 The lagoons of the Virginia Coast Reserve fall between the mainland of the Delmarva Peninsula and the barrier islands. They are generally quite shallow (< 2 m), and have restricted connections to the coastal ocean through inlets between the barrier islands. Data from bathymetric surveys are used in models of water residence time and sediment suspension in the lagoons. Benthic algae (micro- and macroalgae) dominate primary production in the lagoons. Until recently the lagoons have been devoid seagrasses, which were lost due to storms and disease in the early 1930’s. A large-scale restoration effort by researchers at VIMS and The Nature Conservancy has been successful in returning seagrass to several lagoons in the southern portion of the VCR. Benthic vegetation and water quality are monitored in 2 transects extending across the lagoons from mainland creeks to the barrier islands. |
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Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research
Ecological Research on a High-Speed Landscape: Developing a predictive understanding of how long-term change and short-term disturbance control the dynamic nature of coastal barrier landscapes.