Top Stories

Water stargrass (Heteranthera dubia) grows in the fresh waters of the upper Chesapeake Bay and tributaries throughout the Bay watershed. Photo by Alyson Hall.
Experts encouraged by continued expansion of Chesapeake Bay grasses

Underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay expanded 7% to an estimated 82,937 acres in 2023 to reach their seventh-highest level in 40 years of monitoring, according to an annual survey led by researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

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$100M gift to establish William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences

A transformational $100 million gift from philanthropist Jane Batten HON ’17, L.H.D. ’19 will catalyze the newly named Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences. Batten’s visionary gift will position W&M and its Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) as the premier destination for developing solutions to these threats — building on the university’s strong scientific reputation and unmatched expertise in coastal resilience.

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Adding up the pieces to solve SUMS

A new report by VIMS emphasizes a collaborative approach to mitigating sudden oyster mortality syndrome.

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Plankton researchers urge their colleagues to mix it up

A new article published in the journal Frontiers of Marine Science encourages researchers to focus their attention on mixoplankton, providing a set of methodologies to help expand our understanding of this critically important component of the marine ecosystem.

Caitlin Sughrue (left) collects core samples with her mentor, Alyson Hall. Photo provided by Caitlin Sughrue.
Undergraduates also make an impact at VIMS, just ask Caitlin Sughrue

William & Mary biology major Caitlin Sughrue made important contributions to research supporting seagrass restoration while earning her Minor in Marine Science. Next, she will travel to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to participate in the National Park Service's Scientists in Parks program.

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VIMS 2024 graduates ready to make waves

This year, VIMS celebrated 18 W&M School of Marine Science graduates during a Diploma Ceremony held on the morning of Saturday, May 18.

William & Mary pursues bachelor’s in marine science at School of Marine Science

William & Mary is moving forward with a proposal for the first undergraduate marine science program at a public university in Virginia. The Board of Visitors approved the measure to submit plans for the degree to the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV). That review process by SCHEV will determine whether the university may implement the new program.

VIMS Dean and Director Derek Aday, Governor Glenn Youngkin, and officials from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others agencies celebrate the York River oyster restoration milestone.
Virginia celebrates key oyster restoration milestone in the York River

Governor Glenn Youngkin joined representatives from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science to celebrate the achievement of the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Goal for the York River.

Example showing surface concentrations of inorganic suspended solids in the Chesapeake Bay.
VIMS researchers unveil comprehensive climatological atlas of the Chesapeake Bay

VIMS researchers Pierre St-Laurent, Ph.D., and Marjorie Friedrichs, Ph.D., have harnessed 38 years of data to produce the most current and comprehensive climatological atlas of the Chesapeake Bay. Available for public use, it is expected to serve as a useful reference for those who study and teach marine science or make their living on the Bay.

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Unexpected findings emerge in study of subsurface effects of marine heatwaves in estuaries, the first of its kind worldwide

Published in the prestigious Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, a new study from William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) leverages more than three decades of data to demonstrate that extreme water temperatures associated with marine heatwaves last longer than previously known, exhibit subsurface seasonal patterns, and are associated with the expansion of hypoxic zones.