NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
JANUARY 2018 
The ocean is slowly suffocating, international team reports


Scientists warns that the ocean may run out of breath unless action is taken to rein in climate change and nutrient pollution. The first sweeping look at the causes, consequences, and solutions to low oxygen worldwide was published today in Science. 

The international team of researchers, including Mike Roman and Kenny Rose at the Horn Point Laboratory, reveals that the amount of oxygen in the world's oceans and coastal waters  has been declining for at least the past half century as a result of human activities that have increased global temperatures and nutrients discharged to coastal waters. The article highlights the biggest dangers to the ocean and society and what it will take to keep Earth's waters healthy and productive.

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Researchers win national challenge to study storm events and nutrients that impact Chesapeake Bay


The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have been named one of five winners of a $10,000 Stage 1 Prize in the Environmental Protection Agency's national Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge.  Researchers worked together to detail a plan to use newly developed nutrient sensor technology to explore how storm events will impact water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. This could help validate models for restoration and give insight into the effect of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution on algal blooms and dead zones in the estuary.

"The effect has largely been evaluated using models, so there is a need to have better data to understand how storm events affect the bay," said Jeremy Testa. "We'll deploy these where we can measure the impact of a big flow event using sensors to track how far the nutrient reaches down-Bay and how long it sticks around."


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing an additional $150,000 to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to continue support of computer technology that helps the Bay. For the past four years, UMCES has aided the Chesapeake Bay Program, significantly increasing the computational capacity for Bay restoration by developing a cloud-based, high-performance computing environment that has resulted in more accurate assessment of conditions, progress, and management practices.

Behind the Science: Andrew Elmore on studying changes to the landscape from outer space

When parking lots go up and rooftops multiply, land cover and land uses change. Andrew Elmore with the Appalachian Laboratory explains how he uses data from satellites to understand what's happening on the landscape, including identifying the impact of impervious surfaces on stream networks and  measuring the timing of spring in forests.


Walter Boynton, professor emeritus at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, was awarded the Maryland Water Monitoring Council's Carl S. Weber Award for longtime leadership on understanding and taking action on water quality in the Chesapeake. He was part of the team that designed and implemented the Bay comprehensive monitoring program in 1984 and has been key to collaborations that lead to the understanding of the decline and resurgence of underwater grass and striped bass. 

Next Generation: Tracing hydraulic fracturing fluids with Jenna Luek

Jenna Luek successfully defended her research in December to become Chesapeake Biological Laboratory's newest Ph.D. recipient. Find out how growing up swimming in one of the most polluted rivers in the country influenced her scientific path to better understand the chemicals present in hydraulic fracturing fluids and their waste waters.

Counting down the biggest news of 2017

To celebrate another great year at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (that makes 92 years working to understand and improve the environment and educate the next generation of science leaders, thank you), we collected our 12 biggest and most popular stories and videos. Did your favorite make the list?



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Appalachian Laboratory * Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Horn Point Laboratory *
Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
Integration and Application Network * Maryland Sea Grant

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