The annual Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card shows unusually persistent hypoxia in July.
Research & Scholarship
Research & Scholarship
Trawling through time: 70 years of the Juvenile Finfish Trawl Survey
W&M's Batten School & VIMS regularly monitor Chesapeake Bay species, including the invasive blue catfish.
Research & Scholarship
Activating entrepreneurial energy to pursue coastal & marine solutions
The Dean & Director’s Innovation Fund empowers recipients to work at the intersection of research and enterprise.
W&M Life
Kerry upholds science, research-backed truth as inaugural Blue Horizons Fellow
The new program brings leaders, innovators to William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS to inspire, engage and collaborate.
Research & Scholarship
National TRAP Program targets ghostly issue with second round of coastal clean up funding
The second round of programmatic funding awarded by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS totals $1.8M in support of 13 projects focused on removing derelict fishing gear from coastal waters.
Research & Scholarship
An average year for juvenile striped bass in Virginia waters in 2025
Preliminary results from an ongoing long-term survey suggest that an average year class of young-of-year striped bass was produced in the Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in 2025.
Research & Scholarship
New shellfish aquaculture specialization highlights industry-ready graduate students
For some graduate students at William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS, a new sub-concentration in shellfish aquaculture may be the shining pearl in their degree.
Research & Scholarship
Bay scallops surge on the Eastern Shore
Once locally extinct, the Virginia bay scallop population is increasing exponentially due to restoration work by W&M’s Batten School & VIMS Eastern Shore Laboratory.
Research & Scholarship
Blackwater photos suggest new symbiosis between fish and anemones
Captured through breathtaking blackwater photography, the images show rarely seen encounters.
Research & Scholarship
Warming oceans may pose a serious threat to American lobsters
A new study published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series reveals American lobster embryos can handle ocean acidification surprisingly well, but increased temperatures may pose distinct challenges for the species.
Research & Scholarship
Study highlights the benefits of biodiversity for commercial fisheries
Combining 17 years of Chesapeake Bay population assessments with economic analyses, researchers show the importance of diversifying catches across species.
University News
W&M’s Batten School & VIMS launch Blue Horizons Visiting Fellows Program
John F. Kerry to serve as inaugural fellow.
Research & Scholarship
Seagrass swap could reshape Chesapeake Bay food web
A new study shows that an ongoing transition from eelgrass to widgeon grass as the dominant seagrass species in the Chesapeake Bay could have ecological impacts across food webs, fisheries and ecosystem functions.
University News
W&M’s Batten School & VIMS welcome their first class of coastal & marine sciences undergraduates
Supported by extraordinary philanthropy, the major is the first undergraduate degree in coastal and marine sciences offered by a Virginia public university.
Research & Scholarship
Bay grasses see record gains in salty waters, offset by losses in central region
Results from the Chesapeake Bay 2024 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Survey show resilience in key areas despite overall losses.
Research & Scholarship
Can a parasitic worm help rebuild blue crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay?
A new study published in the journal PLOS One by researchers at William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS suggests parasitic worms could serve as a valuable biomarker for managing the fishery.
Service & Community
More than 2,000 educated, inspired at Marine Science Day
The 23rd annual Marine Science Day, the marquee open house event at William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS, drew more than 2,000 attendees on Saturday, May 31 with public access to academic buildings and…
Excellence
Celebrating excellence: W&M’s 2025 Commencement awards
A number of people in the William & Mary community were honored during the 2025 Commencement ceremony.
Research & Scholarship
2024 sea level ‘report cards’ map futures of U.S. coastal communities
Featuring four new localities, the updated report cards show past and projected rates of sea level rise and acceleration for 36 U.S. coastal communities in a new, interactive dashboard.
Research & Scholarship
Reves Center announces 2025 faculty fellows
The Reves Center for International Studies has awarded the 2025 Reves and Drapers’ Faculty Fellowships to five William & Mary professors.
Research & Scholarship
William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS unveil Chesapeake Bay Hall
Chesapeake Bay Hall serves as a hub for much of the lab-based science driving the institutions’ academic, research and advisory missions.
Research & Scholarship
Virginia’s experience with MSX aids Atlantic Canada’s aquaculture industry
W&M’s Batten School & VIMS recently hosted a delegation of government officials and aquaculture industry representatives from Atlantic Canada.
Research & Scholarship
Study highlights successes of Virginia’s oyster restoration efforts
A recent study has shown that oyster management practices in the Rappahannock River benefit both the health of the oyster reefs as well as the fishery.
Research & Scholarship
It’s time for new perspectives on algae
Researchers at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS are researching the critical role played by various algae in maintaining the health of not only their own habitats but of coastal communities worldwide.
Excellence
William & Mary classified as one of the nation’s top research institutions
University receives R1 research activity classification from Carnegie.
W&M Life
Theatre and marine science collaborate to bring environmental issues center stage
The play tells the story of inhabitants of a barrier island dealing with the immediate aftermath of a hurricane.
University News
W&M’s new major in coastal and marine sciences a first for Virginia
State agency approves major and clears way for public undergraduate coastal and marine sciences degree program to launch this fall
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W&M Life
Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2024 brings 4,000 back to campus
More than 4,000 members of the William & Mary community gathered Oct. 17-20 on campus for this year’s Homecoming & Reunion Weekend.
Research & Scholarship
A poor year for juvenile striped bass in Virginia waters in 2024
The 2024 value is significantly lower than the historic average of 7.77 fish per seine haul and marks the second consecutive year of below-average recruitment in Virginia tributaries.
Research & Scholarship
The comeback continues for Virginia’s bay scallops
The results of this year's survey show their population may be approaching sustainable levels.
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