accounted for andintegrated within models to encouragea holistic approach to resource man-agement.

“It’s a brand new approach to theissue,” Hershner says. “You have togo in with a basic concept and bewilling to change on the basis of yourfindings. We know more about theAmerican shad than when we started.Now we’re learning new ways tomake shad-habitat management muchmore effective.”

Ph.D. student Donna Bilkovic collecting shad eggs and larvae.

American Shad Focus of Unique Study

Marine Scientist Jeff Tullock and Aquaculture Specialist MikeOesterling examine cobia eggs in VIMS� Marine Finfish Facility.

providing information on handling andholding cobia in captivity.

Using funding from a National SeaGrant aquaculture initiative grant,personnel from the VIMS finfishaquaculture program arranged for thecapture of broodstock fish by recre-ational cobia fishermen and transferredthe fish to holding facilities at theVIMS Gloucester Point campus.

Once at VIMS, the fish wereadministered a hormonal implant tostimulate the release of eggs andsperm, and were placed in a 7,500gallon recirculating water systemequipped with filtration units and eggcollection devices. Within 48-hours ofthe hormonal implants, the six femalecobia (several weighing close to 50pounds) and three male cobia beganspawning.

“We collected fertilized eggs onJune 15, and on June 16 the fish werestill producing eggs. Literally, the fishhave produced millions of eggs,”Oesterling explained. “The eggs were

then taken to ourlarval culturefacility for hatchingand further on-growth.”

The overall goalof the cobia cultureproject is to pro-duce juvenile fishand investigate therequirements forcommercial culture.Additionally, vitallife history informa-tion will be obtainedduring the larvaland early juvenilestages of the cobia.As the young cobiagrow, they will bethe subject ofdifferent growthstudies aimed atproviding valuableinformation for thecontinued culture ofcobia.

Cobiacontinued from page 1 VIMS Annual

Fund BoardNamed

Great news from the Develop-ment Office! VIMS’ very firstAnnual Fund Board of Directors ishard at work. Charter members ofthis Board are John Dayton(chairman), Hallieford; WestonConley, Morattico; Carrie Garland,Arlington; George Grant,Gloucester Point; Wade Hayhurst,Kilmarnock; Peter McHugh,Hampton; Jackie Partin,Gloucester; Austin Roberts,Kilmarnock; Jack O’Shaughnessy,White Stone; and Virginia Lascara,Yorktown.

This group will focus oncommunity outreach and expand-ing unrestricted gifts to VIMS.

The Crest8

From the Coleman Bridge to Menai BridgeVIMS Professor Leads Field-Course in Wales

By Roger Mann andConsuela Goldman

During spring semester, sevenVIMS students had an opportunity tostudy a Northern European coastalsystem with rocky shores, large tides,and a maritime climate. Supported byVIMS, the intensive field study coursewas developed and led by Dr. RogerMann, Dept. of Fisheries Science.“Our students are primarily familiarwith the mid-Atlantic estuarine systembordering the mid-Atlantic shelf, with acontinental climate, large watersheds,and small tides. I wanted to exposethem to a system that is vastly differ-ent. Besides, being a University ofWales alumnus, this was like goinghome to a new profession, teachingwhere I used to be a student,” saidMann. This was also the first majorexchange between VIMS and theSchool of Ocean Science at theUniversity of Wales, Bangor since thetwo universities established a formalcollaborative agreement.

The final miles of the trip to MenaiBridge took the travelers through theSnowdonia mountain range. Passingthrough the Ogwen Valley at about1000 feet above sea level, between thesnow topped mountains of the Glyders(over 3000 ft) and the Carnedds (over3400 ft), and the mountain lake of LlynOgwen they passed through some ofthe oldest exposed rock on earth—quite a change from the Chesapeakeregion!

The long trip ended with a shortpassage over the Menai Straits into the

village of Menai Bridge - the home theSchool of Marine Science of theUniversity of Wales. In best style thetravelers stayed at the Liverpool Arms,the oldest hotel and eating and drinkingestablishment in Menai Bridge. Hereeveryone was treated to typical Welshhospitality and huge breakfasts anddinners. Culinary delights includedfried breakfasts, black pudding,gammon steaks, kippers, fish and chipsand more. As student LawrenceCarpenter commented. “It was acombination of a cultural and scientificexperience.”

