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

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CrestVolume 5, No. 3

Fall/Winter 2003

www.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

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The

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Dr. John T. Wells has been ap-pointed Director of VIMS and Dean ofthe William and Mary School of MarineScience. Currently director of theUniversity of North Carolina Institute ofMarine Science at Morehead City,Wells is expected to assume his newresponsibilities on August 1, 2004.

“John Wells is a nationally promi-nent scientific leader who can bringnew vision, increased name recognition,strong federal connections, and boldand inspired guidance to VIMS,” says

VIMS Director L. Donelson Wright,who will be returning to his researchcareer in VIMS’ Physical SciencesDepartment.

“I am confident that, under hisdirection, VIMS will advance to a newplateau of scientific excellence andinterdisciplinary understanding and thatthe Institute’s funding base will besignificantly expanded and diversi-fied.”

William and Mary ProvostGeoffrey Feiss says that “John Wells

is a marine geologist of the first orderwith a wealth of experience around theglobe. His interest in sedimentaryenvironments will enrich VIMS’reputation for excellence in the studyof estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay,and his record of attracting andmanaging grants will advance theInstitute’s efforts to protect our marineenvironment through externally fundedresearch.”

Wells holds a bachelor’s degree ingeology from Virginia Tech, a master’sdegree in geological oceanographyfrom Old Dominion University, and adoctorate in marine sciences fromLouisiana State University. Helaunched his teaching and researchcareer in 1979 at Louisiana StateUniversity’s Coastal Studies Institute,and became an associate professor atthe University of North Carolina’smarine science institute in 1985. He

VIMS Hires New Dean and Director

was promoted to professor in 1991, andnamed director of the institute in 1993.

The UNC Institute of MarineSciences has a mission of providingpublic service through research, and is

Dr. John WellsHurricane Isabel HindersVIMS Research

Hurricane Isabel slammed into theVIMS campus on September 18 duringits passage across North Carolina andVirginia. Isabel’s storm-surge andwaves combined to destroy all three ofVIMS’ research piers, including thepump houses and lines that supplyrunning seawater to Institute scientists.Waves, storm-surge flooding, and fallentrees also claimed 18,000 sq ft ofworkspace and displaced 34 scientificand support personnel. Several buildingson campus were without electricity formore than a week.

Director of Facilities ManagementJoe Martinez estimates that damages tothe campus reached $2-3 million, thehighest loss in state government.

Isabel struck particularly hard atresearch programs involving blue crabs,benthic community ecology, food-webstudies, and cobia. Blue crab andbenthic community ecology researchersDrs. Rom Lipcius and Rochelle Seitzlost a large number of refrigeratedsamples, fiberglass tanks, and custom-

made field sampling gear whenIsabel’s storm surge toppled thelandmark Ferry House off its founda-tion at the end of the Ferry Pier.

The CrestVol. 5 No. 3 Fall/Winter 2003

Dr. L. Donelson WrightDean and Director

Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceSchool of Marine Science

Editorial BoardDr. Roger Mann

Director of Research andAdvisory Services

Dr. William DuPaulAssociate Director for

Advisory Services

Dr. William ReayManager, CBNERRVA

Page HayhurstDirector for Development

Science WriterDr. David Malmquist

Managing EditorDr. David Malmquist

ContributorsVicki Clark

Susan Maples

Art DirectorSusan Stein

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If you are receiving multiple copies ofthe Crest, or would like to change youraddress, please call (804) 684-7805 orvisit www.vims.edu/newsmedia/crest.html.

VIMS has acquired a virtuallyunused military landing craft at no costfrom Army Surplus at Fort Eustis. Thevessel gives VIMS scientists the abilityto conduct research within the zone ofbreaking waves, an area that isextremely difficult to study usingconventional research vessels andequipment.

The 74-ft. vessel, which has notyet been named, arrived at VIMS inmid-October from a local boatyardwhere an in-depth inspection found itsaluminum hull and engines in excellentcondition. The boat’s two 12V71Detroit Diesel engines each have lessthan 400 service hours.

The vessel currently has a smallpilothouse, a large payload area, and ahinged bow door. Its 41-inch draftallows the vessel to literally beachitself, thus providing access to shallow,high-energy coastal waters whereother research vessels fear to tread.

To provide full value to the re-search community, VIMS plans tooutfit the craft with a four-corneranchoring system, a crane, and crewquarters. VIMS Dean and DirectorDon Wright estimates outfitting thevessel for research will cost approxi-mately $350,000. “That’s a real bar-gain,” says Wright. “Building a newvessel with similar capabilities wouldtake at least three years and costseveral million dollars.”

VIMS has already raised $138,000from three anonymous donors tocomplete the initial refitting, and willseek to raise the balance in the nextseveral months from private sources.

“Once the vessel is outfitted,” saysWright, “we’ll be able to lift and deploya wide range of equipment in shallowwater, quickly anchor and maintainposition in rough conditions, andmaintain a large working deck forplacement of modular labs and equip-ment. We’re confident that it willquickly become a workhorse in theVIMS fleet.”

With the deck-mounted crane anda cargo capacity of 120,000 lbs (notcoincidentally the weight of an M1Abrams Tank), the vessel will be ableto carry and deploy the heaviestoceanographic instruments, includingdata buoys and smaller researchvessels such as VIMS’ RV Elis

Olsson. Theexisting VIMSresearch fleet has amaximum liftingcapability of only500 pounds. Thevessel will also beable to tow seaf-loor-mappinginstruments, andwill make it mucheasier to obtainsediment coresfrom the seafloor.

“The vessel’s capabilities will makecollection of near-shore and beach datamuch easier and less expensive,” saysWright. “It will be able to single-handedly do what previously requirednumerous vessels and drilling rigs.”

Coastal geologists such as VIMS’Dr. Jesse McNinch are particularlyexcited about the vessel’s capabilities.McNinch studies “erosional hotspots,”short stretches of sandy beach thatsuffer severe erosion during storms.The new vessel provides a stableplatform that will make it much easierto take sediment cores within thebreaker zone. “Cores allow us toexplore the nature of the underlyingsediments, which hold the key forbetter understanding and predictingshoreline erosion,” says McNinch.

The vessel provides opportunitiesfor biologists as well. Dr. Bob Diazplans to use the craft to tow his benthicsled, a submersible, video-equippedplow that provides a continuous real-time view within the seafloor. Bydragging the plow-sled behind the newvessel, Diaz can immediately charac-

VIMS Acquires Unique New Vessel

The new vessel enters the VIMS boat basin with its bow door open.

terize the habitats of bottom-dwellingorganisms, including sediment typesand oxidation.

VIMS plans to help pay thevessel’s operating costs by making itavailable to other users, including theArmy Corps of Engineers and the U.S.Geological Survey.

“The Corps estimates that $1billion will be spent on beach re-nourishment projects in the U.S. in thenext decade,” says Wright. “Every re-nourishment project requires seismicsurveys, seafloor mapping, and sedi-ment coring—exactly what this vesseldoes best.”

The landing craft was constructedby Marinette Marine Shipyard inMarinette, Wisconsin in 1967, under-went a complete refit and refurbish-ment in 1991, and was put in wetstorage at the James River ReserveFleet in 1992.

For more information visitwww.vims.edu/newsmedia/topstories

recognized for conducting scientificstudies that have fundamental andimmediate relevance to the citizens ofNorth Carolina. While director, Wellsoversaw the construction or renovationof three laboratory buildings andimplementation of numerous partner-ships with other universities andagencies.

Wells’ primary research interest iscoastal marine geology with emphasison sedimentology, morphology, physicalprocesses, and the evolution of sedi-mentary environments. He pursuesthese topics with research along thecentral North Carolina beaches, thelower Neuse River and Pamlico Sound,the Mississippi Delta, the west coast of

Korea, and Lake Malawi in eastAfrica.

