Located in Cambridge, MD, Horn Point Laboratory is part of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science --
a fully-accredited graduate school and research facility conducting environmental research on a variety of ecosystems. From dealing with the effects of climate change to oyster restoration and other
science-based efforts that lead to a healthier Chesapeake Bay,
Horn Point Laboratory IS environmental science.
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UMCES/HPL remains closed to the public through the rest of 2020. We look forward to sharing time with you on campus as soon as it is safe and possible. Until then, please stay safe and follow us on facebook |
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Dr. Michael Kemp professor emeritus UMCES-HPL, respected colleague, teacher and role model, and friend to the marine science community. |
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Maryland Loses Pioneering Chesapeake Bay Scientist, Dr. Michael Kemp |
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University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Professor Emeritus Michael Kemp, a pioneering ecosystems ecologist and world leader in conducting research on the ecology of estuaries, has passed away after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Along with significant scientific contributions Kemp had a distinguished record of teaching and mentoring students, including advising 24 graduate students and many undergraduate summer interns.“One of Michael’s great joys of working at UMCES was his mentoring and interactions with students. His door was open to all students and he took interest in learning about their research projects,” said Michael Roman, Director of UMCES’ Horn Point Laboratory. “We are most grateful to Michael for his scholarship, mentoring and community engagement.”
Our thoughts and well wishes go to Michael’s wife Laura Murray, also a valued member of the UMCES faculty, and to his son Cullen.
As a legacy to his many contributions to graduate students, Michael Kemp’s family has created a fund to support Horn Point Laboratory graduate students in his name, the Michael Kemp Student Fund.
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Great Fox Island, Maryland, home to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Education Center, formerly a hunting and fishing lodge. The Center officially closed it doors in November 2019 due to sea level rise. |
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Rising Waters: Climate Change and the Bay |
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Climate change can seem a little abstract, or at least causing problems comfortably far away–forest fires in California and the Pacific Northwest, or hurricanes on the Gulf coast. But new research makes clear that there will also be profound local impacts. Recent flooding on Maryland’s eastern shore—in Salisbury, Crisfield, Cambridge—and in Annapolis and Baltimore on the western shore is “likely just a foretaste of what is to come,” says scientist Ming Li of the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Laboratory. Dr. Li covered this subject HPL's Fall Scientific Seminar Series, "Assessing Coastal Risk and Enhancing Resilience". The Talbot Spy's Science Writer, Al Hammond, sits down with Dr. Li and discusses the challenge, do we defend coastlines at all costs or strategically retreat to higher ground?
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Grant recipient, Dr. Raleigh Hood, professor at Horn Point Laboratory, UMCES |
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Research Team Receives $1.4 Million to Predict How the Environment Impacts Human Behavior and Decision Making
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University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory Professor Raleigh Hood and a group of researchers from 3 other institutions throughout the United States have been awarded a $1.4 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The 4-year project will develop a coupled modeling system to represent and simulate the complex interrelationships between humans and the environment.
"We currently have the computational tools we need to predict how human-induced nutrient pollution impacts water quality and living resources in Chesapeake Bay. The revolutionary thing about this project is that it will develop new tools that allow us to predict how degraded water quality impacts human decisions and actions aimed at restoring Chesapeake Bay,” said Hood.
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Dr. William Nardin is a scientific advisor to the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab. This video, created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, shares the challenge and vision the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab is addressing. |
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Providing Scientific Advise to Reimagine and Recreate a National Treasure
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William Nardin, assistant professor at the Horn Point Lab, is a scientific advisor to the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab, a collaborative endeavor between The Trust for the National Mall and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As part of the National Mall and the front yard to many of our national monuments and iconic cherry trees, the Tidal Basin is at a pivotal moment. Sea level rise and neglect threaten this region. After 1 year of in-person and online meetings, The National Trust for Historic Preservation is launching an online presentation of the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab to add a narrative perspective to the project.
Dr. Nardin shares these thoughts, “I really enjoyed being part of the team. As part of the Tidal Mall Ideas Lab advisory team I have been interacting with a couple of the architecture studios to suggest sea level rise projections. Additionally, I explored and shared information on the geological evolution of the Potomac River."
