Event name: Horn Point Lab and Blackwater

Event time and place: Saturday, April 19th, Cambridge, MD

I woke up early in the morning to get ready for the trip since Cambridge is pretty far from College Park. After the drive, we first went to Horn Point Laboratory. It doesn't look like a traditional lab; more like a science center with temporary buildings. However, I was not surprised that there was still an abundant amount of research and restoration being accomplished. We were on a guided tour that showcased their latest projects.

One of the ongoing projects they showed us was their oyster hatchery. If you bought oysters at a restaurant, you can give it to Horn Point, as they collect oyster shells to research its annual spat production. Climate change lowers salinity, decreasing oyster spats and their overall growth. Our oyster population has taken a major hit due to global change and overfishing. Horn Point has been working hard to restore their population. In order to do that, they grow baby oysters attach them on the oyster shells donated from people.

In order to feed these young oysters, you need algae. They decided to grow their algae and maintain their population to research how they cultivate. Knowing more about algae blooms and watching the population grow at different scales can be very telling into how to better regulate them. This could help protect the ocean's habitants and ocean itself. They use sensors to make the best conditions for algae growth at each stage. They had a room where there were large, glass jugs with different staged algae growing. There is also a greenhouse with large tanks. Then, they have their full grown stage of algae in massive tanks (in order to see the top you have to walk up stairs).

They have also taken another step further and started to research other factors impacting oysters and the Chesapeake Bay. They have been researching how microplastics move throughout the Bay and its impact on an oyster's growth. They collect plastic to research them and see how they interact with the environment. Young oysters can survive at high concentrations, and microplastics take a long time to degrade in grasslands.

Due to good weather, we were able to go to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which is for waterfowl to rest and feed, while migrating and wintering. They also have a plentiful amount of nesting bald eagles and many other species that are endangered/threatened. There was a gift shop we explored and I got a hoodie before we set out on their drive. We were given a pamphlet and as we were driving, there were pit stops with numbers corresponding to blocks of information that gave context to what we were looking at. This really helps inform the public because they provide historical context on how some species were harmed due to human activity, why they are here, and some basic information about them. When we went to the wetland, it wasn't a lot of people and a lot of water with patchy grass. It was surrounded by what was called the "Ghost forest". A ghost forest is when there are dead trees due to the rise of sea levels and the introduction of saltwater. We saw a few dead trees in front of the patches of grass, which showed signs that the forest used to be there but moved back (likely due to the rise in sea level). This is prime physical example of how climate change can cause adaptations. The trees showed signs of a forest fire, but the trees weren't dead because of the fire; there was a fire because the trees were dead.

Horn Point Laboratory educates the community by hosting events and presentations explaining how their purpose helps the environment. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge provides the drives with facts so you can see for yourself how important the species the species they host are.