The new VIMS dean currentlyserves as editor-in-chief of the journalMarine Geology, and has authored orco-authored nearly 100 publications onsuch topics as the evolution of sedi-mentary environments in Louisiana’sAtchafalaya Delta, the dispersal of siltsin China’s Yellow Sea, the effective-ness of beach scraping as a method oferosion control and its impact onbarrier island ecology. Wells serves onthe board of the North CarolinaCoastal Federation, the board of theCarteret County Beach Commission,and the community advisory committeeof North Carolina State University’sCenter for Marine Sciences andTechnology.

New Dean and Directorcontinued from page 1

Marine Science Day 2004 will beheld on Saturday May 22nd from 10am- 3pm at VIMS’ Gloucester PointCampus. The day will be jam-packedwith fun and educational things to seeand do. Visitors can collect andobserve aquatic animals on the beach,join in hands-on “critter talks,” learnfrom chefs at seafood seminars, andattend lectures. Research laboratoriesand the Teaching Marsh will be openfor tours and a children’s pavilion willhave educational activities and gamesfor youngsters. Stay tuned towww.vims.edu or call 804-684-7846for schedule and contest information orto find out how you can volunteer tobecome involved.

Marine ScienceDay Scheduled

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A study by VIMS graduate studentresearcher Mark La Guardia providesnew evidence of the release andenvironmental accumulation of acommon flame-retardant chemical. Hisfindings come in light of a recentvoluntary decision by the main U.S.manufacturer of two other closelyrelated and widely used flame retar-dants to discontinue their production.

La Guardia is a graduate studentunder Professor Dr. Rob Hale inVIMS’ Department of Environmentaland Aquatic Animal Health. Hale is aleading expert on the environmentalfate and effects of polybrominated

diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class ofchemicals added to many householdfoam and plastic products to reducetheir flammability.

The Great Lakes ChemicalCorporation will stop making thePBDE flame retardants known asPenta and Octa by December 2004,based on growing evidence that thechemicals are toxic, persist in theenvironment, bioaccumulate, and thatpeople are being exposed. Scientists atVIMS and elsewhere have detectedrising levels of these compounds in fish,sewage sludge, and human breast milk.

La Guardia’s research deals withthe third member of thePBDE family, known asDeca, which is the mostwidely used PBDE flameretardant in the world.Until recently, mostresearchers thought thatDeca—unlike Penta andOcta—posed relativelylittle environmental risk.That’s because theybelieved Deca was not ina form readily availableto organisms, knew of noobvious pathways by

Research QuestionsEnvironmental Safety ofFlame Retardant

Mark LaGuardia collects samples from a freshwater streamfor PBDE analysis.

If you haven’t heard of“proteomics,” you’re not alone. Butexpect to begin hearing more about thistechnique for analyzing all the proteinsexpressed by a cell, tissue, or organ-ism. Proteomics, which was nominatedby Science magazine as a “break-through” story for 2001, is now offer-ing new directions in cancer researchfor VIMS scientists Drs. Peter VanVeld and Wolfgang Vogelbein.

Van Veld and Vogelbein are usingproteomic techniques in collaborationwith researchers at the EasternVirginia Medical School to identifycancer biomarkers in wild fishes, withintriguing early results. Their studyfocuses on cancer-bearing mummi-chogs from a highly contaminated siteon Norfolk’s Elizabeth River calledAtlantic Wood.

Proteomics is perhaps best ex-plained in reference to the morefamiliar field of genomics. Researchers

Pair Pursue Promise of Proteomics From “Fish to Gel”

Continued on page 11

A section ofliver is takenfrom both the“control” orhealthy fish andthe fish knownto have cancer.The proteins areseparated ontoa gel plateusing 2Delectrophoresis.The scientiststhen choose aspot that isover- or under-expressed,remove it fromthe plate, andfind the aminoacid sequenceusing a massspectrometer.They can thenaccess an on-line data bankto determinewhat the proteinis (if known) orwhether it is anew discovery.

expended vast effort in the 1990s tosequence the human genome—thecomplete set of genes required to builda functional human being. The genomeprovides a “DNA blueprint” forbuilding an organism, whether human,mouse, or fruit fly.

But the genome is only the start ofthe story, just as a blueprint is only thestart of a house. The actual construc-tion of an organism from its geneticblueprint is accomplished through thecreation and action of proteins. Andunlike the genome, which remainsbasically unchanged from cell to celland throughout an organism’s life, theorganism’s proteome—its full comple-ment of proteins—is remarkablydynamic. The proteome can differfrom adult to juvenile, diseased tohealthy individuals, and from cell tocell.

All these possibilities result in aproteome estimated to be an order of

magnitude more complexthan the genome.Whereas scientists nowthink the human genomecomprises 30,000 to40,000 individual genes,the human proteomelikely contains hundredsof thousands of proteins.

Efforts to developtechnology for identifyingall human proteins firstbegan in the 1970s.However, the work wasput on hold in the 1980swith the advancement ofDNA technologies. Nowthat scientists havesuccessfully charted thegenome of humans, mice,and other organisms,they have renewed theirfocus on proteins and areapplying technologicaladvancements fromDNA research to thestudy of proteomics.These advancements areallowing them to movebeyond their previousfocus—on characterizingthe structure and func-tion of proteins alreadyknown to be associatedwith cancer—to ananalysis of an organism’sfull proteome, thuspromising discovery ofmany new cancermarkers.

Van Veld and Vogelbein chose theAtlantic Wood site for their studybecause it holds a population ofmummichogs with significantly el-evated levels of liver, pancreatic, andvascular cancers. The site is heavilycontaminated with polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons, a class of knowncarcinogens that derive largely fromtreatment of marine pilings and otherwood products with creosote. A secondsite, King Creek, provides a “standard”of fish living in a healthy environment.

“Being able to study a naturalpopulation of vertebrates that arecontinuously exposed to known humancarcinogens provides an ideal arena forcancer research,” explains Van Veld.

Although fish at the Atlantic Woodsite eventually develop cancer, theyremain resistant throughout their livesto the acute toxicity associated withexposure to creosote-contaminatedsediments. In contrast, fish from KingCreek die within days or weeks of

exposure to this sediment. The resis-tance to toxins observed in the tumor-bearing fish supports a theory proposedby renowned cancer expert EmmanuelFarber that chemically induced canceris an adaptation to a harsh chemicalenvironment.

Van Veld and Vogelbein havefound that toxin-resistant AtlanticWood fish exhibit altered proteinprofiles similar to those found in studiesof drug-resistant mammalian tumors.The proteins identified in these mam-malian studies are known to help breakdown and remove both chemical toxinsand cancer drugs.

Van Veld says that he is “encour-aged by early proteomic results andconfident that proteomics will promotethe discovery of new proteins, offernew ideas on the relationship betweencancer and toxicity resistance, and helpprovide new warning signs for earlycancer stages.”

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“We had moved most of our gearto higher ground or secured it to thepier because we expected flooding,”says Seitz, “but we never expected tolose the entire building.” The loss ofthe Ferry House was particularlysurprising because it had withstood thegreat “Storm King” hurricane of 1933,Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, andseveral other hurricanes or tropicalstorms since the 1920s.

Dr. Emmett Duffy’s food-webresearch also suffered from thedestruction of the piers. Isabel’s stormsurge carried off 11 large fiberglass

tanks and 30 medium-sized ones, alongwith their associated plumbing andfiltration systems. Duffy and hisgraduate students had been using thetanks to explore the working of foodwebs involving seagrass-dwellinginvertebrates. To date, only one of thelarge tanks has been retrieved, fromQueen’s Creek upriver of VIMS.

Duffy says that it is hard at thisstage to say how loss of the tanks willaffect his research. “If everything isrebuilt in a timely way by April or Maywhen our research resumes afterwinter, we should be OK, althoughwe’ll have to expend considerable timeand effort to reconfigure the system. If

we lose the spring it will be a signifi-cant setback.” Plans are to relocatethe tanks to the shoreline betweenByrd Hall and the VIMS MaintenanceComplex, both to protect them fromfuture storms and maximize researchersafety.