After visiting the Menai Bridge lab,the students spent the afternoon in therocky intertidal in the Menai Straits.This tidal excursion is over 6-meters(18 feet) on spring tide, and currentvelocities through the narrow sectionsof the Straits exceed 6-knots at certainstages of the tide. There is classicvertical zonation of macrophyte algaefrom short Pelvetia in the splash zoneto broad Laminarians over 2- meterslong at low spring tide. Each macro-phyte zone harbors its own arrays ofassociated organisms.

Another field trip included a driveover the Welsh mountains, throughsnow on top of Llanberis Pass, anddown to Harlech on the Irish SeaCoast. Harlech is famous for itscastle, built in the 13th century on anoutcrop of late Cambrian rock thatextends almost to the sea edge. Theoriginal castle had, on its seaside, the“sea gate” to allow access to the castleby ships. That sea gate is now several

hundred meters from the high tide lineand separated by lines of dunes. Thebattlements of Harlech castle provide asplendid classroom from which tolecture on dune formation over humanhistory!

South of Harlech is anotherenvironment that is novel to visitorsfrom the mid Atlantic. After crossing acauseway (that is submerged at hightide) the class visited a cobble beach.Cobble is actually boulders from localerosion, that cover the beach from highto low tide, about 50 meters of expo-sure. A wealth of tide pool organismsshelter below the cobble, while thewind insures that sand does notaccumulate when the tide goes out. Infact the wind dries the surface of thesand, blows away the dried surfaceand deposits it as a graded size fractionat the base of the dunes shoreward ofthe cobble. The class also visited theMawddach estuary to the south ofHarlech to view the classic longshorespit formation at the mouth of theestuary.

We visited Caernarfon Castle onthe south side of the western end ofthe Menai Straits. The Kings Tower ofCaernarfon Castle provided a superb, ifsomewhat cramped classroom with anorthward view across the MenaiStraits. The focus of our attention wasa very large intertidal mud and sandflat named Newborough Warren,which we visited with a undergraduateclass from Marine Sciences at MenaiBridge. The intertidal at NewboroughWarren extends out over nearly akilometer at low tide from the fringingsalt marsh. It was quite a walk out tothe site. VIMS student Janet

Nestlerode noted, “ We passed throughsand dunes, passing horses and cowsto the mudflat - which was quiteextensive— probably another kilometerto the water’s edge.” At first glancethe intertidal appears quite barren,especially after the rocky shorecommunity, but it is in fact a naturallaboratory where the results of preda-tion are well documented. Togetherwith students from Menai Bridge, theclass sampled cockles (a small clamsimilar to the hard clam of the Chesa-peake Bay) from the high to the lowtide line. Near the high tide mark birdpredation results in only marginalnumbers of clams. At mid tide level,over 300 meters away, clams areexposed for a shorter period, birdpredation is less and all size classes arepresent. At low tide (at least another300 meters walking) only large clamsare present, and then in small numbers.Crab predation near low tide keepsnumbers low, and those that survive doso by reaching a refuge size from thelocal predator.

The final field day began with atrip to Cwm Idwal in the mountains.Darwin visited this site, with its ex-posed rock striation, before his voyageon the Beagle, and the experience isthought to have helped him formulatesome of his early thoughts on evolutionover geological time. Cwm Idwal hasa classic oligotrophic lake which flowsover the terminal moraine and downthe Ogwen Valley to the northern endof the Menai Straits only 25 kilometersaway. Standing on the terminalmoraine we could see from the snow

Continued on next pageDr. Roger Mann in intertidal zone showing students broad leaf Laminarians,a type of seaweed.

VIMS crew on mud flats after cockle survey.

The Crest 9

By Susan Haynes

The VIMS Educational PolicyCommittee is pleased to announce therecent establishment of a new catalogcourse designed to increase theinstructional and outreach capabilitiesof the School of Marine Science. Thecourse, MS 548 Technical and Continu-ing Education in Marine Science, willprovide graduate-level instruction topublic school teachers and otherprofessionals who require postgraduatecertification or special training. Byproviding a mechanism for individualSMS faculty to make significantinstructional contributions to thecommunity, this new offering expandsthe mission of the SMS beyond thepresent scope of our traditional gradu-ate school program.

