Scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory have embarked on a research project that will lay the foundation for plastic research in the Chesapeake Bay. The two-year project, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program, will track how microplastics move through the Choptank River watershed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Thanks to a $30,000 matching grant from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) and a group of generous donors who met the match, a short-wave infrared (SWIR) microscope will be purchased.  This camera microscope system transforms the project. Project Co-leaders are Drs. Jamie Pierson and William Nardin.  Pierson stated, “We are thankful for the support we have found with people in the local community who contributed to our work on microplastics in the Choptank River.  With this new microscope we will be able to tell not only how much microplastic is in our samples, but what are the kinds of plastic in different parts of the river.”

William Nardin and Jamie Pierson with plastics board. Photo by Dave Harp.

Plastic samples of all sizes, from plastic bags to microplastics barely invisible to the naked eye, will be collected and examined. Along with the SWIR microscope, a drone outfitted with a special camera will be used to scope out larger plastic debris in the watershed from above. Both devices can identify different types of plastics, from plastic bag from beach ball to water bottle. Experiments will look at six different types of plastic, which degrade differently and have different densities, and how they may be trapped or move differently in different places in the river at different times of year.

“Potentially, we’ll be able to make the connection between bigger pieces of plastic in a marsh that break down, and the pieces feeding into river system leading to microplastics in the water. We’re hoping to figure out if different types of debris get moved in different ways,” said Pierson.

The project will also create a group made up of experts and stakeholders that will advise the research in specific ways to ensure that the outcomes of the project are relevant to policy makers and directly inform management actions regarding plastic marine debris.

“The goal is to develop a budget that illustrates plastic debris input and retention in marsh and open water habitats of the Choptank river system,” said Assistant Professor William Nardin. “Ultimately, this information will allow stakeholders to examine how plastic debris deposition differs across habitats, different flow regimes, and different plastic loads, and to assess potential management strategies to mitigate plastic pollution.”

Studies have estimated that up to 95% of the waste that accumulates on shorelines, the sea surface, and the seafloor is plastic. To date, most published studies on plastic debris have focused on marine ecosystems and not estuaries, rivers, or freshwater systems. Even fewer studies have focused on the interaction of coastal wetlands, such as underwater grasses or marshlands, and the accumulation of microplastics.

William Nardin and Jamie Pierson looking into plastic bottle. Photo by Dave Harp.

Large pieces of debris are most obvious, but increasing attention has been paid to microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters in size, or smaller than a pencil eraser. These smaller particles have specific and important human and ecological health implications because they can enter the food chain when they are ingested by the creatures at the base of the food chain.

All of the data gathered will be made available to stakeholders and policymakers from agencies such as NOAA and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, as well as local agencies and NGOs, to be applied to coastal wetland systems, locally and globally. umces.edu/microplastics-marine-debris-project

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound evidence and advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century

Nearly 700 visitors came out to experience the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory Open House on Saturday, October 15, the most in its history. Hands-on exhibits, the oyster hatchery, a sturgeon exhibit, and cutting-edge marine equipment were all part of the experience for visitors.

“This is the best day of the year for the community to learn about the science of the Bay. Everyone at the lab is on deck to explain their research with activities and displays that make it easy to understand,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Mike Roman.

Exploring what is in our local water by extracting eDNA deposited by swimming fish.

Exhibits helped visitors explore how runoff is impacted by terrain and shorelines, how gravity impacts currents in our rivers and oceans, how climate change is impacting our waters with increased minerals and acids, how eDNA tells us what is swimming in our water, and how microbes found in the Bay’s mud are charged with electricity and work as environmental batteries.  The largest oyster hatchery on the eastern seaboard was in full operation and added a touch tank to observe and touch the critters found in local waters. Visitors could travel back to pre-historic time observing sturgeon who have lived, unchanged, in local waters for thousands of years.

Free t-shirts were available for all kids who completed a scavenger hunt of the Open House exhibits. The Ruritan’s local chapter served up delicious burgers, hot dogs and french fries. Graduate students baked up delicious treats for all to enjoy at their bake sale. Horn Point’s tractor and wagon ran along the campus road taking visitors to the various exhibit sites, and visitors enjoyed looking out over the beautiful Choptank river from the campus.

Young scientists extracting water samples.

The Horn Point Laboratory, located on more than 800 acres on the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has advanced society’s understanding of the world’s estuarine and ocean ecosystems. Horn Point scientists are widely respected for their interdisciplinary programs in oceanography, water quality, restoration of seagrasses, marshes and shellfish and for expertise in ecosystem modeling. With ongoing research programs spanning from the estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the open waters of the world’s oceans, Horn Point is a national leader in applying environmental research and discovery to solve society’s most pressing environmental problems.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound evidence and advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.  www.umces.edu

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory invites the public to a free Open House on Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme for this year’s event is “Explore the Shore through Science.” Meet the team of scientists and explore the Shore using their research in fun interactive exhibits. Learn about healthy marshes, how oysters clean the water and build resilience to sea level rise and climate change, dive into the largest oyster hatchery on the east coast, and more during a day of FREE activities for all ages. Children will receive a free t-shirt for completing the scavenger hunt.

