Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM)

03/27/2026

Congratulations to CCRM's own Dr. Joseph Zhang for selection as a William & Mary Plumeri Award Winner for Faculty Excellence. The Plumeri Award recognizes and awards core virtues that distinguish outstanding faculty members and define excellence at William & Mary.

Institute of Marine Science

Picture: CCRM/VIMS Director Dr. Kirk Havens, Dr. Joseph Zhang, VIMS Ecosystem Health Section Chair Dr. BK Song)

03/24/2026

Part of CCRM's Shoreline Stakeholder Series: High Flying Solutions for Tidal Marsh Mapping...tomorrow (Wed) March 25, 2026 at 11 am on Zoom. Email [email protected] for the Zoom link. Free and open to the public.



Funded in part by NOAA and the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program Virginia

03/20/2026

Our March CCRM ENews is here—catch up on research being done at CCRM, upcoming events, and more.

Email from Center for Coastal Resources Management Center for Coastal Resources Management at the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS March 2026 Spotlight on Research How Effective are O

03/19/2026

Take Marsh Mapping to New Heights! Discover high flying solutions for tidal marsh mapping.

Curious how drones are transforming coastal science? Join us for a live, behind-the-scenes look at how cutting-edge technology is helping researchers better understand tidal marshes.

Kory Angstadt, Senior Research Specialist at the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) will reveal how drones are revolutionizing data collection—making it faster, more precise, and more efficient to map marsh elevations and plant communities.

Whether you’re a coastal scientist, nature lover, technology enthusiast, or just curious, this is your chance to see innovation in action!

When: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 @ 11 AM
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free & open to the public

Register: Email [email protected] to receive your Zoom link.

This program is funded, in part, by NOAA and the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.

03/18/2026

Want to be a Citizen Shoreline Scientist?

Turn your next beach or shoreline walk into real science—collecting data that helps protect and manage Virginia’s shorelines.

Want to learn how to get started?

Join the free MapMyShoreShore Live Support (Zoom) Session

🗓 Thursday, March 26, 2026
⏱ 10:00–11:00 AM

Join the MapMyShore team to:
• Learn how to get started
• Get help mapping or troubleshooting
• Share feedback with other users

🕙 10:00–10:30 — New user walkthrough

Already a MapMyShore User?
🕥 10:30–11:00 — Open support + Q&A

🔗 Join details: mapmyshore.vims.edu

Turn your shoreline walk into real science—be a Citizen Shoreline Scientist! Support shoreline protection and better informed coastal management.

02/02/2026

We’re thrilled to share that CCRM graduate student Jessica Fergel has published her first first-author paper, “The shoreline protection potential of oyster reefs: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” co-authored with talented scientists from the Center for Coastal Resources Management at VIMS 🎉

This paper presents a global systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the ability of natural and constructed oyster reefs to attenuate waves, promote sediment accretion, and reduce shoreline erosion, while identifying how reef type and tidal location influence shoreline protection outcomes.

Jessica shares:

“I am incredibly grateful to my advisor, Donna Marie Bilkovic, for giving me the opportunity to lead this work and for her mentorship throughout the process. Thank you as well to all of my co-authors for their continued collaboration and guidance as I navigated publishing for the first time.”

This work exemplifies CCRM’s commitment to actionable science that advances coastal ecosystem understanding and informs decision-making.

🔗 Read the paper:
https://lnkd.in/emppsQns

Huge congratulations to Jessica and the entire CCRM author team!

12/05/2025

We’re excited to share that CCRM colleagues have a new publication out! 🎉

“Encouraging Living Shorelines in the United States: A Review of State Definitions and Policies” is now available!

A huge congratulations to all authors and especially to CCRM co-authors Pam Mason, Dr. Donna Bilkovic, Dr. Karinna Núñez, and doctoral alumna Amanda Guthrie. Their hard work and expertise continue to strengthen our understanding of living shoreline policy nationwide.

Take a look at their great work!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X25003896

12/04/2025

Applications are open for the 2026 Garden Club of America Coastal Wetlands Studies Scholarship. The award for graduate student research is a one-year scholarship with a stipend of $5,000 to support field-based research. Applications deadline: January 10, 2026.

Applications are open for the 2026 Garden Club of America Coastal Wetlands Studies Scholarship. The award for graduate student research is a one-year scholarship for with a stipend of $5,000 to support field-based research. Read Application requirements at: https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/outreach/gca/app...

12/02/2025

CCRM’s own Dr. Donna Bilkovic, Dr. Robert Isdell, and doctoral student Ashley Rose, in partnership with the Acuff Center, are pioneering a new frontier - spawning ribbed mussels - for the enhancement of living shoreline ecosystems. Ask us about this effort in the comments!

12/02/2025

CCRM’s own Dr. Donna Bilkovic, Dr. Robert Isdell, and doctoral student Ashley Rose, in partnership with the Acuff Center, pioneer a new frontier - spawning ribbed mussels - for the enhancement of living shoreline ecosystems.

Mussels have mysteriously been missing from manmade marshes around Hampton Roads. Local marine scientists want to change that.

12/01/2025

The Center for Coastal Resources Management is a proud sponsor and advisor to the Middle Peninsula Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist program.