MS 548 will function as a topics/problems course in that individualfaculty or teams of faculty will formu-late a course description, identify aclient group, seek department approvaland then EPC approval. The firstapproved offering has been developedby Dr. John Graves of the FisheriesScience Department and Ms. SusanHaynes of the Sea Grant MarineAdvisory Program. Participatingfaculty are Dr. John Brubaker, Dr.Elizabeth Canuel, Dr. Emmett Duffy,Dr. Mark Patterson and Dr. Peter VanVeld.

MS 548-01 Experimental Design inthe Marine Science Laboratory

Through lectures and hands-onlaboratory sessions, a faculty team will

Menai Bridgecontinued from previous page

caps of the mountains and down acomplete watershed (which includesclassic glacial hanging valleys) to theintertidal - all in one vista. “We hikedthe whole watershed in one day.Imagine doing that around here,” saidstudent Mindy Gensler at the end ofthe day.

From Cwm Idwal we drove acrossthe Menai Straits and to the NorthWest point of the island of Anglesey.Out next field site was the sea cliffs ofCraig Gogarth, to be viewed from thelight house at South Stack. The 400steps down from the cliff top to thesuspension bridge across to SouthStack Island induced a little vertigo insome party members, but all survivedto view the sea birds on the vertical

world of the cliffs, approaching 80meters high in places.

The trip continued with one finalfield site. Treaddur Bay is a rockyembayment exposed to the full force ofthe Irish Sea tides and waves. Likethe Menai Straits it has classicalmacrophyte zonation, but all the plantsin the mid-tide levels are only a fewcentimeters long, as opposed to ameter or so in the Menai Straits. Thewave energy at Treaddur bay is so highthat only short plants survive.

We continue to build on thecollaborative program between VIMSand Marine Science at Menai Bridge.As part of the program four WelshMasters students are spending severalweeks at VIMS this summer. TheDrapers Company of England hasprovided support for this collaboration,which has proven to be beneficial toresearch, students and faculty.

Chris Richardson (r), professor from Menai Bridge, with VIMS students during cocklesurvey.

New Experimental Design Course for Teachers

The VIMS auditorium has beennamed in honor of Dr. J. L. McHugh,VIMS director from 1951-1959.

Auditorium Named For Former Director

Dr. J. L. �Laurie� McHugh on VIMS campus pier in the late1950�s.

guide teachers to develop innovativetechniques for advancing middle andhigh school student learning andproblem solving skills. Emphasis will beon quality experimental design. Per-spectives from five different marinescience research programs will berepresented. Significant backgroundinformation and demonstration materi-als will be provided.

Offered biweekly on Wednesdayevenings during the fall semester, eachclass will be composed of a three hourcombined lecture/laboratory session.

Class size is set at 20 to maximizeaccess and interaction betweenscientists and participants in a labora-tory environment.

This course specifically addressesthe Standards of Learning forVirginia’s Public Schools in EarthScience, stressing the interpretation ofmaps, charts, tables and profiles; theuse of technology to collect, analyze,and report data; and science skills insystematic investigation.

Additionally, the course focuses onthe .1 standard for each discipline of

Virginia’s high school standards oflearning under which students plan,understand and conduct scientificinvestigations. Various content objec-tives within each discipline will also becovered.

This course is supported through agenerous grant from the ChesapeakeBay Restoration Fund and the VirginiaRecreational Fishing DevelopmentFund.

VIMS is pleased to be able to offerthis exciting educationalopportunity to the community.

A native of western Canada, McHughbrought a new perspective to researchat the laboratory. One of the most

exciting was thecareful exploration ofthe lower JamesRiver’s unique waterproperties, yielding newconcepts of a two-layered estuarinecirculation, and rela-tionships betweencurrents and themovement of oysterlarvae. The resultingreports and papershave come to beregarded as classics inestuarine science.During his tenure asdirector, increasing

attention was directed at oystermortality in the Bay with growingemphasis on a fungus as the cause.The scientific staff was increased bythree scientists and a consultingbiologist. Special research on sportfisheries was instituted and plans weredrawn up for a new research vessel,the R/V Pathfinder, and a 7,618 sq. ft.annex, Brooke Hall, to provide class-room, office and laboratory space.Efforts to engage the public andespecially local students in marinescience were also underway. A 12-partseries, Watery Worlds, appeared in theDaily Press and 15 public educationtelevision segments were produced.The McHugh years were active andset the tone for many of the programsand activities carried on today atVIMS.

