David Stanhope

Education

• B.S. Biology, George Mason University
• Certificate of Environmental Management, George Mason University

Research Interests

My research interests are tidal and nontidal wetlands ecology. I am also interested in the protection and preservation of marine coastal zone environments, particularly coral reefs and mangrove habitats.

Current Projects

• Atlantic Slope Consortium-Estuarine and Great Lakes Indication Development Projects (ASC-EAGLES): Development of ecological indicators for the integrated assessment of aquatic ecosystems of the Atlantic Slope in the Mid-Atlantic States; evaluation the impact of land-use change and shoreline alterations on shallow-water fish communities        
• Monitoring active replenishment of subsiding habitat (MARSH project):  Assessment of fish zooplankton community structure in tidal, oligohaline marshes (pdf)       
• Shad project: Determination of survivability of American shad early life stages in varying habitats with mesocosm studies. (pdf)        
• Development of HGM headwater models for wetlands management in Virginia       
• Development of HGM forested models for wetlands management in Virginia (pdf)      
• Development of forested depressional wetland HGM model for wetlands management in Virginia       
• Monitoring wetlands mitigation sites in Virginia        
• Status and trends of Phragmites australis invasion within constructed wetlands of Virginia

Selected Publications

K. J. Havens, D.M. Bilkovic, D. Stanhope, and K. Angstadt. 2011. Fishery failure, unemployed commercial fishers, and lost blue crab pots: An unexpected success story.  Environmental Science & Policy, Volume 14, Issue 4,  Pages 445-450. (link)    

Bilkovic, D.M., C.H. Hershner, M.R. Berman, K.J. Havens and D.M. Stanhope. December 2004. Evaluating Nearshore Communities as Indicators of Ecosystem Health. Estuarine Indicators Workshop Proceedings, In: Estuarine Indicators, Stephen Bortone, ed., CRC Press, Inc., Vol. 28, 560.         

Bilkovic, D.M., D. Stanhope and C.H. Hershner. 2002. Assessing Larval American Shad Growth and Survival with in situ mesocosm experiments in three differing habitats within a coastal estuary. Final Report to the Center for Coastal Resources Management, VIMS        

Havens, K. J., C. Coppock, R. Arenson, D. Stanhope, G. Silberhorn. 2001. A Draft Regional Guidebook for Applying the Hydrogeomorphic Approach to Wet Hardwood Flats on Mineral Soils in the Coastal Plains of Virginia. Draft Report to the Center for Coastal Resources Management, VIMS