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Item Performance of Sills: St. Mary’s City, St. Mary’s River, Maryland(2007-12-01) Hardaway, C. Scott; Reay, W. G.; Shen, Jian; Lerberg, Scott; Milligan, Donna A.; Wilcox, Christine A.; O'Brien, Kevin P.; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceLiving shorelines represent a shoreline management option that combines various erosion control methodologies and/or structures while at the same time restoring or preserving natural shoreline vegetation communities. A common living shoreline design in Chesapeake Bay includes a low offshore rock sill to absorb wave energy with an emergent wetland landward of the sill to enhance erosion control, provide critical habitat, and improve water quality condition. This study is part of a larger, ongoing project to (1) evaluate erosion control effectiveness and the sustainability of offshore sill and fringing marsh design and structure, (2) evaluate ecological services (e.g., habitat value, water quality remediation) provided by the various components of the living shoreline design, and (3) develop design criteria that may enhance services provided by living shoreline designs in low and moderate energy environments. This project measures the performance of sills in Chesapeake Bay in support of developing design guidance. In particular, it assesses how the windows (or gaps/vents) in some sills affect their value for shore protection and water quality. The approach utilizes both field data collection (e.g., site assessment and survey, water quality data collection) and hydrodynamic modeling methodology. Two sites, varying in construction design and age, were assessed at St. Mary’s City, Maryland on the St. Mary’s River (Figure 1-1). Site 1 is part of a larger project and has about 1,000 feet of shoreline with a gapped sill that was built in 2002 (Figure 1-2). Site 2, a 1,000 feet non-gapped sill, was built in 1998 and is adjacent to Site 1 (Figure 1-2). Previous data exists for Site 1, which includes the implemented construction plan and the as-built survey. Both sites were surveyed to provide the present dimensions of the sill systems. Modeling methodology was used to assess residence time and age of water that flushes through sill structures and associated fringing wetland along part of Site 1. Also analyzed was the impact of several different window configurations and dimensions on beach shape and shore protection as well as the site substrate and vegetation characteristics, surface water and groundwater quality, and nekton.Item Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia Management Plan: 2022-2027(2022-08-01) Reay, W. G.; Baber, J.; Brooks, H.; Demeo, A.; Friedrichs, C. T.; Gonzalez, C.; Kuriawa, J.; Hooper, T.; Lerberg, S.; Miles, E. J.; Neikirk, B.; Nuss, S.; Ott, L.; Parrish, D.; Rudo, T.; Shields, E C.; Snyder, S.; Wood, S.; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; NOAA; Virginia Insitute of Marine Science; Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveEstablished through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) represents a partnership program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the coastal states to promote informed management of the Nation’s estuaries and habitats. Designated in 1991, and administered by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of William & Mary, the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERR-VA or Reserve) is one of 30 protected areas, which encompass over 1.3 million acres and make up the NERRS. As the nation's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay contains a diverse collection of habitats and salinity regimes. In order to incorporate the diversity of habitats in the lower Bay subregion, CBNERR-VA incorporates a multi-component network along the salinity gradient of the York River estuary (YRE). The Reserve’s four components are: (1) Goodwin Islands (148 ha; 366 ac), an archipelago of polyhaline saltmarsh islands surrounded by inter-tidal flats, extensive submerged aquatic vegetation beds, and shallow open estuarine waters near the mouth of the YRE; (2) Catlett Islands (220 ha; 542 ac), consisting of multiple parallel ridges of forested wetland hammocks, maritime-forest uplands, and emergent mesohaline salt marshes; (3) Taskinas Creek (433 ha; 1070 ac), containing non-tidal feeder streams that drain oak-hickory forests, maple-gum-ash swamps and freshwater marshes which transition into tidal oligo and mesohaline salt marshes; and (4) Sweet Hall Marsh (443 ha; 1094 ac), an extensive tidal freshwater-oligohaline marsh ecosystem located in the Pamunkey River, one of two major tributaries of the York River. This plan aligns with and complements the NERRS 2017-2022 Strategic Plan and VIMS's 2015-2020 Strategic Plan while building upon previous accomplishments and the desire to address current priority issues and meet future challenges. Its intent is to provide a vision and framework to guide Reserve activities for program undertakings over the five-year period from 2022-2027.Item Annotated bibliography of research conducted in the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, VA(2006-02-02) Parker, Frank M.; Reay, William G.; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceThis annotated bibliography of research conducted within the Reserves boundaries is a living document and updated periodically as new and past publications become available to the Reserve. It is designed to identify and provide an abstract/summary of research publications conducted within the four component sites of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Virginia system. Selected reference material is also available for Reserve relevant work conducted at multiple sites within the York River system. In order to help facilitate searches, the bibliography is categorized by Reserve components (Goodwin Islands, Catlett Islands, Taskinas Creek, and Sweet Hall Marsh) and by work conducted in Multiple Sites along the York River. In addition, each component is subcategorized into biological, geological, chemical and physical, and cultural and socioeconomic subject headings based on the primary focus of the publication. Publications are listed in alphabetical order by senior author under appropriate headings. Following the reference citation, an abstract or summary of the publication is provided.Item Data Collection at Fifteen Selected Creeks in Support of Shallow Water Dredging on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula - Methods & Data Report(2021-09-01) DiNapoli, Nicholas J.; Milligan, Donna