Chesapeake Bay News

State, regional and University leaders dedicated a new $11 million Oyster Setting Facility at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Laboratory. Once fully operational, this new facility will more than double the laboratory’s annual production of oyster spat for Chesapeake Bay restoration, setting the stage for a significant expansion of the State’s aquaculture and environmental restoration programs.

When fully operational, the new facility should allow the Horn Point Laboratory Shellfish Cultivation Program to produce up to two billion spat-on-shell for Chesapeake Bay restoration. In a decade’s time, scientific advancements and the adoption of new technologies have expanded annual production from 50 million to a record 750 million oyster spat in 2009. This new facility sets the stage for much greater advancements.

The new Oyster Setting Facility improves the efficiency of the oyster hatchery by allowing researchers to more easily “set” hatchery-reared larval oysters on oyster shells for transplanting in the Bay. By minimizing the number of times the spat on shell need to be handled, reducing pumping costs, and providing better quality water from the Choptank River to the tanks, production of seed oysters will improve and should result in more cost effective production.

“When combined with pioneering techniques that have increased the percentage of spat that successfully set, UMCES and its partners hope to bring oyster restoration efforts to the next level,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Dr. Michael Roman. “By working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, Federal sponsors and others that share the goal of restoring healthy oyster populations to Chesapeake Bay, our work will lead to greater ecological and economic benefits to the State.”

Constructed by Cianbro Corporation under the direction of the Maryland Department of General Services, the pier measures approximately 300 feet long by 70 feet wide and utilizes reinforced concrete decking to hold fifty-two 12 feet diameter by 4.5 feet deep circular setting tanks. The mechanical area includes pumps capable of circulating 2,500 gallons of seawater per minute. This provides high quality water to support the growing oyster spat. A small wet lab allows scientists to monitor spat before they are deployed by vessels to restoration sites across Chesapeake Bay. The Shellfish Culture Facility at the Horn Point Laboratory contains the largest oyster hatchery on the East Coast and largest Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) hatchery in the world.

The goals and objectives of the shellfish culture program at the Horn Point Laboratory have evolved over the years to meet the needs of the Center’s mission and the crisis with our troubled oyster populations. Early efforts aimed at identifying oyster culture techniques appropriate for use in the Mid-Atlantic region successfully demonstrated the possibility of using hatcheries for restoration. UMCES has used innovative approaches to incorporate its oyster culture program into its mission of research, education and outreach.

By incorporating the research and production capabilities into a coordinated program that follows the oysters from spat to adult, we can better develop guidelines that allow the State of Maryland and our partners to conduct not just oyster restoration but “smart restoration.” By incorporating the concept of smart restoration – and at the same time promoting active partnerships – UMCES is ushering into a new and exciting era of oyster restoration.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland’s environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through five research centers – Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, and the Maryland Sea Grant College in College Park.

Governor Martin O’Malley congratulated Drs. Walter Boynton and Michael Kemp of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science for receiving Odum Lifetime Achievement Award from the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF). The award recognizes both the individual accomplishments and the combined contributions the two scientists have made over the last 30 years.

“Drs. Kemp and Boyton have spent a lifetime seeking a greater understanding of coastal ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay,” said Governor O’Malley. “Their contributions have not only helped advance the work of other scientists internationally, but also helped provide the scientific foundation for the State of Maryland’s efforts to restore our own Chesapeake Bay.”

Throughout their career, Drs. Boynton and Kemp have demonstrated outstanding abilities to identify and tackle difficult questions and provide insightful analyses of a wide range of issues including eutrophication, oxygen depletion, nutrient budgeting, and food web structure. They have developed approaches and tools for addressing real world questions that are widely used today.

In addition to their scientific achievements, Drs. Boynton and Kemp have consistently displayed a commitment to putting science to work. Their interactions with and contributions to the coastal management community in the Chesapeake Bay and beyond have been of immense value. They have served on scientific advisory committees, helped develop and cultivate robust environmental monitoring programs, and effectively interacted with the public and media to advance the use and respect of science in addressing estuarine issues.

“Walter and Michael’s involvement with the Bay restoration community has helped ensure that comprehensive science has always been the cornerstone of the State’s Chesapeake Bay restoration programs,” said Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin. “Their work is a perfect example of how sound science leads to sound public policy.”

In their more than 30 years of collaboration, they have been jointly awarded at least 35 grants and contracts and produced more than 50 joint peer-reviewed publications together. Dr. Kemp began his career with the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons in 1977, before moving to the UMCES Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge a year later. Dr. Boyton has worked at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory since 1980.

The researchers were presented the award on November 2, 2009 in Portland, Oregon.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland’s environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through its three laboratories –Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, and Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge – and the Maryland Sea Grant College.

Founded in 1971, CERF is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing human understanding and appreciation of estuaries and coasts. Membership consists of approximately 1,650 academic researchers, public-sector managers, teachers, consultants and students.

LEADERS FROM MARYLAND’S academic, scientific, and public policy communities welcomed the Research Vessel Rachel Carson as the flagship of the Chesapeake Bay research fleet. The 81-foot, $4.6 million University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) research vessel expands scientists’ abilities to track the pulse of the Chesapeake Bay and pays homage to one of the nation’s environmental pioneers.

Christened by First Lady Katie O’Malley on November 16, 2008 at the Annapolis City Dock, the Rachel Carson is a state-of-the art research platform specifically tailored to the needs of Chesapeake Bay scientists. Designed from the ground-up, the ship is large enough to transport research teams up and down the Bay’s entire 184-mile length, yet runs shallow enough to allow scientists access to the smallest of critical Bay tributaries.

In addition to her shallow draft, the Rachel Carson is specifically designed to provide a solid foundation for decades of service to UMCES scientists. A state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system allows the vessel to “hover” motionless over one spot regardless of wind and current. A trio of powerful winches allows scientists to launch and retrieve multiple buoys and sampling devices over the side or stern. Built-in electronic sensors will continuously measure the Bay’s water quality, biology, and currents whether underway or on station.

The Rachel Carson is named in honor of the world-renowned marine biologist and nature writer who wrote her most influential books while a resident of Maryland. Carson wrote articles about the Chesapeake Bay and the best-seller, The Sea Around Us, which inspired a generation of marine scientists. Ms. Carson is best known for her book Silent Spring, which is credited as being a “wake-up call” for environmental concerns in the United States.

The vessel will replace the aging R/V Aquarius which has ably served Bay scientists since 1972. The Carson begins service in early 2009 and is stationed at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons. For more about how the ship was built and about the kinds of research at UMCES, visit www.umces.edu.

source: Chesapeake Quarterly – Maryland Sea Grant