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The carcass of one of the many elephants which have died in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, July 3, 2020. Hundreds of elephants that died mysteriously in Botswana's famed Okavango Delta succumbed to bacteria found in the water pans, the wildlife department said on September 21, 2020. PHOTO BY AFP PHOTO /NATIONAL PARK RESCUE |
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Toxic Blooms and Climate Change Have Far Reaching Impact |
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Toxins in water produced from cyanobacteria has been identified as the killer of over 300 elephants in Botswana this year. Not all cyanobacteria produce toxins, and cyanobacteria are found commonly in water and soil. However, toxic species are occurring more frequently with rising temperatures due to climate change. These toxic blooms are one form of harmful algal blooms (HAB's). “It amounts to having the right conditions, in the right time, in the right place and these species will proliferate,” Patricia Glibert, professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory, and a world renowned expert on HAB's, told Reuters. “These conditions are coming together more often, in more places, so we are seeing more of these toxic blooms around the world.”
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HPL Assistant Professor, Lorie Staver, is part of the Chesapeake Bay Sentinel Site Cooperative (CBSSC) team, one of five cooperatives throughout the country. CBSSC is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant Office and state Sea Grant programs to bring together scientists conducting individual long term monitoring programs at coastal study sites, particularly tidal marshes. The mission of CBSSC is “to integrate science findings from local observations across the (Chesapeake Bay) region to improve planning and management decisions regarding sea level rise and ecological changes.” By combining efforts, the cooperative, in partnership with coastal managers, decision makers and community liaisons, is helping communities in the region prepare for coastal flooding and other effects resulting from changing climate conditions.
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Jamie Pierson named to national committee
advancing JEDI
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Jamie Pierson, HPL associate professor representing UMCES, is part of an 11 member international committee created by The Oceanography Society (TOS). Pierson shared this about his selection, "This is a brand new committee charged to engage with the TOS community, take actions, and make concrete suggestions to advance issues in the context of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion(JEDI)".
TOS was founded in 1988 to advance oceanographic research, technology, and education, and to disseminate knowledge of oceanography and its application through research and education.
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UMCES Highest Staff Recognition Bestowed on HPL's Julianna Brush |
“ It is no surprise to us at Horn Point that Juli received this honor. As any faculty, FRA or student can attest, if you are working on submitting a proposal - Juli helps get it done with a smile, great attitude and extreme competence. She is respected by her fellow administrative staff not only at Horn Point but also at the other UMCES labs and Center Administration for her collaboration and professionalism. We are very lucky to have Juli as part of the HPL community and she is most deserving of this award," said Mike Roman, Director, Horn Point Laboratory.
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By applying the knowledge and experience students garner through their education at HPL-UMCES, there are many ways to make the world a better place . HPL is pleased 2 students are exploring these horizons with their selection to this year's Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship, REEF program. Brendan Campbell and Catherine Fitzgerald have these thoughts to share about their year long endeavor.
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Catherine Fitzgerald is a PhD student at HPL. "In joining the REEF program, I aim to understand the fundamentals of how businesses work and what motivates businesspeople. Whether I remain an academic researcher, move to a research industry, work in policy, or start a business myself, I'll need to understand how business partners and stakeholders operate in order to accommodate their perspectives and needs in (for example) environmental management decisions."
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Brendan Campbell a Masters student at HPL. "I am excited to partake in the REEF program this year. I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn more about starting a business. Already, it is making the process more palatable which is encouraging. I look to start an aquaculture technology business in the future so the REEF program seems like a perfect jumping off point for my professional career."
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HPL Virtual Fall Seminar Series
Assessing Coastal Risk and Enhancing Resilience
Horn Point Lab is hosting 12 virtual seminars with speakers from around the world sharing their knowledge about about risks to our coastal communities and ecosystems and ways to enhance resilience.
Seminars are Wednesday at 11:00 am and are free and open to the public.
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With ongoing research programs spanning from the estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the open waters of the world's oceans, Horn Point Laboratory is a national leader in applying environmental research and discovery to solve society’s most pressing environmental problems.
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