A.; Hardaway, C. Scott; Wilcox, Christine A.; Green, Cameron; Lerberg, Scott; Miles, Eduardo J.; Demeo, Alex; Brooks, George; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Virginia Insitute of Marine Science; Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveFederal funding has been historically available for the Army Corps of Engineers for shallow draft navigation projects. However, past and recent subsidies have not provided ample funding at levels to sustain maintenance dredging for the 17 federal navigation channels on the Middle Peninsula. Further, funding for maintenance of non-federal channels has been historically neglected by the Commonwealth of Virginia until the Virginia General Assembly established the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Fund in 2018. For the past decade the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority, the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission and its member jurisdictions, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Shoreline Studies Program have worked to advance local solutions and alternatives to address dredging needs in the Commonwealth.Item Common Oyster Reef Inhabitants of the Chesapeake Bay(2017-01-01)Pictorial guide to common invertebrates, fish and fauna of oyster reefs within Chesapeake Bay.Item Mitigating Marshes Against Sea Level Rise: Thin-Layer Placement Experiment(2019-01-01)Students will learn about thin-layer placement restoration techniques by using data from the first year of a plot-based thin-layer restoration science project being conducted by the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERR-VA). In groups, students will analyze images of vegetation plots exposed to different treatments and decide which is performing best and could be used as a possible restoration technique to combat sea level rise in the marsh. Students will also interpret graphs of vegetation percent cover, and use classroom discussion to come to a conclusion using critical thinking.Item Estuarine Aquarium Keeping for Beginners(2007-01-01) McGuire, Sarah; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceThis information was created as an introduction to estuarine, or brackish water, aquarium keeping for the beginner using simple aquarium gear. Estuarine aquarium set-up and maintenance is easy as long as you have access to brackish water and you have time to devote to the tanks. The following information has been obtained from practical experience gained while maintaining estuarine aquariums using basic systems. You can add more sophisticated aquarium gear and keep animals that require more precise water quality, food and care as your wet thumb improves from experience and through information obtained from other sources.Item Oyster Reef in the Classroom – A Hands-On Laboratory Approach(2012-01-01)Grade Level: 7 Subject Area: Life Science Students will examine different species found on an oyster reef in the Chesapeake Bay. Students will use a microscope and a dichotomous key to help them determine the different organisms being viewed. Students will draw conclusions based on the observed adaptations of the organisms about how the organism utilizes the oyster reef. Students will practice scientific sketching and become familiar with how to use a field guide and dichotomous key.Item Understanding Changes in Seagrass Communities: Impacts from Local Environmental Factors(2017-01-01)Grade Level: 7-12 Subjects: Life Science, Biology, and Environmental Science Students will work in groups to determine what happened to seagrass communities during June and August in 2010 and 2011. Students will estimate percent cover visually at four locations along a mock transect and analyze trends in the data collected. Students will use water quality data to help understand the trends in seagrass cover.Item Watershed Activity Set(2018-01-01)Grade level: 2-5 Subject Area: Life Science This lesson plan contains 3 activities which can be used together or separately. The first activity demonstrates the overall concept of a watershed by having students build a simple model, the second connects watersheds with habitats and pollution - asking students to design their own watershed. The third module examines more closely human activities and their impacts on watersheds using an Enviroscape(TM) model.Item Assessing the County’s Readiness for a Climate Related Event(2014-01-01)Grade Level: 9-12 Subject Area: Earth Science, Environmental Science Students will participate in a role playing scenario in which they represent different stakeholder groups, including emergency responders, land planners, and watermen. Using a variety of provided resources, students are given a task to present on, whether it be creating an evacuation route for their county and identifying shelters, establishing new areas for development, or locations for the best catch of crabs in the year 2050. Lesson plan has 2 parts.Item Investigating the Functions of Wetlands(2019-01-01)Grade level: 2-5 Subject area: Life Science Students will perform two experiments using models of wetlands to learn about the ability of wetlands to prevent erosion, control flooding, and soak up pollutants. They will apply this knowledge in an activity using metaphors to describe a wetland.There is also an outdoor activity that may be added to teach students about a particular type of wetland, the saltmarsh, and adaptations for plants that live in those environmentsItem Examining Sea Level Rise Scenarios Through Mock Marsh Transects(2014-01-01)Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Earth Science | Environmental Science | Oceanography Students will work in groups to survey a mock, locally relevant, marsh habitat that includes dominant plant community types. Students will use elevation data to construct and interpret a profile of the mock landscape. Students will understand local vegetative species found in each marsh zone, and how sea level rise may impact the marsh habitat. Students will be able to interpret elevation and elevation changes in a real world, hands-on example.Item York River Water Quality Curriculum: Using Real Water Quality Data to Investigate Water Quality Cycles and Answer Applied Marine Science Questions(2013-01-01) Carroll, Bob; McGuire, Sarah; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceConsidering that Virginia has approximately 50,000 miles of rivers and streams, 2,500 square miles of estuarine water and 100 lakes greater than 100 acres, water quality monitoring with your students is a great hands-on activity that gets students thinking about the properties and