SERC: The Ecology and Biology of the Chesapeake
October 4th, 2025 - SERC (Edgewater, MD)
On October 4, 2025, we took a trip to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). We were able to learn about the research the volunteers perform to study the ecology and biology of the Chesapeake and its surrounding areas. We also got to participate in some hands-on activities to learn more about the process of gathering information for studies and research.
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
One area of research the SERC staff measures is the diameter of tree trunks. They make this measurement with a very precise instrument. They have a standardized height at which they measure the trees to ensure there are not any discrepancies among different researchers or trees. The resulting information is used to observe how trees maintain water during different times of the day and different parts of the year. This provides an overall insight of the health of the surrounding ecosystem and can be applied to larger areas such as all of Maryland or the Mid-Atlantic. Another research focus is with oyster shells. The staff has several structures of oyster shells which they place under the surface of the water. This will attract small organisms, including mud crabs and worms. This can provide insights for how the ecosystem is behaving and mark populations. This information can be used to notice patterns for populations of certain species over a large scale of time and area.
One habitat that we examined was right off the shore on the sandy beach area. This could be divided into several parts, including the open area, grassy areas, and woody areas. Here we participated by collecting fish, shrimp, crabs, and jellyfish in large nets. This was a direct example of how human activity interacts with this habitat. This area is often used to perform research and study the populations of species. Another habitat we saw was where river otters often have activity. The river is the home to the otters in the day time but during night time, as they are nocturnal animals, they often come out onto a man-made wooden structure. This is proven with evidence of droppings and a video camera. The man-made structure disturbed their original natural habitat. However, it was not a harmful disturbance, as they now spend their time in this man-made structure.
SERC reaches out to the community by hiring volunteers to perform outreach activities. The volunteers who showed us around are an example of this. From elementary school to university levels, SERC is always having tours and activities for students to engage in. The purpose of this is to inspire the next generation of scientists and researchers to focus their efforts on conservation and protecting the natural environment. I believe that these means of outreach are effective as they are clearly attracting a lot of participants. This also inspires volunteers to work for them and continue their outreach program.
Overall, the SERC experience was a lot of fun and very informative. I am inspired by the organization’s hard work and dedication to research and conservation.