Tour Gives Lawmakers Insight Into UVA Ecological Research

Members of the state House Appropriations Committee recently visited with University of Virginia students and faculty during an Eastern Shore tour that included a stop to learn about the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research program.

The program, part of UVA’s Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center, provides opportunities for research on the marshes, coastal bays and barrier islands of the Virginia coast, and supports K-12 education activities throughout the state.

House committee members spent two days on the Eastern Shore exploring higher-education research facilities, agricultural and economic programs, and NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

State lawmakers joined UVA officials on a tour of research and ecological restoration efforts on the Eastern Shore. (Contributed photo)

Department of Environmental Sciences Professor Karen McGlathery, who also is director of the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research program, and her team provided the House members details about UVA’s ongoing research on coastal barrier ecosystems, including restoration of seagrass and oyster habitats.

Read about earlier UVA Today coverage of this important work:

Seagrass Restoration Paying Off for Eastern Shore

UVA Scientists Develop New Way to Fund Coastal Restoration

UVA Conducts Long-Term Research on Eastern Shore

UVA Joins Five Other Virginia Universities With Coastal Science Charter

Karen McGlathery to Lead UVA’s Environmental Sustainability Efforts