processes occurring in classroom aquaria, lake, stream, river, estuarine and marine environments. It can be difficult to elucidate water quality patterns or trends with student generated data due to the low number of samples taken, the possibility of inaccurate results due to user error or expired test kit reagents as well as the innate lack of accuracy and precision associated with low-cost water quality test kits. These activities were designed to enable teachers to expand upon their water quality and Chesapeake Bay curricula and incorporate real-world data collected in the Chesapeake Bay to address biology, earth science, computer mathematics, chemistry, and probability and statistics Standards of Learning for the Commonwealth of Virginia (specific SOL’s are listed at the end of the Teachers Pages). The activities investigate applied marine science issues that deal with various living resources using water quality data gathered by the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERRVA) research and monitoring staff.Item K-12 Environmental Education Needs Assessment for the Hampton Roads, Virginia Region(2012-12-01) McGuire, Sarah; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceThe Chesapeake Bay Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERRVA or Reserve) is one of 28 protected areas that make up National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). At the state level, CBNERRVA is administered by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary. The Reserve was established for long-term research, education and stewardship in support of informed management of our Nation’s estuaries and coastal habitats.The Reserve’s Education and Outreach Program strives to increase awareness, understanding, appreciation and wise-use of coastal resources through formal Kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) education programs, teacher training, participation in college intern programs and implementation of family/community oriented programs. In 2011, as part of a coordinated national reserve-wide effort to evaluate program effectiveness and identify gaps and needs in coastal education, CBNERRVA conducted a K-12 Environmental Education Needs Assessment for the Hampton Roads, Virginia region. A complimentary K-12 Environmental Education Market Analysis was also conducted at the same time.Item Sea Level Rise: Local Fact Sheet for the Middle Peninsula, Virginia(2011-09-01) Reay, William G.; Erdle, Sandra Y.; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceA look at the geologic record of Chesapeake Bay shows a long and dynamic history - from the bolide (asteroid or comet) impact about 35 million years ago which formed the Chesapeake Bay impact crater, to the melting of glaciers beginning about 18,000 years ago, resulting in a continued rise of sea level and drowning of the Susquehanna River valley. Given that the rise in sea level has been occurring for thousands of years and is fundamental to the present formation of the Chesapeake Bay and our local tidal waters, why is there a recent heightened level of concern regarding this phenomenon? Concern is justified given that current and projected rates of sea level rise represent a significant increase over what we experienced during the last century. There is general consensus that rise in sea level will continue for centuries to come, and that human and natural communities within the Middle Peninsula will be vulnerable. Understanding the challenge is vital for local government to develop strategies to reduce the regions vulnerability to sea level rise.Item A Site profile of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia(2009-01-01) Moore, Kenneth; Reay, W. G.; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceThe purpose of this Site Profile is to review the existing state of knowledge for important geological, physical, chemical and biological components of the York River ecosystem within which the four individual reserve sites of Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERRVA) are located. It is developed from a combination of literature and field research studies that provide an overall picture of the Reserve in terms of its ecosystem, management, and research needs. It is not designed to be a complete review of all the ecosystem components, but rather it is designed to provide, through a series of reviews, an overview of the York system to students, researchers, resource managers and the general public, and to provide a system context for the individual reserve sites located within the York River estuary. It starts first with an Introduction to the Reserve including its mission and objectives. Next the geological, physical and water quality setting of the individual reserve sites and the overall York River ecosystem are described. Scientific overviews of three important primary producer components and habitats within the region (phytoplankton, wetlands and submerged aquatic vegetation) are presented next. Secondary and higher trophic components (zooplankton, benthos, and fishes) are then reviewed, and finally the principal reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals that are associated with the local estuarine waters are described. This Site Profile concludes with a description of the Reserve’s ongoing research and monitoring programs, the Reserve goals and strategies, and an overview of research and monitoring needs for the future.Item Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia Management Plan: 2008-2012(2008-10-01) Reay, W. G.; Erdle, Sandra; Lerberg, Scott; McGuire, Sarah; Moore, Ken; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Virginia Insitute of Marine ScienceItem A Data Repository for Clarifying water clarity: a call to use metrics best suited to corresponding research and management goals in aquatic ecosystems (York River estuary case study dataset)(2022-01-01) Turner, Jessica S.; Fall, Kelsey A.; Friedrichs, Carl T.; University of Connecticut - Avery Point; Engineer Research and Development Center - U.S. Army; Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceThis data repository is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication (Turner et al. 2022, Limnology & Oceanography Letters, doi.xxxx). The objective of this study was to illustrate a water clarity phenomenon in the lower York River Estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. The data include light attenuation, Secchi depth, turbidity, and salinity from the lower York River Estuary in western Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, USA from the years 2014-2016.