Virginia Institute of Marine Science

- About
- With 500+ faculty, staff and students and three campus locations, VIMS is equipped to tackle pressing challenges through research, education and advisory service.
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- Research & Advisory
- VIMS celebrates 50 years of shark research, a milestone for marine conservation.
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- Batten School
- Research published in Nature Communications by Ph.D. student Mary Bryan Barksdale shows coastal landscapes are at risk of a diminished, fleeting blue carbon stock.
  
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- Engage
- Marine Science Day 2024 drew 2,000+ with educational exhibits and hands-on activities for all ages.
  
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- News & Events
- A new report by VIMS emphasizes a collaborative approach to mitigating sudden oyster mortality syndrome.
  
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- Giving
- Lifetimes dedicated to environmental science inspired Fu-Lin Chu Ph.D. '82, P '97, P '12 and William Chu P '97, P '12 to create a fellowship for graduate students in the School of Marine Science.
  
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Pollution

Toxicologists and environmental chemists at VIMS use cutting-edge analytical instruments to detect, identify, and assess the risks of marine pollutants such as brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), Kepone^©, heavy metals like mercury, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and tributyl tin (TBT).

Top Stories

Grad students lead cleanup effort (July 2017) As beach season heats up around Chesapeake Bay, VIMS grad students use beach cleanups to help document and reduce marine litter.
VIMS report offers mixed news on James River Kepone (June 2017) Good news is that threats to human health from this now-banned pesticide have largely abated, troubling news is that threats from new, undocumented contaminants persist.
VIMS shoots to reduce pollution from spent shotgun shells (June 2015) A team of researchers at VIMS has earned a state award to further develop a biodegradable alternative to plastic shotgun “wads," which pose a threat to wildlife.
VIMS develops underwater robot to assist in oil-spill cleanup (March 2015) Prototype developed by Dr. Paul Panetta and crew uses sound waves to help gauge thickness of slicks.
New VIMS faculty member specializes in algal toxins (September 2014) Dr. Juliette Smith’s research focuses on one of the most complex and pressing issues in aquatic science—and she wouldn’t HAB it any other way.

More stories...

Advisory Service Reports

Virginia. Dept. of Environmental Quality, Virginia. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services., Virginia. Dept. of Forestry., and Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 1994. Actions and options for Virginia's Potomac Basin tributary nutrient reduction strategy. Dept. of Environmental Quality, Richmond, Va.
Boesch, D. F., and Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory. 1977. Application of numerical classification in ecological investigations of water pollution. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 1971. Thermal effects of the Surry Nuclear Power Plant on the James River, Virginia: The design of the monitoring system Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA.

Read a full list of VIMS-authored journal articles related to pollution.

SRAMSOE

Theses