Observe and touch the critters that make the Chesapeake Bay their home.

“This is the best day of the year for the community to learn about the science of the Bay. Everyone at the lab is on deck to explain their research with activities and displays that make it easy to understand,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Mike Roman.

From the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, scientists engage in world-renowned research in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish, and expertise in ecosystem modeling.

Visitors to the Open House will explore the shore through hands-on exhibits created by the Lab’s faculty and students:

• Build a healthy marsh and learn who are our best partners in this effort.
• See an animation of the travels of oyster larvae as they move from the reef where they spawned to their new, permanent home reef.
• Match up a DNA sequence to microscopic creatures important to the food chain.
• Play in a digital sand box to create shorelines and model weather’s impact with laser imaging.
• Meet and talk to graduate students about their environmental career goals.
• Dunk the scientist into the dunk tank.
• Build an oyster castle and learn how these growing living building blocks create habitat for marine creatures and protect against sea level rise and climate change.
• At the children’s activity booth, create eco-friendly animals that live in our waters. Play games that teach fun facts about the Bay.  Go on a scavenger hunt through the exhibits to learn how the Bay’s lasting health starts with each of us making a cleaner environment today.

Play in the digital sandbox.

The open house is for all ages and will take place rain or shine. The Horn Point Laboratory campus is located at 2020 Horns Point Road on Route 343 outside of Cambridge, Maryland. Activities will be outside or open to air.  Masks are strongly encouraged.

For more information, visit https://www.umces.edu/hpl/openhouse or contact Carin Starr at [email protected], 410-221-8408.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu/hpl

“Standing on the oyster hatchery setting tank pier, visitors learn about the growing Aquaculture industry and Horn Point Lab’s Aquaculture Demonstration Farm where growers can learn state-of-the-art methods to improve efficiency of their farming practices.”

Dive into science and see the Bay the Horn Point way!  Every Tuesday at 10:00 am from Memorial Day through Labor Day tours will be offered to lead you through the amazing world of marine science taking place at the Horn Point Laboratory (HPL).  Free and open to the public, these 90-minute walking tours are led by Horn Point Lab’s graduate students.

Learn about the Chesapeake Bay, its health and the vital role of Horn Point science as you experience a behind-the-scenes tour of HPL.  You will explore oysters in the largest hatchery on the Atlantic coast, physical oceanography and remote sensing providing a wealth of data on the Bay’s complex ecosystem, coastal resilience, water quality and much more.  The Horn Point Lab is located on more than 800 acres on the banks of the Choptank River outside Cambridge.  Their research advances society’s understanding of the world’s estuarine and ocean ecosystems.

“Professor Emeritus Bill Boicourt, second from right, describes the advances made with remote sensing and data gathering stations across the Chesapeake Bay to track and gather data on winds, currents, salinity, oxygen levels and more.”

Add a tour of the Horn Point Lab to your summer fun and learn about the Bay’s diverse and mysterious marine life and the science that studies it.  For more information, contact the Horn Point Lab at 410-221-8383 or email [email protected].

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu

Scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science are embarking on a research project that will lay the foundation for plastic research in the Chesapeake Bay. The two-year project, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program, begins in January and will track how microplastics move through the Choptank River watershed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The project studies the fate and transport of microplastics, providing a baseline of understanding of what kind of plastics exist in the waterway and how they move through coastal systems, particularly how marsh wetlands and underwater grasses impact their flow and where they end up during different seasons throughout the year.

“A lot of attention is paid to the giant garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean, but those plastics came from somewhere.  We have to understand where they are coming from and what happens to them before they get to the ocean,” said Associate Professor Jamie Pierson. “How microplastics transit through a system like the Choptank and its features—marshes, underwater grasses, wetlands—might affect transport from source to open water.”

Studies have estimated that up to 95% of the waste that accumulates on shorelines, the sea surface, and the seafloor is plastic. To date, most published studies on plastic debris have focused on marine ecosystems and not estuaries, rivers, or freshwater systems.  Even fewer studies have focused on the interaction of coastal wetlands, such as underwater grasses or marshlands, and the accumulation of microplastics.

Plastic debris occurs in different sizes and washes up on beaches, floats on the water surface, and sinks to the water’s floor. Large pieces of debris are most obvious, but increasing attention has been paid to microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters in size, or smaller than a pencil eraser. These smaller particles have specific and important human and ecological health implications because they can enter the food chain when they are ingested by the creatures at the base of the food chain.

The project will develop and model scenarios to determine which factors and mitigation strategies could have the greatest impact on reducing marine debris in riverine environments. All of the data gathered will be made available to stakeholders and policymakers from agencies such as NOAA and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, as well as local agencies and NGOs to be applied to coastal wetland systems, locally and globally.