Mr. Mike Oesterling, a Commer-cial Fisheries Specialist in VIMS’ VASea Grant Program, released fish heldin the marine finfish culture facilityprior to Isabel’s arrival in anticipationof extended power outages andpotential physical damage. “Thedamages to the facility’s physicalstructure can be repaired,” saysOesterling, “but the same can not be

Hurricane Isabelcontinued from page 1

Debris and damage in maintenance area.

said of the lost research animals.”Particularly detrimental was release ofseveral 2-year old cobia weighingroughly 30 pounds each, which hadbeen raised from eggs and were to beused as brood stock in 2004. Oesterlingalso had to release several hundredsmall cobia that were to be used intagging research for stock enhance-ment. The closure of the marine finfishculture facility also postponed continu-ing aquaculture research on culturedspot until fall 2004.

For additional data on Isabel’seffects on the Bay and the VIMScampus, as well as photos and a videoclip, visit www.vims.edu/newsmedia/topstories

Phot

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Satellite image of Isabel making landfall.

The electrical shop sustained severe damage.

York River storm tide under Coleman Bridge.

Another view of the debris in maintenance area.

Fallen tree near Nunnally Hall.

Remnants of pumphouse at the boat basin.

Debris outside the SAV greenhouse. Ferry Pier and Ferry House after storm.

Images of Isabel

The Crest 5

As Hurricane Isabel approachedHampton Roads, VIMS Dean andDirector Don Wright was busy in hisadministrative role, helping Institutestaff move vulnerable scientific equip-ment out of harm’s way. But as ascientist, he couldn’t resist placing oneinstrument directly in the storm’s path.

That instrument, an AcousticDoppler Current Profiler, or ADCP, hashelped provide a unique quantitativerecord of the hurricane’s impact onlower Chesapeake Bay and theGloucester Point shoreline. Data fromthe ADCP show that Isabel created a7-foot storm tide topped by 6-footwaves. At the height of the storm,wave crests were passing over theinstrument once every 5 seconds, andthe storm was forcing the entire depthof the York River upstream at a rate of2 knots.

Wright notes that Isabel’s large sizecompounded its impacts. “BecauseIsabel was so large, its winds, waves,and surge affected the Bay for anabnormally long time.” The ADCPshowed that storm conditions persistedin the Bay for nearly 12 hours.

Wright and colleagues anchored theADCP in 28 feet of water severalhundred yards seaward of the VIMS

VIMS Scientists QuantifyIsabel’s Impacts on the Bay

campus, using long augers to securethe instrument to the muddy floor ofthe Bay. The instrument showed thatwave-driven currents were strongenough to mobilize bottom sedimentseven at this depth, increasing waterturbidity by a factor of two to threecompared to fair-weather conditions.

The ADCP works by emittingsound waves that reflect off water-borne particles. By recording andanalyzing these reflected waves, theinstrument can measure the averagecurrent velocity in every 25-cm layerbetween the sensor and the watersurface. It also measures turbulence,and the concentration of suspendedparticles.

Weather data provided by instru-ments atop VIMS’ Byrd Hall showthat maximum sustained winds on thecampus reached 65 mph, with 90-mphgusts. The barometer bottomed out at29.2 inches, with a rainfall accumula-tion of about 2.2 inches. Isabel’s stormtide reached 7.9 feet above MeanLower Low Water.

For additional data on Isabel’seffects on the Bay and the VIMScampus, as well as photos and a videoclip, visit www.vims.edu/newsmedia/topstories

photo here?

Isabel By the Numbers.....Data illustrating Hurricane Isabel’s impact on the VIMS campus

65 maximum sustained winds (mph)

90 maximum gusts (mph)

4.76 height of Isabel’s storm surge (feet)

6.6 height of waves (feet)

3 feet of seawater in Boat Basin at height of Isabel’s storm tide

29.2 inches of mercury (lowest barometric pressure)

2.2 inches of rainfall

820 tons of debris removed

40 percent of facilities maintenance buildings damaged

66 percent of maintenance, grounds, and housekeeping staff lefttemporarily without office space

88 percent of vessel support space damaged

$55,250 cost to demolish and dispose of Ferry House

700 linear feet of VIMS’ piers destroyed

525 overtime hours by VIMS facilities staff

VIMS Professor Dr. LindaSchaffner is the newly elected presi-dent of the Estuarine Research Fed-eration (ERF), the nation’s leadingscientific society for estuarine andcoastal issues.

As ERF president, Schaffnerchairs the Govern-ing Board andpresides at allboard and businessmeetings. Theboard makes policyand is responsiblefor long-termplanning andcontinuity of theFederation’sprograms andactivities.

Past ERFPresident Dr.Dennis Allen,Director of the University of SouthCarolina’s Baruch Marine Lab, saysthat “Defining what it takes to be aleader of a scientific society is not asimple task, but anyone who knowsLinda would recognize that she pos-sesses both the professional andpersonal skills necessary to be suc-cessful. Her broad background inestuarine science and coastal issues,strong work ethic, community spirit,and vision qualify her to be an excellentPresident. She has already generatedthe respect and support of a diversegoverning board and we’re all lookingforward to working with her to makegreat things happen.”

Schaffner plans to focus on severalcritical issues during her 2-year tenure,including strengthening the ERF journalEstuaries, enhancing the Federation’sefficiency and public outreach efforts,and increasing international member-ship and links with foreign scientificsocieties.

“Estuaries and coastal systems allover the world suffer from the effectsof urban sprawl, overfishing, invasivespecies, and other human activities,”says Schaffner. “To meet these globalchallenges, ERF must increase itsinternational membership and partnerwith scientific societies in othercountries.”

Schaffner has already begun herinternational effort with trips to Thai-land and Korea, where she visited withcolleagues to share knowledge andapproaches concerning the effective

study and management of estuarineresources.

Prior to becoming President,Schaffner served on the ERF board for6 years, first as a Member at Large,then Secretary, then President-Elect.As president, Schaffner says she is

trying to move ERFtowards a culture ofstrategic thinkingand planning. “Iwant our approachto be based on dataanalysis and brain-storming by ourboard members.As we begin to usethese planningactivities to formu-late policy, I will bechallenging theboard members toidentify tangible

goals and expected outcomes that wecan use to gauge our successes.”

Schaffner’s research at VIMSfocuses on the ecology of bottom-dwelling organisms and the processesof estuarine and coastal environments,including the effects of pollution andphysical disturbances. She hasauthored or co-authored more than 20peer-reviewed publications since 1990.

During the past 15 years,Schaffner has served on professionalpanels or committees for the VirginiaDepartment of Environmental Quality,EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program, theNational Science Foundation,Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Monitor-ing Program, the Swedish Environmen-tal Protection Board, and many others.Schaffner also received the 2003Outstanding Faculty Award from theVirginia State Council of HigherEducation, and served as an AssociateEditor for ERF’s flagship journalEstuaries from 1998-2001.

The Estuarine Research Federa-tion, founded in 1971, is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization withmembers dedicated to advancingunderstanding and appreciation of theworld’s estuaries and coasts, to thewise use and management of theseenvironments, and to making researchresults and management actionsavailable to everyone. Academicresearchers, public sector managers,teachers, consultants, students, andothers interested in estuaries make upthe 1,500-member organization.

Schaffner Elected ERFPresident

Dr. Linda Schaffner

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VIMS professor Dr. MikeNewman has been selected to receivethe Society of Environmental Toxicol-ogy and Chemistry’s highest award inrecognition of his career contributionsto the environmental sciences.

SETAC North America’s PresidentAnne Fairbrother bestowed the 2003Founders Award on Newman duringthe opening plenary session of theSociety’s AnnualMeeting in Austin,Texas on November10th. The award isgiven annually to aperson with an out-standing career whohas made clearlyidentifiable contribu-tions in the environ-mental sciencesconsistent with thegoals of SETAC.

Newman is aProfessor of MarineScience in VIMS’Department of Environmental andAquatic Animal Health. DepartmentChair Dr. Steve Kaattari notes that“this award is a real honor for Mike,and reflects on the exceptionally highquality of VIMS faculty.”