The Crest10

Thanks to the Virginia PowerScholarship Fund, VIMS/SMS gradu-ate students will soon hone theirteaching skills while providing essentialtraining to their fellow students. Fourgraduate students with exceptionalknowledge of computer software andtechnologies won the Virginia PowerTeaching Scholarships this year. Theywill apply their skills to teach coursesthis spring and summer on web sitedesign, Visual Basic, computer-aidedstatistics, and geographic informationsystems.

Jennifer Rhode and AlessandraSagasti shared their knowledge ofcomputer programs for scientific dataanalysis in a one-week course in May.Also in May, Katie Farnsworth taughtstudents to apply computer tools forvisualizing spatial data. Such geo-graphical information systems are

quickly becoming essential tools forcoastal resource management. PaulLiu will teach two courses this sum-mer. One will enhance student’s skillsin visual Basic programming and thesecond will provide much neededtraining in Web site design.

Support for these Teaching Schol-arship Awards is provided by VirginiaPower and is intended to fosterteaching excellence of outstandingstudents while simultaneously providingessential training to students that wouldotherwise not be available from SMSgraduate offerings. Awarded for thefirst time this year, the Virginia PowerTeaching Scholarships will be con-ferred annually to deserving studentswho have identified an instructionalneed and possess the credentials toprovide training in that area.

Students Teaching Students

By Sally Mills

A new study underway in theMarine Advisory Program is looking atways to reduce impacts to the horse-shoe crab - a preferred bait in wide-spread use among conch pot fishers.According to marine advisory specialistBob Fisher, “It is widely known that thehorseshoecrab popula-tion is down.This researchhopefully willyield aconservationapproach thatwill reducehumanimpacts onthat popula-tion.”

Theobjective of the study is to determine ifreducing the amount of bait placed in amesh bag will affect the number ofconch caught per trap. It is hypoth-esized that, if scavenger animals arekept away from the bait through theuse of mesh bags, less bait will beneeded and the bait used will continueto attract conch during the full time thattraps are in the water.

Whole crabs have been testedagainst crab halves, cut and placed inthe mesh bags. One whole female ortwo whole males were used as thecontrol groups for this study, whichmimics traditional commercial use ofcrabs as conch bait.

Horseshoe Crab Researchis Timely

The research began in December1999 aboard a 45-ft. commercialconch-potting vessel equipped with ahydraulic pot-puller. The traps usedwere traditional wooden traps currentlyused by commercial fishermen. Thestudy was conducted 35 miles off CapeHenry, Virginia, in 24.4 to 30.4 m of

water. Fromgeologicalmaps, thebottom typeis consideredto be fine tomediumsand. Trapswere set inlines runningnorth tosouth alongthe continen-tal shelf.

Testing consisted of alternating controltraps with treatment traps withinvarious lines. Each line fished between50-55 traps spaced approximately 215feet apart.

Preliminary results from the CapeHenry study using 350 pots indicate nosignificant difference in catch betweenusing a whole female or two wholemales (which is standard commercialpractice) versus a half-female or twohalves of male crabs per bag. Resultsfrom other resource areas in Virginiaare currently being evaluated toexplore the potential of reducing theamount of bait used to one-third orone-fourth of a horseshoecrab per pot.

Ph.D. student Paul Liu teaching a summer course for SMS students.

1 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, PPL-47, and Table 1.2 Saltwater License Data represents salesby the Virginia Department of Game andInland Fisheries and none of the dataincludes VMRC “Non-Commercial Li-censes” for charter boats, piers and rentalboats or saltwater recreational crablicenses, or “Food Fish” licenses.3 “Saltwater Angling and its EconomicImportance to Virginia.” VIMS SRAMSOENO.339 1997.4 “Recreational Boating in Virginia.” VIMSSRAMSOE No. 251 1981.

research indicated that over the periodfrom 1973 to 1980, boat ownership inthe Commonwealth grew more rapidlythan population — rising from 1 boatfor every 43 citizens in 1973 to 1 forevery 38 in 1980. The most recentlyavailable 1999 information indicates aboat registration to population ratio of 1registered per every 34 citizens.2