“The goal is to develop a budget that illustrates plastic debris input and retention in marsh and open water habitats of the Choptank river system,” said Assistant Professor William Nardin. “Ultimately, this information will allow stakeholders to examine how plastic debris deposition differs across habitats, different flow regimes, and different plastic loads, and to assess potential management strategies to mitigate plastic pollution.”

Plastic samples of all sizes, from plastic bags to microplastics barely invisible to the naked eye, will be collected and examined. Experiments will look at six different types of plastic, which degrade differently and have different densities, and how they may be trapped or move differently in different places in the river at different times of year.

A special microscope that uses a short-wave infrared radiation camera will identify the different types of plastics, which emit different wavelengths and patterns of light. A drone outfitted with a special camera will also be used to scope out larger plastic debris in the watershed from above. It can identify different types of plastics, from plastic bags and beach balls to water bottles.

“Potentially, we’ll be able to make the connection between bigger pieces of plastic in a marsh that break down, and the pieces feeding into the river system leading to microplastics in the water. We’re hoping to figure out if different types of debris get moved in different ways,” said Pierson.

The project will also create a group made up of experts and stakeholders that will advise the research in specific ways to ensure that the outcomes of the project are relevant to policy makers and directly inform management actions regarding plastic marine debris.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound evidence and advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.

Michael Roman. Photo credit: Dave Harp

After serving 20 years as director of the Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), Professor Mike Roman has announced that he will relinquish the position by end of the academic year and continue his ocean research as a Horn Point faculty member.

“It has been a great honor and privilege to work with the staff, students and faculty these last 20 years. Horn Point has grown in size, stature and productivity thanks to their hard work and dedication. I am proud of our increased efforts in public outreach, partnerships with other environmental groups on the Eastern Shore and development activities to provide graduate student financial support,” said Roman.

A biological oceanographer, Roman’s scientific career spans 30 years of research, and his expertise in marine ecology and biological oceanography is recognized nationally and internationally. He joined the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in 1981 and has been director of the Horn Point Laboratory since 2001.

“Dr. Roman is an exceptional researcher and colleague who has had an enormous impact on the Horn Point Laboratory and UMCES, particularly in expanding research on coastal resilience, climate change, and important species such as blue crabs and oysters,” said University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Peter Goodwin. “He has mentored several early career faculty to ensure their success, built a successful philanthropic program, including graduate student endowments, and recruited outstanding faculty.”

The process to select a new director has been initiated. “During the next few months I plan to continue work to increase Horn Point’s grants and contracts, raise private funds to support our graduate students, and after a new director is in place, work with them to assure a smooth transition in leadership,” said Roman.

The Horn Point Laboratory, located on more than 800 acres on the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has advanced society’s understanding of the world’s estuarine and ocean ecosystems. Horn Point scientists are widely respected for their interdisciplinary programs in oceanography, water quality, restoration of seagrasses, marshes and shellfish and for expertise in ecosystem modeling. With ongoing research programs spanning from the estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the open waters of the world’s oceans, Horn Point is a national leader in applying environmental research and discovery to solve society’s most pressing environmental problems.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound evidence and advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu

Julianna Brush

Julianna Brush, Contract and Grant Specialist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory, has been selected to receive the 2021 University System of Maryland (USM) Regents’ Staff Award for Exceptional Contribution to the Institution. Over the course of her seven years of service to UMCES, Juli Brush has become known for her high level of commitment to UMCES, her positive impact on the work environment, and her collaborative approach.

“Juli has provided essential support to our faculty by helping them submit complex research proposals to address important environmental problems,” said Michael Roman, director of UMCES’ Horn Point Laboratory.

She has created partnerships that have helped the Horn Point Laboratory improve efficiency. Additionally, she goes above and beyond her official duties, working on a variety of UMCES committees. Included in this work is her service as Chair of the Staff Council and as an active member of the Mental Health Council. As UMCES President Peter Goodwin notes, Juli is the go-to expert on all aspects of grants and contracts, shared governance, leadership, and relationship-building.

Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University System of Maryland Foundation. Chancellor Perman and Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden will offer notice of the awards at the meeting of the full board on Sept. 10 at the University of Maryland Global Campus in Adelphi.

The USM Board of Regents is honoring seven members of its staff at institutions across the system as recipients of the 2021 USM Regents’ Staff Awards. The awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary staff members. The awards honor excellence in the following categories: Contribution to the Institution; Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment; Public Service to the University or the Greater Community; Effectiveness and Efficiency; and Inclusion, Multiculturalism, & Social Justice.

“Throughout this pandemic, I’ve said that our USM staff are indispensable—the foundation of everything we do. They’ve kept the System running, kept our services going, kept our people safe, kept our students succeeding,” said USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. “But this is true of our staff whether or not we’re in crisis. So I can’t wait to come together in September and celebrate these truly extraordinary colleagues. It’ll be a special day for all of us.”

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound evidence and advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu