Category: News

Posted on

Oyster Restoration Workshop

On January 20, the University of Virginia’s Anheuser-
Busch Coastal Research Center (ABCRC) in Oyster
invited K-12 teachers from Accomack and Northampton
Counties to attend an Oyster Restoration Workshop. Each
participant received approximately $600.00 in instruction
and supplies at no cost to the teacher or the schools. The
workshop, along with the construction of an oyster reef on
site, was funded by a sub-grant from the Chincoteague Bay
Field Station and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The University of Virginia invited Laurie Sorebella
from Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia to instruct the teach-
ers. Laurie is passionate about oysters and the “Schools
Restoring Oysters to the Chesapeake” program. She gave
a brief history of the oyster and a short biology lesson,
followed by a hands-on demo. Laurie explained the various
equipment and the proper procedures for monitoring and
growing healthy oysters.
After receiving training, classroom teachers will be
able to teach their students methods for monitoring water
clarity, salinity, and water temperature; taking accurate
measurements; and identifi ng oyster reef critters. Students
will record data and report them to the Oyster Reef
Keepers on a monthly basis.
Laurie also explained how to collect data from inside
the classroom in order to circumvent logistical problems,
as well as ensuring that the monitoring project is age- and
ability-appropriate. At the end of the school year, teachers
and students will have the opportunity to transplant their
oysters onto a sanctuary reef on the Eastern Shore.
The sub-grant funds, along with matching funds from
the University of Virginia and the Long-Term Ecological
Project, not only provided teachers with all of the instruc-
tions and supplies needed to bring oyster restoration to
their students, but the grant also funded the oyster castle
material for the construction of a demonstration reef at
the ABCRC. This reef, as well as the Oyster Restoration
Workshop, are part of an initiative to “Educate for
Sustainable and Resilient Communities.”
Restoring oyster habitat to Shore waters is a reward-
ing activity and is adaptable for students of various ages
and capabilities. If you are a teacher, parent, or student
and are interested in fi nding out about future workshops,
please email dhf4k@virginia.edu and ask to be put on the
mailing list. The ABCRC hosts various workshops during
the year, and many are free for Eastern Shore of Virginia
educators.  — Donna Fauber in ShoreLine: A journal of natural resources, pubic affairs and culture on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Vol. 31, number 3 page 5.  http://www.cbes.org/uploads/3/4/8/7/34875804/marsl18rev2.pdf 
Posted on

Amy Ferguson wins R.J. Huskey Poster Award

Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research project student Amy Ferguson won one of the top awards for posters at the 2017 Robert J. Huskey Graduate Research Exhibition. Her poster “Making the case for nature-based solutions to coastal erosion in Virginia’s coastal bays” tied for 1st Place in Division 1 – Natural Sciences Poster Presentation. The R.J. Huskey exhibition showcases the work done by graduate students at the University of Virginia. Each poster was rated on how effectively it: 1) set up the question being investigated; 2) framed the question in context of its broader importance; 3) communicated an evidence-based argument; 4) was accessible to an audience of diverse backgrounds.

Amy’s poster focused on the suitability of nature-based protection techniques to reduce coastal erosion. Sea level rise, increased storminess, and human population growth amplify coastal erosion problems, pressuring landowners to implement shoreline protection measures. Growing concern over the negative impacts of traditional shoreline protection methods (seawalls or bulkheads) has increased interest in nature-based solutions, called “living shorelines”. Studies offer encouraging findings that living shorelines that use natural marsh vegetation and constructed oyster reefs can control erosion while maintaining ecosystem functions.

Her project explores the factors influencing erosion along salt marshes and the suitability of individual shorelines for nature-based protection techniques. Using geospatial information, a Marsh Vulnerability Index was developed that relates disparate factors related to shoreline erosion and serves as the foundation for living shoreline design and placement recommendations. Field study investigated the effects of marsh vegetation and constructed oyster reefs in Virginia’s coastal bays on dampening waves, the main driver of shoreline erosion. Marsh vegetation was found to dampen waves by 91% over a 20-meter transect when water levels are high; and, constructed oyster reefs were effective at dampening waves when water levels are low to moderate. These results suggest that combining marsh vegetation with constructed oyster reefs may offer effective and sustainable long-term coastal protection.

Ultimately, data from this study will be incorporated into The Nature Conservancy’s Coastal Resilience online decision-support tool, where it can be easily viewed, queried, and analyzed with other geospatial data to find cost-effective, nature-based solutions to coastal erosion problems.

Posted on

Arthur Schwarzschild Memorial Service April 22, 2017

The broad coastal community of the Eastern Shore of Virginia has lost a true and caring friend with the untimely death of Arthur Schwarzschild on March 15, 2017. The victim of a heart attack Arthur will be missed by his family, his many friends on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, his colleagues at the University of Virginia, and many others. His life was characterized by his passion, integrity and compassion for his fellow humans. Whether teaching students, serving as a local elections official or advocating for the important local causes that he held dear, these traits were right up front.

After receiving his Bachelors degree from the University of Delaware in 1988, Arthur matriculated to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences and received his Master Degree in 1993. Then after working with the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (a part of the National Marine Fisheries Service), in Beaufort North Carolina he entered the doctoral program in the University of Virginia, graduating in 2004. He subsequently moved to the Eastern Shore of Virginia to become the founding Director of the UVA Anheuser Busch Coastal Research Center, Site Director and Education/Outreach Coordinator of the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program in Oyster Virginia, where he oversaw the facility and developed a strong education program that combined the expression of coastal science through studio art and the written word. During this time he also served as a member of the local Climate Action Working Group and as a lifetime member of Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore. In his role as the VCR LTER Education/Outreach Coordinator, Art also reached out to the local schools of Northampton County to provide students with additional insight into the magnificent beauty of the coastal environment. Never one to turn down a request for help, he has touched the lives of literally thousands of teachers, high school students and undergraduate and graduate students at UVA and other Universities. It is through these students that his legacy remains.

Arthur is survived by his mother and father, Carol and Bill Schwarzschild, his two brothers, Edward and Jeffery Schwarzschild, his longtime girl-friend, Emily Boone, and the many lives he touched throughout his life. As his father wrote after his untimely death… “You can close your eyes and pray that Arthur will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all he left behind. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him, or you can be full of the love you have shared with him.” Art’s cremated remains were returned to the water of the Eastern Shore he so loved. A Memorial Service and reception to celebrate his life will be held at the Anheuser Busch Coast Research Center in Oyster, Virginia on Virginia’s Eastern Shore on April 22, 2017 beginning at 5:00 P.M. Friends and family are invited to share their stories and remembrances of Art at the service.

Posted on

History of Marshes and Scallops on the VCR

Two new publications that address historic change in the Virginia Coast Reserve:

Deaton, C. D., C. J. Hein, and M. L. Kirwan. 2016. Barrier island migration dominates ecogeomorphic feedbacks and drives salt marsh loss along the Virginia Atlantic Coast, USA. Geology:G38459. 38451.

Examines changes in the extent of marshes in the Virginia Coast Reserve and concludes that landward migration of barrier islands is outpacing the speed with which marshes can migrate into upland, leading to a net loss of 19% of marshes during the period 1851-2010.

Oreska, M. P., B. Truitt, R. J. Orth, and M. W. Luckenbach. 2017. The bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) industry collapse in Virginia and its implications for the successful management of scallop-seagrass habitats. Marine Policy 75:116-124.

This paper examines the history of dramatic changes in the population of bay scallops in the 1920s and 1930s that led to their collapse and the prospects for the return of this once economically important species.