During his 25-year researchcareer, Newman has focused onquantitatively studying how contami-nants such as mercury and polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons affect popula-tions of fish and invertebrates. He hasauthored or co-authored 94 peer-reviewed publications, written 4 books,edited 5 others, developed 4 software

programs for statistical analysis oftoxicological data, and served as aneditor for 11 different scientific publica-tions, including Environmental Toxi-cology and Chemistry, RiskAssessment, and Ecotoxicology.

He has also served on manyscientific advisory and steering groups,including the Scientific Advisory Boardto EPA Administrator Christine

Whitman, numerousDOE and EPA Officeof Pesticides advisoryteams, the EPA Chesa-peake Bay ToxicsAdvisory Committee,and has providedscientific review fornumerous industry andgovernment documents.

Newman is activein graduate education atVIMS, having servedas Dean of GraduateStudies from 1999-2002and teaching courses

on Quantitative Ecological Toxicologyand Environmental Risk Assessment.He has taught these courses in Finland,England, Belgium, Australia, and atseveral U.S. universities.

SETAC is an independent, non-profit professional society for individu-als and institutions engaged in the studyof environmental issues, with a com-mitment to balance the interests ofacademia, business, and government.The international organization has morethan 5,000 members from 50 U.S.states, 9 Canadian provinces, and morethan 70 countries worldwide.

Newman wins SETAC FoundersAward

Dr. Mike Newman

It’s been a busy fall for oysterresearchers at VIMS, following a mid-August validation of their work by aNational Academy of Science commit-tee tasked with evaluating the risks andbenefits of introducing non-nativeoysters to Chesapeake Bay.

The Academy’s highly anticipatedreport asserts that carefully regulatedaquaculture of sterile Asian oysterscould help the oyster industry andgenerate needed risk-assessment data,whereas any introduction of a repro-ductive population of the non-nativeoysters should be delayed until more isknown about potential environmentalrisks.

The report’s recommendationsmirror those expressed in a positionstatement released by VIMS scientists

in fall 2002, and help validate their on-going strategy for oyster research. TheVIMS statement notes that carefullydesigned and monitored commercialtrials can provide data on both theaquaculture potential and the ecologicalimpacts of the non-native oysterCrassostrea ariakensis, and agreesthat introducing reproductively capableariakensis into Chesapeake Baywould be imprudent at the presenttime.

The Academy report was writtenby an 11-member committee of oysterexperts from around the U.S. At apress conference to announce thereport’s release, Committee co-chairsDrs. Dennis Hedgecock and James

Anderson endorsed last February’sdecision by the Virginia Marine Re-sources Commission to allow a com-mercial trial of sterile Asian oysters by10 Virginia Seafood Council (VSC)growers. They also noted “the processused so far is a model program for therest of the coast.”

The VSC trial began in lateSeptember with the deployment ofabout 250,000 sterile ariakensisoysters to 8 Virginia growers. The trialis designed to further explore theeconomic potential of this non-nativespecies for aquaculture in ChesapeakeBay.

The sterile trial oysters wereprovided by a team of researchers inVIMS’ Aquaculture Genetics andBreeding Technology Center led by Dr.

Stan Allen. Allen’s grouprenders oysters sterileusing a state-of-the-artgenetic technique that isabout 99.9% effective,giving growers andregulators the confi-dence to proceed withlarge-scale commercialtrials under conditions ofminimal risk.

Allen’s team is nowmonitoring the status ofthe deployed oysters ateach commercial grow-out site to ensure thatthe VSC test continuesto meet the higheststandards of science andbiosecurity. In addition,they are conductingparallel experiments witha sterile, disease-resistant strain of thenative oysterCrassostrea virginica

to compare its performance to that ofthe non-native species.

The Academy report also validatesefforts at VIMS to investigate thepotential effects of ariakensis on Bayecology. The report lists several issuesthat require further research, includingthe potential introduction of a newdisease, competition with nativeoysters, dispersal of non-native oystersoutside Chesapeake Bay, and marketdemand for non-native oysters. Thisadditional research, says the report, willbe needed before scientists canreassess the environmental risks ofwider aquaculture of sterile non-nativeoysters or the introduction of reproduc-tive ones.

ABC Oyster Work Continues with Academy ValidationVIMS researchers are active in

each of the research areas promoted inthe Academy report. Dr. GeneBurreson and colleagues in the VIMSShellfish Disease Laboratory arestudying potential pathogens of C.ariakensis in its native range in China.Dr. Mark Luckenbach of VIMS’Eastern Shore Laboratory is conduct-ing competition studies betweenariakensis and virginica. Earlymarketing studies of ariakensis wereconducted by scientists in VIMS’Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisoryprogram.

VIMS began exploring the use ofnon-native oysters for Bay aquaculturein 1995 at the request of the VirginiaGeneral Assembly, and began fieldtrials with sterile ariakensis oysters in1998. Those trials showed that C.ariakensis was faster growing thanthe native virginica oyster, bettertolerated the oyster diseases MSX andDermo, and compared favorably intaste tests.

To read the Academy report on-line, visit www.nap.edu/books/0309090520/html/. To learn more aboutAllen’s VSC monitoring program, visitwww.vims.edu/vsc/

ABC researchers Liz Walker, Karen Hudson, andDr. Stan Allen prepare sterile ariakensis oysters fordeployment to Virginia growers.

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Faculty at VIMS and HamptonUniversity are using a new 4-yearNational Science Foundation grant tohelp diversify the nation’s futuremarine and environmental scienceworkforce through a unique programthat stresses early involvement inresearch and strong mentoring as away to enhance undergraduate perfor-mance and the likelihood for success ingraduate school.

The collaborative program, knownas “Diversity in Research in Environ-mental and Marine Sciences,” orDREAMS, is headed by Drs. BenjaminCuker andDeidre Gibsonof HamptonUniversity andby VIMS’ Drs.Kam Tang, IrisAnderson, andLindaSchaffner.

What setsDREAMSapart, notesGibson, is that“it comprehen-sively ad-dresses theobstaclesfaced by minority students.” Thoseinclude a lack of role models, unaware-ness of career opportunities, andlimited research experience.

Beginning this fall, Gibson andTang selected the first group ofDREAMS students from incomingundergraduates in HamptonUniversity’s Marine & EnvironmentalScience, Biology, and Chemistrydepartments. Selection was based onacademic performance, a writtenessay, and enthusiasm for the program.Additional freshmen will be selectedfrom each incoming class through2006.

During the next four years,DREAMS students will sequentiallyfollow a specially designed curriculumthat emphasizes classroom instruction,hands-on research, and communica-

Collaborative Program Helps FulfillStudents’ DREAMS

tions skills. In their freshman year,each group will take an entry-levelcourse that explores aquatic sciencethrough lecture, field, and laboratoryexperience. They will also be requiredto take a research skills course andattend a series of seminars by invitedenvironmental and biological scientists.

As sophomores, students will gainbroad exposure to the many researchprograms at VIMS by participating ineach of five VIMS research areasrepresenting biological, physical,environmental, and fisheries science, aswell as coastal & ocean policy. They’ll

also attend aseries of careerseminars givenby representa-tives fromindustry,government,and academia.

As juniors,each studentwill conduct ayearlongresearchproject in aVIMS labora-tory to deepenhis or her

learning and research experience.Students will also regularly attendVIMS seminars to learn about facultyand student research in a wide varietyof marine science fields. Tang notesthat “attending these seminars will notonly broaden the students’ knowledge,but also help them identify potentialmentors for graduate studies atVIMS.”

Year 4 is the sharing and outreachphase of DREAMS. Senior studentswill attend professional meetings topresent their research projects to thescientific community, and share theirknowledge and experience with thelocal community through teacherworkshops, summer science camps,and field trips.

Both Gibson and Tang expect theprogram to continue past the initial four

years of NSF funding. “As the pro-gram grows,” says Gibson, “seniorinterns will be recruited to be studentmentors. This will help establishDREAMS interns as role modelsamong their peers, and help attractmore underrepresented students intoenvironmental sciences.”

