Excursion to Horn Point Laboratory and the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge- Cambridge, MD

April 20th, 2024 - Cambridge, MD

During the excursion to Horn Point Laboratory and Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, I learned about many different projects that are being conducted to sustain the environment and various species that live in the Chesapeake Region. We started our trip by going to Horn Point Laboratory to learn about the assignments that are being done to tackle problems that are occurring in many ecosystems. Shortly after, we visited Blackwater Wildlife Refuge to go on a self-guided tour of the area and to reflect on their mission of helping various species in this region.

When going to Horn Point Laboratory, my group and I learned about the problems that this organization is addressing, the methods they used to collect information on these subjects, and what they are doing about the problem. One of the problems they focused on is the decrease in oyster populations because of fluctuations in the salinity level in the Chesapeake Watershed. Oysters are pivotal to the environment because they take away excess nutrients in these areas to help support other populations like crabs and fish. They create a habitable environment, so their absence can be extremely disruptive to the area. Horn Point has monitored this problem by measuring the salinity of water with different instruments. These include submersible technologies such as ones that stay underwater for an extended period of time to collect salinity levels. Another device they showed us collects data by being connected to the end of a boat and retrieving information as it moves throughout the water. The last method they use is having an oyster hatchery that observes changes in the oyster populations, their reproductive patterns, and more. To directly address the situation, the oyster hatchery they have focuses on increasing the oyster population. They gain research on oyster culture and use it to produce more oysters. For example, they have temperature-controlled water systems to create proper temperature conditions for reproduction. These efforts help them learn more about oyster populations while directly increasing their population.


Another problem that Horn Point Laboratory focuses on addressing is the rising sea levels causing a shift in environmental structures. As sea levels rise, erosion rates increase, decreasing the availability of land and species’ habitats. Horn Point Laboratory became aware of the issue by observing various landscapes and seeing a shift in how the landscape looked before and after sea level rise. This particularly applies to people who have property on the shore and are seeing direct effects on their own homes. They are also observing the biodiversity decrease as various populations are being affected by these events as well. In order to address the issue, Horn Point has developed oyster castles. These are structures made of concrete-like material that form an environmentally friendly force against rising sea levels. They protect existing landscapes while allowing oysters to attach and further support the environment.


One last project that Horn Point Laboratory has been working on is decreasing harmful algae blooms. These blooms are causing anoxia/hypoxia, gill irritation/clogging, and more to species in various environments. They are changing habitats for these species and producing toxins that poison fish. Their existence also harms humans because we are consuming the shellfish that are receiving toxins from these deadly algae. Horn Point has detected its presence in the Chesapeake Watershed along with regions in Florida. They can locate it by finding brownish-red water patches along with collecting samples that contain these blooms. To help counter the problem, the lab has been studying the physiology of the blooms, their growth rates, photosynthetic rates, and nutrient concentrations. With this data they can see how to make predictive models for the future and how to reduce their presence. Overall, these are just a select few of the projects that Horn Point Laboratory has been working on to help improve the environment and various ecosystems.

After visiting Horn Point Laboratory, we went to the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge to learn more about the facility and their contribution to various ecosystems. Their goal is to create an environment that preserves native wildlife species. They sustain wildlife habitats to allow many populations to have an area to live that is sustainable and habitable. This gives them a safe and supportive environment, so they do not have to go without a place to survive. The Refuge has certain restrictions in effect to preserve these areas and to prevent harm from human interaction along with environmental changes.

While visiting the facility, we went on a drive throughout the area to learn more about their mission. The drive is a great outreach method that implements a self-guided tour to allow people to learn about the aspects of the Refuge. We were able to read about the species that live there such as ospreys and bald eagles. They supply visitors with pamphlets full of this information to allow them to understand what they are looking at and to learn about the living habits and environmental struggles that come with many of these species. The tour provides this information to spread awareness about these species and how crucial it is to have places like Blackwater Wildlife Refuge to support these creatures. While on the tour, we observed evidence that these environments are being affected by high tide levels and rising sea levels because of the change in vegetation. The tree line is pushed back and there are visible dead trees that indicate where the tree line used to be. These trees have died because salinity levels have increased and killed off vegetation in these areas. Salinity is increasing because of rising sea levels, which is why the Refuge emphasizes this event in their self-guided tour. Overall, I thought the drive was very impactful and helped me better understand the problems species and ecosystems are facing.


One last thing I learned on this trip is that both of these organizations have outreach methods that help spread awareness of their research and the environmental subjects they are addressing. Horn Point Laboratory has guided tours of their facility to teach audiences from different backgrounds about their goals and the environmental problems in the Chesapeake Watershed. They also develop their own forms of data collection and distribute it to large groups for action to be taken. Additionally, they work with different organizations such as restaurants to make collective efforts toward working on some of their projects. For example, they collect oyster shells from restaurants because of the environmental benefits the shells can add to some of their projects. The Blackwater Wildlife Refuge also has out-reach methods such as their self-guided tours. These tours allow people to learn more about the problem of endangered species and the decreasing availability of habitable environments for these creatures. They also distribute this information through pamphlets and more to create widespread measures of information.

Overall, my excursion to these two facilities was a very rewarding experience. I was able to learn more about the problems that our society faces in terms of maintaining the environment and keeping stable ecosystems for species to survive in. I was also able to see how climate change is affecting the projects they work on and why it is crucial that we create efforts to minimize the effects of this widespread event. With the information I learned, I will now use my increased awareness of these issues to see what efforts I can make to help mitigate these problems.