Virginia’s pleasure boat marketreportedly recorded its best advance inover a decade during 1999. Industryand government consensus estimatesindicate that boat-related retail saleswere up 20% last year nationwide.According to the industry, new boating

participants entering the market andestablished boaters “trading up” fueledthis growth. The increased spending inthe boating market is tied to the eight-year-long general economic expansionand financial benefits accruing to thosein the boat owning demographic profile.According to the Fifth District FederalReserve, during 1999 all manner ofeconomic measures in Virginia gained ,including personal incomes, commercialbank deposits, residential buildingpermits, and commercial and industriallending. While the last quarter of theyear reflected some slow-down ingrowth, by any measure the marine

recreational business surged into thenew century.

Future issues of The Crest willexplore the often challenging transitionsin public access and use of the state’smarine resources as well as theirrelationship to Virginia’s goals ofsustainable use of our valuable re-source— the Chesapeake Bay.

Hopefully, the information summa-rized here will be useful in stimulatingfurther discussion of Virginia’schanging coastal communities.

Virginia’s Changing CoastalCommunity - Indicators of Changecontinued from page 4

The Crest 11

VIMS Council members visit Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute May 2-3.(L-R) Ed Holland, Case Whittemore, VIMS Director of Development Page Hayhurst,Arthur Bryant, Kathleen Bennett, VIMS faculty member and tour guide Carl Friedrichs,WHOI Reunhart Coastal Research Center Director Rocky Geyer, and Carroll Owens.

VIMS’s web site is a great sourceof information for everyone. Newlinks are continuously being added andseveral new and beneficial changes arebeing made this summer. The mostrecent are a VIMS alumni page andthe VIMS Gift Shop Online.

The new VIMS Alumni page willbe posted by mid-summer and willoffer opportunities for alumni to remainactive in the VIMS community. Onelink will be called “Stay Connected,”which will provide an easy and conve-nient way to find or stay in touch withcolleagues. Alumni can post theirinformation and any updates theywould like to share. There will also belinks that will provide a calendar ofevents, The Crest, and a site about ourAlumni mentoring program. A largeportion of the web site will be devoted

to the “Scholarships and GivingOnLine” link which donations can bemade to several different scholarshipsand programs.

Need to do fast and convenient giftshopping? The VIMS Gift Shop onlinewill make this possible at the end of thesummer. This link will provide picturesand descriptions of all products avail-able. For now orders will have to bephoned in to the VIMS Gift Shop,eventually it will be a secure site, andcredit card orders will be possible.

The VIMS web site is continuouslyevolving. Keep up to date by making itone of your most frequently usedbookmarks. If you have questions,comments or additions contact thewebmaster at the home page at:www.vims.edu.

Web Notes

By synchronizing itsoutput with GPSlocation data, one isable to more closelyidentify the length andarea of the dredge towpath. The result is amore accurate assess-ment of dredgeefficiency, which iscritical in calculatingan estimate of biom-ass. “Typically,” saidDave, “many variablescan affect the effi-ciency of the dredge.Weather, the type ofbottom being dredged,and the skills of thevessel captain areprime examples.”

Similar surveywork was recentlycompleted in threeclosed areas of theGeorges Bank off theNew England coast. As a result ofthose efforts, a decision was made byNMFS to open Closed Area II lastJune for a period of five months.During that time, over six millionpounds of scallops were harvested.Area II is scheduled for re-openingagain this summer along with two otherareas, Area I and Nantucket Lightship,with the potential to harvest over 16

Map shows the two mid-Atlantic areas closed to sea scallopcommercial fishing. These areas were the focus of the recentcollaborative survey conducted by both VIMS and the seascallop industry.

VIMS/Virginia Sea Grant educa-tors Lee Larkin and Vicki Clark wererecently awardeda $337,930 grantfrom the NationalOceanographicPartnershipProgram forcontinued supportfor the award-winning Bridgewebsite (http//www.marine-ed.org/). The Bridge is anationally-recognized online clearing-house for K-12 ocean science educa-

Award Winning Bridge WebsiteReceives Renewed Fundingfrom National OceanographicPartnership Program

tion materials. The grant will be used tomaintain and expand the website with

an increased focuson developingclassroom activitiesusing current oceanscience data.Webkeeper LisaAyers Lawrencesaid, “Since the siteopened in August1998, the BRIDGE

has had more than 1,250,000hits from 88 countries.”

Fifteen participants completed thethird annual Master Oyster GardenersTraining in June. This intensive 4-daycourse provides gardeners with indepth information on the biology,diseases and predators, current re-search and projects directly related to

Third Master Oyster GardenersTraining Course Held

restoring oysters in the Bay. VIMSfaculty provide instruction. Thosecompleting the course are available asa resource to other gardeners in theircommunity. Currently there are over2,000 gardeners in Virginia.

million pounds of scallop meats,depending upon the level of finfishbycatch. VIMS scientists will againconduct research aboard commercialscallop vessels in these areas. Spe-cifically, they will examine dredgemodifications to reduce finfish bycatchand the inadvertent harvestof small scallops.

Sea Scallop Researchcontinued frompage 3

The Crest12

Calendar of Events�July�

19: Tidal Wetlands Education Workshop28: Governor�s School student presentations

�August�12: Alumni Crabfest14: Annual Fund Board Meeting24 Sea Grant Science Writing Workshop28-29: New Student Orientation

Visit our website at: www.vims.edu

�September�8: Reception for Art Competition16: Tidewater Oyster Gardening Float Building Workshop21: VIMS Council Meeting, Eastern Shore Lab

Outdoor Writers Association Meeting22, 23: Genetic Aspects of Oyster Reef Restoration22,23,24: VIMS Exhibit State Fair Richmond

Summertime means sea turtles areon their way to the Chesapeake.Turtles enter the bay when sea tem-peratures rise in the late spring to about66° F and stay until the temperaturesdrop below 60° F in the fall. TheChesapeake Bay is an importantforaging area for juvenile loggerhead’sand Kemp’s Ridleys. Kemp’s Ridleysare the second most abundant seaturtle in the Bay and are the mostendangered of all sea turtles. Theyusually become stranded during theirmigration into and out of the Bay.Ridleys forage in theshallow watersaround the marginsof the Bay whileloggerheads mostoften utilize deeperwater near chan-nels.

VIMS scientistshave been collectingdata on sea turtles inVirginia waters for20 years andmanage a statewidedatabase of seaturtle strandings thatis the longestrunning database forjuvenile KempRidleys and logger-heads in existence.Turtles that becomesick or are injuredare held at VIMSuntil they arereturned to theirnatural environment.The VIMS sea turtle

VIMS Stranded Sea TurtleHotline

Turtle Hotline:(804) 684-7313

team responds to any stranded seaturtle (alive or dead) found from theJames River north to the Potomac

If you find a stranded sea turtlecall the turtle hotline. This number ischecked frequently during the day andafter hours. Leave a detailed messageon the turtle’s location, directions onhow to find it, and a telephone numberwhere the reporter may be reached.

VIMS lost one of its championslast month with the passing of CaptainTony Penello. During the past twodecades, Captain Tony served theInstitute in numerous ways. Heenabled a variety of scientific fieldprojects to be performed within theBay as well as offshore by the use ofhis 100 foot fishing trawler AnthonyAnne. Biological work involving seaturtles, sharks and rays, as well asmajor tagging efforts were conductedwith the benefits of Captain Tony’slong fishing experience, as well as hisable vessel. Geological studies alongthe continental shelf have also beenperformed from the Anthony Anne.

Captain Tony was a mentor tomany of the fisheries graduate studentswho participated in research projectsaboard the Anthony Anne. He inspiredthem to be all that they were capable

of being by the example that herepresented throughout his own life.He was especially generous to thesestudents; giving his time, his genuineconcern for their projects and hisencouragement to reach for their goals.Captain Tony also supported theInstitute through his gifts as a chartermember of the Founder’s Society. Heworked very hard to enlist the supportof citizens to further the mission of theInstitute. Even when he died, herequested that his friends might makecontributions to VIMS in memory ofhim. Tony Penello was a person thatstood up for what he believed in, andhe believed in VIMS with all of hisheart. The VIMS community willremain grateful for his support and theinspiration that he provided to thosewho were fortunate enough to becomea friend of The Captain.

In Memory of�Captain Tony� Penello

Captain Tony Penello, center, with VIMS alumni Richard Krause (l), and Dean Grubbs (r).

For more information call 804/684-7101 or 804/684-7011.