Poplar Island Restoration Project illustration at HPL
The Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) serves as an important player in environmental science in the state of Maryland. The lab researches a variety of topics relating to conservation, restoration, and scientific research. One of the primary research areas is on climate change. Worldwide climate change is causing the living situations of billions of people and even more billions of organisms to become more precarious by the year. Scientists at the HPL and elsewhere use climate models to predict how climate will change in specific areas or worldwide. Using these models, they can formulate responses to future problems arising from a warmer climate. Those at HPL have spent a lot of time researching the environmental impacts of various energy sources including biofuel, wind, natural gas, and oil. Using this research, they’ve developed recommendations for moving into the future in terms of energy production.
Another important area of research at the HPL regards fisheries and aquaculture. Fisheries have been incredibly important for a good portion of human history and many areas of the world rely on them to this day. Even areas that don’t rely on them for survival still invest in them heavily for commercial purposes. Unfortunately, the consequences of climate change and overfishing are causing many fisheries to output less and less. Aquaculture allows for a more consistent output of fish and shellfish as it doesn’t rely on natural habitats. The HPL researches both sustainable aquaculture and fishing so as to not deplete the populations of fish and shellfish. The HPL also uses aquaculture as a strategy for restoring organisms’ populations in areas where they have been depleted. In fact, the HPL currently hosts the largest oyster hatchery in the state, mostly to restore the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay
The HPL’s efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay illustrate one final research area that the lab engages in, restoring and sustaining ecosystems. Several pressures including climate change, population growth, and urban development are causing many ecosystems to shrink or disappear. Scientists across the globe use area calculations, biodiversity, and population measures to track the impact of these pressures on natural environments. Environmental sustainability is a chief aim of the HPL and they work hard to achieve this goal. As previously stated, the lab is engaged in a large-scale effort to restore the oyster population of the Chesapeake Bay. Beyond this, the lab is engaged in next-generation “smart restoration” research to restore large ecosystems such as forests and rivers. This groundbreaking research will undoubtedly be able to move the world closer to sustaining its ecosystems while we still can.
The second part of our excursion involved visiting the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The chief function of the refuge is wildlife conservation. Covering over 32,000 acres, The refuge engages in sustainability efforts within its marshes and forests. It serves as an area where the environment is to be conserved and maintained for the wildlife that calls the refuge home. Through its efforts, the population of the Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel has recovered and has removed invasive species from the area. The refuge also engages in educating the Maryland community on its habitats, its organisms, and its efforts to maintain the diversity of the area it covers
The refuge provides a path for visitors to drive on where they can observe some of the land area and learn about the ecosystem. The drive primarily serves as a means to educate visitors on the ecosystem and native wildlife. As an educational tool, the drive is quite effective. The refuge issues pamphlets that succinctly and effectively present information to the reader about key points affecting the ecosystem such as invasive species and sea level rise. The drive, therefore, combines interesting scenery with educational content which serves as a relatively effective means of educating the population. Sea level rise is an important topic because the refuge resides in an area that is at very high risk of sea level rise. This has clear effects on the ecosystem because the organisms that live in the wetlands of the refuge have not adapted to salt water. The tree line along the marshes has been pushed back due to saltwater encroachment.
However, attempts to educate the community do not do much if the community does not know about what you do. The refuge, therefore, has to engage in outreach to help get its point across. The refuge primarily does this by hosting events for the surrounding community. While the attendance of these events varies, the events do happen semi-consistently and any outreach is worth it. As an example, on April 28th the refuge is hosting a guided birding tour that will enable attendees to travel the refuge and learn more about its wildlife. The refuge is also gearing up to start night sky tours using a new telescope, which is likely to increase engagement. Overall, attempts to reach out to the community do happen, which gives the refuge the chance to educate the populace on climate change and vital ecosystems.