DREAMS, which is funded byNSF’s Undergraduate Mentoring inEnvironmental Biology program, willbuild on a long-standing record ofsuccessful coopera-tion between VIMSand HamptonUniversity in trainingstudents from under-represented groupsin environmentalbiology and marinescience. HamptonUniversity is one ofthe top rankedminority-servinginstitutions in theU.S., with a strongtradition of educatingAfrican Americans.It was ranked #4 in

VIMS researchers Roy Pemberton (2nd from left) and Dr. JackMusick (with book) meet with Hampton University’s DeidreGibson (center) and potential DREAMS scholars followingMusick’s DREAMS lecture.

VIMS Faculty Help Bring Minorities to Marine ScienceEditor’s Note: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and PacificIslanders make up one quarter of the U.S. population, but less than 100individuals from these ethnic groups hold a doctoral degree in marine sciencein the U.S. Barring any changes, this disparity will grow even more pro-nounced in the future, as these ethnic groups are expected to make up halfthe nation’s population by 2050.

Faculty and students at VIMS and neighboring institutions are working toincrease the representation of minorities in marine science through a con-certed strategy of training, mentoring, and financial support. The followingarticle describes these efforts, which are aimed at both undergraduate andgraduate students.

Although several thousand minoritystudents graduate each year withundergraduate degrees in the basicsciences, very few go on for Ph.D.s inoceanography or marine science. Thismeans a growing pool of talentedscientists isn’t being tapped. In aneffort to increase ethnic diversity in theocean sciences, VIMS is teaming withHampton University and Old DominionUniversity to create a Program ofExcellence for educating minoritydoctoral students in ocean sciences.Dr. Linda Schaffner will overseeVIMS’ role in the Program, which isfunded through the National ScienceFoundation.

Applications to the Program will besought through various science-relatedminority programs and from institutionsknown for producing minority studentstrained in aquatic and marine sciences.A special application will be developed

Program of Excellence TargetsMinority Ph.D.s

to meet the requirements of both theODU and VIMS/SMS programsincluding transcripts, GRE scores,letters of recommendation, and anessay. The application will includeadditional questions to determine theapplicants’ ability to meet the programrequirements.

Students accepted into the Pro-gram will be supported thoughcoursework and dissertation researchwith a stipend, tuition, orientations,shared course work, regular groupmeetings, special seminars, near-peermentoring, and exposure to minoritymentors. Participation in outreachactivities and mentoring of youngerstudents will aid in professional devel-opment.

The program is designed to support12-15 students per year and is slated tobegin during the fall semester of 2004.

the list of best colleges for Afro-American students in the January 2001issue of Black Enterprise. VIMS hasa strong tradition of training scientistsfrom under-represented groups. Inrecent years, VIMS has granted threePhD and several Master’s degrees toHampton University alumni, and theInstitute’s Research Experience forUndergraduates program has served86 under-represented students since1989; including many HU students.

In an increasingly global economy,making full use of all of the Nation’s

human resources is essential to success-ful international competition, world

leadership in science and engineering,and an improved quality of life in the

U.S. Different perspectives, talents, andexperiences produce better ideas and

ultimately better goods and services tomeet the needs of increasingly diverse

markets in the U.S. and abroad.—from a 1996 National Science

Foundation Report

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An international conference hostedby VIMS researchers in early Octoberbrought many of the world’s leadingsediment scientists to Gloucester Point.

The 7th International Conferenceon Nearshore and Estuarine CohesiveSediment Transport Processes(INTERCOH) drew nearly 100scientists from nations around theworld, including Australia, Belgium,Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark,France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea,Mexico, the Netherlands, NewCaledonia, Portugal, Taiwan, the UK,Uruguay, and the U.S.

The fate of cohesive sediments likeclay and mud is an important environ-mental issue because electrostaticcharges on the surface of theseparticles tend to easily attract pollut-ants. Even “clean” cohesive sedimentscan cause environmental concerns. Forinstance, storm waves and tides caneasily mix these fine-grained sediments

VIMS Hosts InternationalSediment Conference

into the water column, blocking sunlightfor photosynthesis.

Conference Secretary Dr. JeromeMaa, an associate professor in VIMS’Physical Sciences Department, saysthat the focus of this year’sINTERCOH conference was onquestions related to computer modelingof particle-bound contaminant transportin estuarine and open-coast environ-ments.

“The research community clearlyrecognizes the need to carry out fieldand laboratory studies on cohesivesediment,” says Maa, “but the consid-erable complexity of cohesive sedimentprocesses requires further effort tofully address the broad range ofmodeling questions.”

Conference proceedings areavailable on-line at www.vims.edu/intercoh/. For further information oncomputer modeling at VIMS, visitwww.vims.edu/physical/research.html

VIMS Associate Professor Dr. Carl Friedrichs addresses INTERCOH participants in McHughAuditorium.

Virginia chefs and scientistsgathered at VIMS on October 13 toparticipate in the Chefs’ SeafoodSymposium focusing on “SustainableSeafood: What Does it Mean forVirginia Chefs?”

Open to all interested culinaryprofessionals and culinary students, theevent featured scientific updates on thestatus of selected Virginia seafoodspecies and a panel discussion withchefs and scientists on sustainableseafood. Discussions of the fisheriesfor blue crab (Dr. Rom Lipcius), seascallops (Dr. Bill DuPaul), and tunaand swordfish (Dr. John Graves),preceded a cooking demonstration byguest chef Brynjar Björgvinsson from 3Frakkar (“3 Frenchmen”) Restaurantin Reykjavik, Iceland. ChefBjorgvinsson demonstrated severalIcelandic seafood recipes, substitutingChesapeake Bay striped bass for thetraditional codfish.

The 135 attendees includedstudents and instructors from severalculinary schools, including J. SargeantReynolds in Richmond and HenricoCounty Schools’ Hermitage TechnicalCenter. The students from Hermitageprepared and served the lunch for theevent. A reception featuring seafoodproducts and Virginia wine tastingfollowed the general sessions. The

symposium, certified by the AmericanCulinary Federation, provides continu-ing education credits for certifiedchefs.

Virginia Sea Grant, the VirginiaChefs Association, and VIMS spon-sored the program, with additionalsupport from the Iceland SeafoodCorporation, Virginia Department ofAgriculture and Consumer ServicesWine Marketing Office, HermitageTechnical Center Culinary Program,U.S. Foodservice, Williamsburg Inn,and Magnolia’s Catering.

In addition to the Chefs’ Sympo-sium, four Seafood Education Semi-nars, open to the public, were held inOctober and November. Each seminarincluded a presentation by a VIMSscientist on a Virginia seafood species,followed by a cooking demonstrationconducted by chefs from restaurantsincluding River’s Inn, Founders Inn,Princess Anne Country Club, and theSanderling Inn. Following the instruc-tion, participants enjoyed a seafoodmeal featuring a tasting of Virginiawines.

For more information on thesymposium and other components ofthe Virginia Sea Grant seafood educa-tion program, see www.vims.edu/adv/seafood.

Sea Grant Sponsors SeafoodEducation Programs

VIMS students Jacques Oliver andBruce Vogt were two of the threegraduate students from Virginiarecently awarded a prestigious John A.Knauss Marine Policy Fellowshipthrough the National Sea Grant FederalFellows Program. This one-yearfellowship matches outstanding gradu-ate students from around the nationwith hosts in legislative or executive

VIMS Students Chosen asKnauss Fellows

offices in the Washington, DC area andprovides an opportunity for a betterunderstanding of the decision-makingprocess affecting national policytoward marine resources.

Oliver, a Ph. D. student, will beplaced in the House Committee onResources: Subcommittee on FisheriesConservation, Wildlife, and Oceans(minority).

“I expect the fellowship willgive me perspective on howscience and policy interface,”says Oliver. He also believes theprofessional skills he’ll learn,such as communication andconflict resolution, will bevaluable wherever his careerpath may lead. While at VIMS,Oliver has been studying iron andcarbon limitation in plankton andrelated carbon cycling withadvisor Dr. Hugh Ducklow.

