Are you a newcomer interested in a Portal 101 session or a returning user who could use a refresher course? Then this webinar is for you!
Join us Tuesday, June 29, from 11 a.m. to noon for a #HowTu lesson on our data, tools and features. Come with your list of questions and learn how to map the Mid-Atlantic in this interactive session.
This webinar is free and open to the public. The lesson will be provided via Zoom by Portal team member Karl Vilacoba of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute. To register, please click here.
Marine debris is a growing global problem with wide-ranging impacts. Although much remarkable work to prevent and remove marine debris has been done, marine debris, particularly plastics, continues to accumulate in our ocean. This poses problems, often with deadly consequences, for marine wildlife as well as impacts to navigation, possibly our human health and our coastal economies.
Please join us on July 20-22 for a virtual Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Regional Summit. Each of the three half day sessions will inspire collaboration and empower partners to work on solutions to marine debris. Attendees will represent state and federal agencies, tribes, NGOs, academia, and other groups tackling marine debris in the five Mid-Atlantic coastal states (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) and Washington, DC. The public also is encouraged to participate.
Supporting OA Action Planning and Implementation in the Mid-Atlantic
Mid Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) and OA Alliance Virtual Workshop
October 26
1:00 PM – 4:30 PM EST
(3.5 hours in duration)
The majority of the Mid-Atlantic coastal states are pursuing OA Action Planning either as stand-alone efforts or as part of broader coastal/ocean planning efforts. This workshop seeks to connect researchers, state agencies, and/or representatives from state legislatures from across the Mid-Atlantic region to help inform OA Action planning with an emphasis on identifying associated data/ information needs for management and coordinating monitoring where appropriate.
AGENDA
REGISTER
https://bit.ly/3mkR5Le
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) contracted with Industrial Economics, Incorporated (IEc) and the RPS Group to model possible oil spill scenarios off the Delaware coast and the resulting economic impacts.
In partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) DNREC is hosting two webinars, March 24 and March 31. that will provide attendees a high-level overview of the report results and an opportunity to ask questions of the IEc and RPS staff who completed the work.
Although the results are Delaware specific DNREC and MARCO are hopeful that the results and processes used in the analysis can be used to support other states in the Mid-Atlantic to conduct their own analyses.
Integrated Oil Spill and Transport Modeling
Thursday, March 24, 2022
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) contracted with Industrial Economics, Incorporated (IEc) and the RPS Group to model possible oil spill scenarios off the Delaware coast and the resulting economic impacts.
In partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) DNREC is hosting two webinars, March 24 and March 31. that will provide attendees a high-level overview of the report results and an opportunity to ask questions of the IEc and RPS staff who completed the work.
Although the results are Delaware specific DNREC and MARCO are hopeful that the results and processes used in the analysis can be used to support other states in the Mid-Atlantic to conduct their own analyses.
Economic Impacts from an Offshore Oil Spill
Thursday, March 31, 2022
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
To Register: https://attendee.got
- Examining impacts of extreme discharge events and climate change on the carbonate system of the York River Estuary using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model
- Comparing climate resilience of selectively-bred larval aquaculture broodstock to that of the wild Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica
- Building collaborative partnerships between scientists and educators to develop new education materials focused on the effects of ocean acidification on American lobsters
Abstracts and Speaker Information:
Wild-n-wacky or Bred-n-butter: Are Larvae from Selectively-bred Aquaculture Broodstock More Resilient to Climate Change than those from Wild Eastern Oysters,Crassostrea virginica?
Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) provide ecosystem (e.g. 3-D reef structures) and economic (e.g. aquaculture) services to the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal areas. Oyster aquaculture is a growing industry, and the need for traits such as fast growth and disease resistance led to the development of multiple generations of selectively-bred and refined broodstock lines. Development and preservation of selected broodstock could affect various physiological processes in offspring that could potentially result in different responses to stress compared to their wild counterparts. As environmental conditions within the Chesapeake Bay continue to shift warmer and more acidic – which are individually and simultaneously known to decrease shell and tissue growth, decrease energy stores, change metabolic pathways and affect development – responses to these conditions may differ between selectively-bred and wild oysters, potentially affecting their success in the future. Because larval oysters are considered the most vulnerable and sensitive life stage and therefore are already a bottleneck to the success of wild oyster populations and aquaculture production, my study exposed larvae from wild oysters and selectively-bred broodstock to four treatments composed of two temperature and two acidic conditions that represent average ambient and current extreme states in the mesohaline region of the Chesapeake Bay. Growth, biomass, cellular stress, and survival were measured throughout showing that larvae from wild oysters may be more resilient to warming and acidifying waters than those from selectively-bred oysters.
Annie Schatz, Ph.D candidate at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. She works with Dr. Emily Rivest to study the potential physiological impacts of climate change on the early-life stages of marine invertebrate species. Her research focuses on effects from multiple environmental stressors, ocean acidification, how environmental history may impact performance of later life stages and shellfish aquaculture. Annie received her B.S. from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA where she studied how the respiration rates of two populations of Acorn barnacles differed across a range of temperatures.
Building collaborative relationships between scientists and educators is an important step in improving climate change education. By providing real-world data and hands-on experiences, scientists can assist students in connecting marine processes with changes in marine and human communities. A recent project focused on understanding effects of ocean acidification on American lobsters is a strong case study for extended collaboration between scientists and educators. Three main tools were used to develop educational materials: an internship to provide hands-on research experience for science teachers, multimedia content for sharing information about the project, and the Virginia Scientist Educator Alliance (VASEA) to provide training for lesson plan design. Together, these project components can serve as a roadmap for scientists and educators looking to improve ocean acidification education.
Abbey Sisti, PhD candidate at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She has a B.S. and M.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Alabama. Her research focuses on understanding marine invertebrate responses to climate change conditions. Abbey is interested in translating climate change science to educational and policy contexts.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Program Director Avalon Bristow will present an overview of the MARCO work plan for the next two years supported with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Investment and Infrastructure Jobs Act. An update on the 2023 Ocean Forum will also be provided. Participants will be welcome to provide input to MARCO/MACO work groups.
CLICK HERE to watch the recording.