The Chesapeake Bay and its rivers are the lifeblood of the Eastern Shore. While many easily recognize the natural beauty Bay country offers, the Horn Point Laboratory is offering “Science After Hours with HPL,” designed to make the science of the Chesapeake Bay as accessible as its beauty.
On May 7 and May 17, Horn Point Laboratory researchers will offer free talks about the science behind Chesapeake Bay. The forty-five-minute talks will not only shed light into the mysteries of the Bay, but also highlight Horn Point programs working to improve the health of the Bay and its aquatic life. Questions and participation by the audience will be encouraged.
“Science After Hours with HPL” will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the Easton Branch of the Talbot Co. Library, located at 100 W. Dover Street, Easton MD 21601. To register, contact HPL Volunteer Coordinator Linda Starling at 410-221-8381 or [email protected] You may also register on line at this address: https://www.usmf.org/events/41118-science-after-hours/
Sessions include:
Monday, May 7: Dr. Lorie Staver presents: “Tidal marsh restoration at Poplar Island: maximizing resilience ”
Tidal marshes provide critical habitat for a variety of wildlife. The loss of islands in Chesapeake Bay to erosion over the last century has reduced the area of that critical habitat. The goal of the Poplar Island project is to replace some of it using dredged material from upper Chesapeake Bay. However, there are a number of challenges in creating self-sustaining tidal marshes, especially sea level rise. This talk will focus on addressing those challenges to create more resilient marshes, and provide lessons for tidal marsh restoration throughout Chesapeake Bay and beyond.”
Thursday, May 17: Dr. Greg Silsbe presents: “Satellites and drones; linking water color to water quality”
Every day so called ‘earth-observing satellites’ operated by NASA and other international space agencies pass over the Chesapeake Bay region and acquire millions of specialized high-resolution images. These data are often freely available and, with a touch of science, can be used to track changes in land use, air and water quality at regional to global scales. With the advent and rapid commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones), scientists are retrofitting these instruments to emulate the types of measurements made from space. This talk explores the technology and science of this rapidly growing field.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The Horn Point Laboratory is part of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the University System of Maryland’s environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through five research centers – Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, and the Maryland Sea Grant College in College Park. www.umces.edu
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