William & Mary ScholarWorks

Welcome! William & Mary ScholarWorks preserves and provides access to the research and creative output of William & Mary's faculty, staff, and students.

UPDATE 18th JUNE 2025: Our repository has migrated from Digital Commons to Open Repository DSpace as of this summer. Additional updates and improvements will continue through the Fall semester. Thank you for your patience during this transition.

Recent Submissions

Open Access
The College of William & Mary: A History, Vol. II, 1888–1993
(William & Mary Press, 1993) Godson, Susan; Johnson, Ludwell; Sherman, Richard; Tate, Thad; Walker, Helen
A two-volume history of the College of William & Mary, published in 1993 to celebrate its tercentenary, shares the history of William & Mary's first three centuries. Volume 2 depicts the third century of the College through its rebuilding, expansion, and evolution into a major public institution. Part IV: The Tyler Era, 1888–1919 Part V: Entering the Modern World, 1919–1945 Portfolio II: Development of the Modern Campus Part VI: The Modern College, 1945–1985 The College of William & Mary: A History is an “out of print” book originally published by the King & Queen Press at the College of William & Mary. In 2025, the W&M Press reprinted this book as a digital edition. In addition to an edited copyright page, the book has a new cover, and information on how to adopt the book. An online accessible version of this book is available here: https://viva.pressbooks.pub/cwmhistory-v2/
Open Access
The College of William & Mary: A History, Vol. I, 1693–1888
(William & Mary Press, 1993) Godson, Susan; Johnson, Ludwell; Sherman, Richard; Tate, Thad; Walker, Helen
A two-volume history of the College of William & Mary, published in 1993 to celebrate its tercentenary, shares the history of William & Mary's first three centuries. Volume 1 depicts the first two centuries of the College as it was founded, expanded, and its struggle to survive financial troubles, war, dwindling enrollments, poor leadership, limited community support, and competition from other Virginia colleges. Part I: The Colonial College 1693–1782 Portfolio I: The Evolution of the Campus to 1888 Part II: Between the Wars 1782–1862 Part III: "So Decayed an Institution" Colonel Ewell's College 1862–1888 The College of William & Mary: A History is an “out of print” book originally published by the King & Queen Press at the College of William & Mary. In 2025, the W&M Press reprinted this book as a digital edition. In addition to an edited copyright page, the book has a new cover, and information on how to adopt the book. Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting this textbook: please help us understand your use by filling out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/2k8vRgqcjS An online accessible version of this book is available here: https://viva.pressbooks.pub/cwmhistory-v1/ ISBN (Print): 978-1-965677-06-3 ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-965677-05-6
Open Access
Spatial Extent and Vertical Structure of Marine Heatwaves in Chesapeake Bay: Relevant Model Output
(2025-12-19) Shunk, Nathan P.; Fernandes Mazzini, Piero Luigi; Walter, Ryan K.; Hinson, Kyle E.; St-Laurent, Pierre; Friedrichs, Marjorie A. M.; VIMS
Marine heatwaves (MHWs) adversely impact marine ecosystems globally, yet data scarcity limits understanding of their subsurface extent, particularly in estuaries. Using a high-resolution regional ocean model, we characterized the horizontal extent and subsurface structure of MHWs across the Chesapeake Bay (CB). Additionally, we developed a supplementary definition for local climatology-identified MHWs, “Vertical MHWs,” which quantifies their water column presence. Surface MHWs were generally shorter, more frequent and intense, and impacted ~5% of CB surface area, while the deepest MHWs were generally longer, less frequent and intense, and regularly occupied >50% of deep-water areas. Synchronous MHWs—a vertical MHW class which occur simultaneously in the surface and bottom sometime during their duration—were predominant in shallow regions (isobaths <9 m), which encompass ~75% of the CB. Conversely, asynchronous MHWs, which indicate surface-bottom discontinuity, dominated in deeper regions (isobaths >9 m) and occurred primarily during the highly stratified spring-summer season. High synchronicity in the shallow regions indicates a surface MHW signal likely reflects a concurrent bottom one, potentially impacting benthic communities, across the vast majority of CB. Meanwhile asynchronous events, which occur across CB, especially in deeper regions, suggest surface MHWs are inconsistent predictors of subsurface events and their vertical structure, highlighting the need for subsurface monitoring of extreme events to better understand, predict, and manage MHW impacts on coastal and estuarine ecosystems. This is the repository for this work.
Open Access
Pelagic primary production and respiration in Mobjack Bay, VA, 2023-2025
(2025-12-19) Blachman, Sara A.; Brush, Mark J.; VIMS
Virginia’s aquaculture industry is dependent on an adequate food supply derived chiefly from primary production by phytoplankton. Limited food availability can reduce the growth and potential harvest of cultured bivalves at high planting densities, and the effect of food limitation can vary seasonally. However, sustained measurements of phytoplankton primary production and respiration are rare, especially in the shallow, nearshore waters around the perimeter of the Chesapeake Bay where bivalve aquaculture is concentrated. To provide resource managers with information necessary to assess this critical control on the ecological and economic sustainability of the aquaculture industry, we measured rates of pelagic primary production and respiration monthly at six locations in Mobjack Bay, an embayment in the lower Chesapeake Bay with growing bivalve aquaculture activity. Rates were measured at two locations in the main bay and one location in each of its four tidal tributaries from March 2023 to March 2025.
Open Access
Pelagic primary production and respiration in Cherrystone Inlet, VA, 2021-2024
(2025-12-19) Blachman, Sara A.; Brush, Mark J.; VIMS
Virginia’s aquaculture industry is dependent on an adequate food supply derived chiefly from primary production by phytoplankton. Limited food availability can reduce the growth and potential harvest of cultured bivalves at high planting densities, and the effect of food limitation can vary seasonally. However, sustained measurements of phytoplankton primary production and respiration are rare, especially in the shallow, nearshore waters around the perimeter of the Chesapeake Bay where bivalve aquaculture is concentrated. To provide resource managers with information necessary to assess this critical control on the ecological and economic sustainability of the aquaculture industry, we measured rates of pelagic primary production and respiration monthly at three locations in Cherrystone Inlet, a tidal tributary in the lower Chesapeake Bay with extensive bivalve aquaculture. Rates were measured over the entire year in 2021 and 2024 and during the primary growing season in 2022 and 2023.