Vogt’s fellowship will be in theOffice of the Oceanographer of theNavy, where he will coordinate re-search efforts between the Navy andthe National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration, and help guide interna-tional policy related to oceans andfisheries, with a focus on the Inte-grated Global Ocean ObservingSystem.

“I’m interested in the policy sidebecause that’s where things happen,”says Vogt. “That’s where I think I canmake more of a difference.” Vogt’smaster’s research with adviser Dr.Linda Schaffer has focused on sedi-

ment contamination and predator-preyinteractions in Chesapeake Bay.

Oliver and Vogt’s selection contin-ues a long tradition of involvement inthe program by VIMS students. Of the44 students from institutes of highereducation in Virginia who have servedas Knauss fellows since the programbegan in 1979, 29 (65%) have hailedfrom VIMS.

When asked why he thinks VIMSstudents have traditionally been amongthe finalists arriving in DC eachNovember, Oliver responds, “It’s atestament to VIMS’ well-roundedinterdisciplinary programs.”2004 Knauss fellows Jacques Oliver and Bruce Vogt.

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A team of VIMS scientists spent10 consecutive days beneath thewaves this summer, using the sub-merged Aquarius habitat as a basecamp for forays to the surroundingcoral reef.

Aquarius is the world’s onlypermanent underwater laboratory.About as big as a bus, it rests 60 feetunderwater and 3.5 miles offshore onConch Reef in the Florida KeysNational Marine Sanctuary. Aquarius“aquanauts” live and work on theseafloor for extended periods using atechnique called saturation diving.

The July expedition was thesecond trip to Aquarius during the lastyear for Dr. Mark Patterson and hiscrew. Their continuing goal is toexamine how reef shape and currentsmight affect coral bleaching. Theyadded a new wrinkle during their mostrecent mission by exploring whetherbacteria might contribute to bleachingas well.

Bleaching, which occurs whencorals expel the algae that normallyinhabit and color their tissues, has beenwidely linked to global warming. Evena degree or two increase in summerwater temperature can stress coralsand cause them to bleach. Because thealgae produce food for the coral, theirexpulsion reduces a coral’s ability togrow and reproduce, and may eventu-ally cause the coral to die. Bleaching is

devastating coral reefs in Florida andthroughout the Caribbean.

But a general rise in water tem-perature does not completely explainobserved bleaching patterns. Small-scale variations in bleaching across areef—one coral may bleach whileanother just meters away remainshealthy—suggest that other factorssuch as current flow, oxygen levels,and now possibly bacteria, may alsoplay a role.

Patterson’s team is exploringwhether bacteria might be implicated inCaribbean coral bleaching by removingsamples from bleached corals andreturning them to VIMS for analysis.

Suspicions concerning bacteria’spossible role in bleaching are based ona 1997 study showing that bleaching ofone Mediterranean coral species iscaused by a bacterial infection. Thestudy also suggested that a rise inseawater temperature can aggravatethe bacterial infection by lowering thecoral’s resistance, increasing thebacteria’s virulence, or both.

The primary goal of the Aquariusmission is to test whether small-scalebleaching patterns might be due to theeffects of localized currents. The ideais that a reef’s irregular surface—marked by countless crannies andprotrusions—can generate complexcurrent patterns that might bathe onecoral in overly warm or oxygen-poor

water, causing it to bleach,while a nearby coral isbathed in waters moreconducive to health.

Diving from Aquariusgives Patterson and hiscrew the time needed tothoroughly investigate howthe health of individualcorals relates to localwater conditions. Unlikesurface divers, Aquariusaquanauts can stayunderwater indefinitelyand have nearly unlimitedbottom time during theirdives. At the end of amission, aquanautsundergo a 17-hour decom-pression.

Combining detaileddata collected by theAquarius aquanauts withreef-wide data collectedearlier by a robotic subwill allow the team to linklocal bleaching patterns tolarge-scale current

VIMS Aquanauts Visit Inner Space

VIMS aquanauts and topside team inside Aquarius during November 2002 mission.Clockwise from center: Dr. Mark Patterson, Kristen Delano, Lauren Batte (W&M/NOAA),Jo Gascoigne, Danny Gouge, Beth Hinchey, Janet Nestlerode, Jim Buckley (AquariusHabitat Manager), and Byron Croker (NOAA).

patterns generated by the entire reef.Patterson’s sub, nicknamed “Fetch,”can dive far longer and deeper thaneven Aquarius aquanauts. Fetch flightscan last hours and cover tens ofkilometers. Unlike remotely operatedvehicles (ROVs), which require cablesor tethers to operate, Fetch is anautonomous underwater vehicle, orAUV, that flies freely through thewater using on-board computer pro-grams that tell it where to go and whento sample.

Fetch visited the Aquarius site ontwo occasions earlier this year, swim-ming more than 100 nautical miles overthe reef and discovering interestingpatterns in the distribution of oxygen.Combining the Fetch oxygen measure-

ments with the detailed data collectedby the aquanauts will provide the firstcomprehensive look at how oxygenvaries across a reef.

Graduate students Kristen Delano,Jo Gascoigne, and Janet Nestlerodejoined Patterson on the July mission.VIMS graduate student LawrenceCarpenter provided topside sciencesupport, along with William & Marygraduate Lauren Batte and RandyCutter, a former VIMS master’sstudent.

Aquarius is owned by the NationalOcean and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) and is operated by theNational Undersea Research Center atthe University of North Carolina atWilmington.

The VIMS After Hours SeminarSeries attracted almost 500 people tothe Gloucester Point campus during itsinaugural 2003 season, with lectures onsea turtles, seagrass, blue crabs,sharks, jellyfish, deep-sea squid, andbald eagles.

The 2004 Series will begin at 7 pmon January 29 with Dr. DennisBlanton’s lecture on “People and aChanging Chesapeake: The Last 5,000Years.”

Blanton, Director of the Centerfor Archeological Research at Williamand Mary, has studied virtually all

aspects of Virginia history, from theresponse of early peoples to sea levelchange to the early colonial history ofJamestown Island and GloucesterCounty.

The lectures, which are free, willcontinue throughout the year, generallyon the last Thursday of each month.Reservations are required due tolimited space. Call (804) 684-7846 ore-mail programs@vims.edu for reser-vations and information.

Funding for the After Hours Seriesis provided by the CBNERRVA andCCRM programs at VIMS.

After Hours Series DrawsLarge Crowds

VIMS graduate student Jo Gascoigne uses a fluorometerto measure the photosynthetic ability of the algae thatnormally inhabit coral tissue.

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As human activities continue toreduce the diversity of plant and animalcommunities around the world, re-searchers are striving to understandhow loss of biodiversity will affectecosystems and the services theyprovide.

A recent food-web study by VIMSresearchers Emmett Duffy, ElizabethCanuel, and Paul Richardson showsthat reduced biodiversity may affectecosystems in a much more compli-cated way than suggested by earlyexperiments with plants only, and thatinteractions between plants andanimals are critically important indetermining the ultimate effects ofhuman-induced biodiversity loss.

The research, reported in the Juneissue of Ecology Letters, has beenselected by the editors of Sciencemagazine as a “highlight of the recentliterature.” Lead author Duffy is anAssociate Professor of Marine Sciencein VIMS Department of BiologicalSciences.

Ecologists have been focusing onthe relationship between biodiversity

loss and ecosystem function for the lastdecade, spurred on by increasingnumbers of disappearing species,several high-profile reports, and the1992 U.N. Convention on BiologicalDiversity.

Past work has focused on manipu-lating the number of plant species in asystem and examining consequentchanges in biomass and productivity.Such experiments typically show thatreducing plant diversity lowers plantproduction. Duffy and his colleaguesadded a new layer of realism by addingherbivores to these experiments, andfound that decreasing the diversity ofthese grazing organisms in a seagrassecosystem actually increased plantdiversity and biomass.

“Because grazer-mediated effectson the ecosystem are opposite thoseassociated with plants,” says Duffy,“the effects of plant and herbivorediversity on ecosystem functioning maycounteract one another as diversity islost in nature.” Thus, the Scienceeditors note, “food web interactionsmay be critically important in determin-

VIMS Study Highlights Link BetweenBiodiversity and Ecosystem Function

ing the ultimateeffects onecosystems ofhuman-inducedbiodiversityloss.”

WhenDuffy’s teamincreased thediversity of theherbivorecommunity, itsability to effi-ciently useresources and produce biomassincreased as well, a finding that mayhave practical importance for fisheries.“Small crustaceans like the grazers westudied dominate the diet of shallow-water fishes. Thus, our results suggestthat high biodiversity at this intermedi-ate trophic level may enhance energytransfer up the food chain, and mayhelp boost fishery yields. “

Duffy’s research is helping to fill acritical gap in scientific understanding.A recent National Research Councilreport says that a better understanding

Small grazing herbivores like these amphipod crustaceans helpmaintain the health of seagrass beds.

of biodiversity and ecosystem function-ing is one of the “grand” challenges ofenvironmental research for the nextgeneration. The National ResearchCouncil, the principal operating arm ofthe National Academy of Sciences, is aprivate, non-profit institution thatprovides scientific and technical adviceunder a congressional charter. TheCouncil report was sponsored by theNational Science Foundation.

To learn more about ecologicalresearch at VIMS, visitwww.vims.edu/bio/mobee/.

Hudson Stars in LabSafety Video

VIMS research technician KarenHudson plays a feature role in a new14-minute lab safety video designed forhigh school science classes. The videowas filmed at VIMS by CoastalTraining Technologies, Corp., a Vir-ginia-Beach-based supplier of safetytraining videos to academic institutionsand companies around the U.S.Coastal Video compensates VIMS foruse of its facilities by providing compli-mentary copies of other training videosto the VIMS Safety office.

VIMS Contributes toMarine Census

Drs. Mike Vecchione and DeborahSteinberg shared their research withcolleagues during the first full meetingof the 10-year, $1 billion Census ofMarine Life initiative at the Smithson-ian Institution in October. More than300 scientists from 53 countries are atwork on the Census, designed toassess the changing diversity, distribu-tion, and abundance of ocean life.After 3 years of work, Census scien-tists have catalogued 15,304 species of

News Briefsmarine fish, about 5,400 other animals,and numerous marine plants. CoMLscientists estimate that 210,000 marinelife forms are currently known, but thefinal tally could be 10 times higher.

Japanese TV Highlightsariakensis

Recent media coverage of VIMS’research on the non-native oysterC. ariakensis included a 5-minute seg-ment produced by TV Tokyo’s Wash-ington Bureau. The segment aired on anightly Japanese news program thattypically reaches 1 million viewers.Dr. Stan Allen’s interview with corre-spondent Mika Otsuka was subtitled inJapanese. The native range ofC. ariakensis includes Japan, whereits native name “suminoe” means“from the clear water of a big river.”

W&M RecognizesHurricane Clean Up Crew

Fifty-eight VIMS employees wererecognized by the College of Williamand Mary for “going above and beyondthe call of duty” in their response toHurricane Isabel and its aftermath.W&M president Tim Sullivan granted a

day of leave and complimentary ticketsto the W&M/New Hampshire footballgame to all members of the FacilitiesManagement Department (includinggrounds, housekeeping, and mainte-nance personnel), as well as to se-lected faculty and staff from Account-ing, Safety, Security, Vessels, and theEastern Shore Lab. Hourly employeesreceived a gift certificate to the W&Mbookstore. VIMS Maintenance Super-intendent RV Carmean was noted asone of the most valuable contributors tothe effort. As one faculty member putit, “there are few who fretted as much,worked as hard, and got as little sleepbefore, during, and after the hurricaneas RV.”

Mini-School ExploresOcean’s Role in Climate

Drs. Deborah Bronk, WalkerSmith, and Deborah Steinberg helpedthe public understand the role ofmarine plankton in climate changeduring the latest in a continuing seriesof VIMS “Mini-School of MarineScience” programs. “Global Changeand You” attracted more than 300people of all ages to the ScienceMuseum of Virginia in Richmond

during September. Forty participantsadded a daylong fieldtrip to VIMS.65% of participants noted that the mini-school had substantially or significantlyincreased their knowledge of thesubject.

Summer ProgramsInform Visitors

VIMS’ weekly public tours,Summer Saturdays, and Bay Explora-tion Field Trips helped 427 citizens ofall ages discover more about VIMS,marine research, and Chesapeake Bay.Public tour participants learned aboutthe aquaria in VIMS’ Visitor Center,spoke with scientists about currentresearch while visiting a laboratory, andgained appreciation for the ecologicalimportance of tidal wetlands on theteaching marsh tour. The SummerSaturdays programs allowed childrenand adults to speak with aquarists andseine for aquatic animals. The BayExploration Filed Trips, hosted by theChesapeake Bay National EstuarineReserve, took participants on day-longeducational canoe trips focusing onshallow-water habitats. Stay tuned towww.vims.edu for similar opportunitiesfor fun and learning next summer.

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Community EcologyDr. Rochelle Seitz’s Community Ecology Laboratory

conducts field studies on the ecology of bottom-dwellingcoastal and estuarine invertebrates, and explores how thestructure and function of these benthic communitiesaffects and is affected by organisms higher on the foodchain. Visit www.vims.edu/bio/community/

DREAMSThis site describes the “Diversity in Research in

Environmental and Marine Sciences” program, a VIMS-Hampton University collaboration to help diversify thenation’s marine science workforce through strongmentoring and early involvement of under-representedminority students in research.Visit www.vims.edu/dreams/

IVARSThis site describes Dr. Walker Smith’s research

program to study Interannual VAriations in the Ross Sea.IVARS seeks to explore how the marked seasonal andyear-to-year oceanographic changes that characterize thiscoastal Antarctic ecosystem affect its living communities,including extensive colonies of penguins, birds, andmammals. Visit www.vims.edu/bio/ivars/

Non-Native Oyster TrialsResearchers in VIMS’ Aquaculture Genetics and

Breeding Technology Center (ABC) have developed anindependent program to monitor the status of sterileariakensis oysters in the latest and largest commercial testof this non-native species. Visit www.vims.edu/vsc/

OIE Reference LabVIMS’ Shellfish Diseases Laboratory is the sole OIE

Reference Laboratory for the oyster diseases MSX andDermo. OIE is the Office International Epizooties, aFrance-based international advisory organization oninfectious animal diseases. OIE is the World TradeOrganization’s official arbiter for issues involving wild oraquacultured marine animals.Visit www.vims.edu/env/research/shellfish/oie/

REU ApplicationsApplication forms for VIMS’ Summer Intern Program,

which each year places 12-15 undergraduates with facultymentors for a research experience, are now available on-line. Applications are due by February 16, 2004. Allstudents, including those traditionally under-represented inthe marine sciences, are encouraged to apply.Visit http://tethys.vims.edu/reu/apply.cfm

Storm SurgeA new sea-level analysis by VIMS emeritus professor

Dr. John Boon helps explain the unexpected reach ofHurricane Isabel’s storm tide, and suggests that futurestorms will pose even greater flood risks. Boon also arguesthat changing the way storm tides are referenced couldhelp coastal residents understand and minimize potentialimpacts.Visit www.vims.edu/physical/research/isabel/

which the compound could enter theenvironment, and because it wasconsidered non-toxic.

But La Guardia’s findings add to agrowing body of evidence that Deca isentering natural systems in largeamounts and may breakdown to moretoxic and bioaccumulative products.These products may impact normaldevelopment of the nervous system,which may, in turn, affect memory andlearning in young animals, includinghumans.

In his study of a freshwater mid-Atlantic stream, La Guardia foundextremely high concentrations of Deca,although the exact source of thecompound remains unknown. He alsofound that the stream’s sunfish aretaking up BDE-209, the main com-pound in Deca, and appear to bebreaking it down into other, morehazardous PBDE compounds.

