Areas of Study

Hypoxia (“Dead Zones”) - Dr. Michael Kemp, UMCES Horn Point Laboratory, (www.hpl.umces.edu). “Dead zones” are areas of waterways where oxygen levels are so low (hypoxic) that most aquatic life cannot exist. The causes of these dead zones are being studied by scientists around the world. It is believed that excess nutrients from the land cause phytoplankton blooms. When the algae die and sink to the bottom waters, their decomposition uses up available oxygen. This process, coupled with summer, temperature-salinity gradients that set up stratification and hinders mixing of the water, results in hypoxia in deeper layers. COSEE Coastal Trends is seeking one teacher to join our science-educator research team to study hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay. The team will use computer modeling approaches and field data to learn how these dead zones manifest during the summer months and how harmful they are to the aquatic system.

Seagrasses and Restoration - Dr. Karen McGlathery, VA Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research, (www.vcrlter.virginia.edu/). Seagrasses are rooted, aquatic plants which spend their entire life underwater. As with other plants, they require light to grow, and are, therefore, susceptible to the conditions of the overlying water. When the water is clouded with suspended materials (e.g. phytoplankton and sediment) that block the light penetrating to the bottom, these plants struggle to survive. Significant die-backs of these important habitats have occurred in coastal waters around the world. Scientists are now investigating ways to best restore seagrasses to our coastal environments. COSEE Coastal Trends is seeking one teacher to join our scientist-educator team at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research study sight on the Virginia Barrier Islands to study seagrass restoration.

Blue Crab Larval Distribution Dr. Elizabeth North, UMCES Horn Point Laboratory, (www.hpl.umces.edu) A summer teacher intern is sought to participate in a computer-based research program. This research program investigates the physical factors that influence the return of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larvae to Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. Blue crab larvae are spawned at the mouths of the estuaries and spend ~1 month in coastal waters where they go though several stages of development. Wind and river flow influence how many return to estuarine nursery areas and, hence, future abundances of juveniles and adults. The goal of our program is to understand and predict the influence of environmental variability on blue crab populations. We are using computer simulations to predict water flow patterns and the transport of crab larvae. The teacher intern will help run and analyze computer models (limited familiarity with computers is needed) and create a lesson plan based on research findings and computer animations.

Arctic Microbial Ecology Dr. Byron Crump, UMCES Horn Point Laboratory, (www.hpl.umces.edu) A National Science Foundation funded research program in Arctic Microbial Biodiversity seeks a teacher to participate in the seven-week Environmental Science Education Partnership (ESEP) Teacher Research Fellowship Program (www.esep.umces.edu) coordinated by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). This teacher will travel to the Toolik Field Station on the North Slope of Alaska (www.uaf.edu/toolik) to assist with field work and sample processing for two weeks in late June and early July, and then return to UMCES Horn Point Laboratory to participate to work in the Crump lab, help conduct the proposed research and receive training in laboratory molecular techniques and bioinformatics. These experiences will be translated to classroom activities through newly designed classroom applications and lesson plans. For a description of the Arctic research project, please see www.hpl.umces.edu/faculty/bcrump/resmicbio.htm.