Virginia Institute of Marine Science

10/27/2026

A harmful algal bloom thousands of miles away is bringing scientists together to find solutions. 🌊

Since 2025, South Australia has faced the largest harmful algal bloom in the country’s history, devastating marine wildlife and coastal communities. As the region looks toward recovery, scientists from South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water visited William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School to explore how shellfish restoration can help rebuild coastal ecosystems and strengthen resilience against future environmental challenges.

Through discussions on oyster hatcheries, shellfish health and community engagement, scientists exchanged knowledge and explored opportunities for international collaboration.

This exchange reflects our mission to advance marine science through research, education and advisory service, translating scientific knowledge into practical solutions for coastal communities in Virginia and around the world.

🔗 Read the full story at the link!

William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School welcomed scientists from South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water to explore how shellfish restoration could help coastal ecosystems and economies recover from a historic harmful algal bloom.

10/26/2026

📍 Every pin on the map tells a story about flooding in Virginia communities.

Catch the King brings together volunteers across Coastal Virginia to help VIMS, Wetlands Watch and ODU better understand when and where tidal flooding occurs.

This year, 184 volunteers collected more than 25,000 GPS observations, adding to a decade of community-powered data that helps scientists improve flood forecasting models and better understand local flood patterns.

These observations do more than track high tides. They help researchers generate information that coastal communities can use to prepare for flooding and rising seas.

🔗 Read the full story at the link!

Through collaboration between W&M's VIMS, Wetlands Watch and Old Dominion University, Catch the King volunteers collected more than 25,000 flood observations during the 10th annual event, adding to a growing archive that improves flood forecasts and informs coastal resilience.

10/26/2026

🐟 Ever seen a fish with both eyes on one side of its head? 👀

Ellanah is taking a closer look at this fascinating flatfish for Marine Monday!

Summer flounder are born with an eye on each side of their head. As they develop from larvae into juveniles, their right eye moves across the top of their head to the left side. Eventually, both eyes are on the same side of the body, helping them adapt to life on the seafloor.

Talk about a transformation!

*The flounder was safely released back into the water*

10/23/2026

ROAD CLOSURE ALERT – OCTOBER 31

Please be advised that a temporary road closure will take place on **Saturday, October 31, beginning at 9:00 AM** to accommodate the William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School River & Bay 5K at Gloucester Point Park.

**Road Closure Details**
- Location: Tarleton & Greate Road
- Closure Begins: 9:00 AM
- Park & Pier Access: Access to Gloucester Point Park and the Fishing Pier will be restricted during the race.

Planning to Visit Before the Race?

Individuals wishing to access the park or fishing pier before 9:00 AM may be permitted to enter and park at Gloucester Point Park at the discretion of security personnel stationed at the road closure checkpoint.

Anyone entering before the race must understand that they will not be permitted to leave the area until the race has concluded and the roadway has reopened.

We encourage visitors to plan accordingly and appreciate everyone's patience and cooperation as we help ensure a safe and successful event for all participants!

10/22/2026

This National Seafood Month, we’re putting blue catfish on the menu! 🐟

Blue catfish are an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay, but harvesting them for food offers a locally sourced seafood option while helping support population management efforts.

🧑‍🍳 Ready to give blue catfish a try? We’ve got a few recipes! Comment “Recipe” and we’ll DM you two recipes provided from local chefs!

10/20/2026

Preliminary results of our annual Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey are in! 🎣

VIMS scientists recorded an average of 9.52 fish per seine haul in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The 2026 value is an increase from the 5.12 fish per seine haul recorded in 2025, though both years are similar to the historical average of 7.77 fish per seine haul observed in Virginia tributaries.

Researchers sample 18 index sites across the Rappahannock, York and James river systems, returning to each site five times throughout the summer to count and measure juvenile fish before releasing them alive.

Conducted annually since 1967, the survey helps scientists track changes in striped bass populations and provides data to inform fisheries management.

🔗 Read more about the 2026 findings at the link

*The Maryland Department of Natural Resources conducts a similar survey in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Their 2026 results are included in the link as well.

Preliminary results from an ongoing long-term survey conducted by William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) suggest that an average year class of young-of-year striped bass was produced in the Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in 2026.

10/19/2026

A familiar coastal crustacean: white shrimp! 🦐

This Marine Monday, Matt is taking a closer look at this coastal crustacean. White shrimp were once more commonly found in southern waters, but they have begun migrating north.

Today, they can be found in estuaries and coastal waters, where they play an important role in the food web and support a commercial fishery.

▶️ Watch to learn more!

10/19/2026

🎓 Alumni Spotlight: Tony Nalovic ’14 🎓

By the time he arrived at W&M's VIMS & Batten School in 2011, Tony Nalovic had already spent a decade working to align fisheries management with environmental conservation and was seeking an advanced degree to take the work he already loved to the next level.

⬇️ Learn more about Tony's story.

🔗 https://www.vims.edu/academics/alumni-profiles/nalovic-t/

10/16/2026

For Richard Lafferty ’74 and his wife, Pamela, supporting William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School is about more than philanthropy. It’s about investing in the science, people and solutions needed to address the challenges facing our coasts.

After more than 15 years of supporting VIMS & the Batten School, the Laffertys recently established a $100,000 unrestricted endowment, creating a lasting source of flexible support for generations to come.

Why unrestricted? Because the needs of our coast are constantly changing. Flexible funding allows VIMS & the Batten School to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities, from coastal resilience and flood forecasting to fisheries, habitat restoration and marine wildlife research.

“I trust the leadership to do what’s right,” said Lafferty. “They need to be free to solve our biggest problems.”

As a William & Mary alumnus, longtime Chesapeake Bay boater and member of the VIMS Foundation Board, Lafferty has seen firsthand the breadth and impact of VIMS & the Batten School’s work.

🔗 Inspired by the Laffertys? Learn more about their story and find ways to give to VIMS & the Batten School.

A new, $100,000 unrestricted endowment from Richard Lafftery ’74 and Pamela Lafferty is a continuation of their ongoing philanthropy, volunteer leadership and belief in VIMS' trifold mission of research, education and advisory services.

10/15/2026

Rising temperatures aren’t the only impact of climate change 🌧️

In a new study from W&M’s VIMS & Batten School, researchers studying the impacts of rainfall across South Texas found that as rainfall decreased, secondary production increased.

“Secondary production is basically the growth of new animal tissue over time,” said VIMS & Batten School Associate Professor Chris Patrick. “It’s rare that people do secondary production empirically…but to do it for both the invertebrate community and the fish community, and to do that for multiple years at multiple sites…Nobody does that. And we did.”

The results of this study extend far beyond South Texas and into other ecosystems, with implications that changes in rainfall patterns can alter construction of food webs and their processes 💧

Click the link to learn more about the effects of rainfall on ecosystems 🔗

Rain has an outsized impact on the ecology of rivers, according to a new study led by William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School. Researchers found that less annual rainfall destabilizes stream ecosystems, reducing the complexity of the food webs and reorganizing the distribution of animal mass.