La Guardia notes that “Deca is inthe environment, it’s in fish, and it maybe breaking down into other PBDEcompounds with suspected healthrisks.”

La Guardia presented his findingsat the annual meeting of the Society ofToxicology and Environmental Chemis-try (SETAC) in Austin, TX in earlyNovember.

Safety of Flame Retardantcontinued from page 3

Dr. Carl Hershner and a team ofscientists from VIMS’ Center forCoastal Resources Management(CCRM) spent a week this summer atthe Coastal and Marine ResourcesCentre (CMRC) in Cork, Ireland. Thevisit was part of a Memorandum ofUnderstanding between UniversityCollege Cork (UCC) and VIMS thatwas signed in March 2003. Theagreement involves finding ways forestuarine and coastal researchers toshare ideas and methods from bothsides of the Atlantic Ocean.

As with CCRM, CMRC scientistsfocus on investigating the interactionsbetween coastal resources and humanpopulations, with a practical goal ofencouraging sustainable use andhelping policy makers adopt andimplement scientifically based manage-ment plans.

During the visit, CCRM scientistsdemonstrated the shoreline inventorymethods that they have developed

CCRM Kicks Off Trans-Atlantic Collaborationusing advanced GPS (Global Position-ing System) receivers. These tech-niques are of special interest to theIrish scientists as they work to createdigital atlases of shoreline conditions inthe Cork Harbor estuary. Both centersare working on computer programsthat help resource managers accessand use inventory information. The twogroups exchanged ideas and experi-ences in development and implementa-tion of these programs.

On the final days of the visit,scientists discussed opportunities forcollaborative research and agreed toparticipate in a project proposed to theEuropean Union. The visit laid thegroundwork for future staff exchangesto further the transfer of methods. Thisplanning has already brought one of theCMRC staff to VIMS for an extendedinternship in the CCRM CoastalInventory Program.

Other areas of collaboration, suchas seabed mapping and the integration

of GIS (GeographicalInformation Systems) withwave climate models hasalready proved valuable toboth resource manage-ment centers. Hershnerexplains, “Having partner-ships with universitiesabroad is extremelyvaluable. It strengthensour own Institute andhelps determine the bestmethods for handlingcoastal shoreline andwatershed managementissues right here inVirginia.”

CCRM employees MarciaBerman (on ladder) andHarry Berquist (at stern)

spent a day reviewingshoreline survey techniquesin Cork Harbor with CMRCscientists Valerie Cummins

and Vicki O’Donnell(at wheel).

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Calendar of Events

Visit our website at www.vims.edu

—January 2004—20 Annual Fund Board of Directors Meeting22 VIMS Council Meeting28 Volunteer Meeting/ Reception28 - 30 Winter Botany Class29 After Hours Lecture- “People in the Chesapeake: The last 5000 yrs”

—February 2004—24 - 25 Advanced Soils Class26 After Hours Lecture - TBA27-28 Blue Crab Bowl, at Old Dominion University

—March 2004—8-12 Spring Break18 CIVIC Leadership Institute23-26 Wetland ID/Delineation Class25 After Hours Lecture - TBA26 Shore and Beach Annual Conference

For an up-to-date listing of public events and seminars at VIMS,visit the new on-line calendar system at www.vims.edu/calendars/

For more information call 804/684-7101 or 804/684-7846.

VIMS alumni are invited to returnto the Point for VIMS’ first-everAlumni Weekend. The weekend kicksoff on Friday, April 16 with VIMS’annual awards ceremony, followed bya luncheon with faculty, staff, andstudents. Following lunch, a campustour will highlight current research andrecent additions to the Gloucester Pointcampus. A deep-sea biology classlecture will be open to those wishing toattend. Past and present students alikewill be interested in a “Life AfterVIMS” panel. Friday will close with a“TGIF” gathering sponsored by theGraduate Student Association (GSA).

VIMS to Hold First-EverAlumni Weekend

On Saturday the 17th, weatherpermitting, staff from the ChesapeakeBay National Estuarine ResearchReserve will take attendees on a canoetrip to the Goodwin Islands. The eventscome to a festive end Saturday eveningwith the traditional VIMS’ SpringCook-Out Bash sponsored by the GSA,with honored guest Dr. John Wells,VIMS’ future Dean and Director.

Full details will be sent to VIMS’alumni along with news about a newalumni fellowship challenge. Pleasecontact Reunion Chair Mo Lynch atmlynch@vims.edu or Page Hayhurst inthe VIMS Development Office atpage@vims.edu.

—April 2004—16-17 Alumni Weekend21 VIMS Council Meeting22 Riparian Buffers Class23-26 National Ocean Sciences Bowl, Charleston, South Carolina29 After Hours Lecture - TBA30 Black Tie Gala / Art Show

— Other Upcoming Events —May 8-9 Raft Up for VIMS, DeltavilleMay 22 Marine Science DayMay 26-27 Advanced Soils Class

VIMS Welcomes Three New Council Members

VIMS has initiated its first majorfundraising campaign, an effort to raise$23 million over the next 5 years tosupport the Institute’s mission ofresearch, education, and advisoryservice. To date, VIMS has raisedmore than $6 million toward that goal.Campaign funds are being used forcapital projects, equipment, researchprograms, and endowments to attractand retain the best students and facultyto VIMS.

Why support VIMS?Virginia’s coastal and marine

resources are a vital part of oureconomy, heritage, and quality of life.Recreational boating and fishing alonegenerate more than $500 million per

Help VIMS Reach Campaign Goalyear in the Commonwealth, withcommercial fishing adding another$465 million in economic benefits. In2001, millions of beach-goers broughtan additional $2 billion into the state’seconomy.

The Commonwealth supports lessthan half of VIMS’ budget; the balanceis raised from grants and privatesources. Your gift enables VIMS toconduct critical research, providesound science to policy makers andresource managers, and broaden ourknowledge of the marine environment.

How can you help?· Give or facilitate corporate dona-

tions and sponsorships· Become a VIMS Associate with

an annual gift or donation of stocksor securities

· Make a gift of property or donate avessel

· Include VIMS in your estateplans—vehicles like charitableremainder trusts and life insurancepolicies can create tax benefits inaddition to helping VIMS researchprograms

· Volunteer your time· Spread the word—help us grow

our Crest mailing list, e-mail eventlist, and media relations database

To learn more, go to www.vims.edu/campaign or contact the Develop-ment Office at (804) 684-7099

VIMS recently welcomed KeithCampbell, Ted Gottwald, and ChrisHall to 4-year terms on its 30-memberadvisory board. Each will bringstrengths from their business, environ-mental, and recreational affiliations.

D. Keith Campbell is the founderand Board of Directors Chairman forCampbell and Company, one of theworld’s largest derivative investmentmanagers. Campbell also heads theCampbell Foundation for the Environ-ment, a private foundation dedicated tofinding solutions to the environmentalproblems facing Chesapeake Bay andother areas. He is an active member of

the Board of the Coastal ConservationAssociation, the Board of Trustees ofthe Chesapeake Bay Foundation, andthe Board of Directors of the OysterRecovery Partnership. Campbell andhis wife, Pat, live in Lutherville, MD.

Thomas (Ted) Gottwald is CEO ofEthyl Corporation. He previouslyserved as the Chief Operating Officer,Divisional President of the company’sPetroleum Additives Division, andGeneral Manager of the Film ProductsDivision of Tredegar (an Ethyl spin-off). Gottwald is a native of Richmondwith a BS in chemistry from VirginiaMilitary Institute and an MBA from

Harvard Business School. He com-pleted Combat Engineer Officer Schoolin the U.S. Army. Gottwald is active incommunity service and lives in Rich-mond with his wife and five sons.

Curry Christian Hall is the founder,President, and CEO of BluewaterYacht Sales. Hall previously served aspresident of Edye-Hall Company. He isan active member in several yachtclubs and boating organizations, as wellas the Hampton Roads Assembly andRecreational Fishing Alliance. A nativeof Portsmouth, Hall currently lives withhis wife, Judy, in North, VA.