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Keystone Species Workshop Series
The Chesapeake Bay is known for the abundance of fish and shellfish that have made the Bay their home throughout history. Today, environmental and other pressures on Bay species, their populations and the health of those populations may be changing the complex trophic interactions within the Bay system. These pressures are coming from not only harvest, but changes in land use, expanding human populations, invasive species, disease and more.
The scientific community is constantly trying to better understand these important species and the way they interact with each other and the broader environment. This workshop series will bring together scientists and educators to learn about and discuss the history, current understanding, and future outlook for important (keystone) plants and animals in the Chesapeake Bay.
Workshop Topics
| January 19, 2012 |
Session 1: It's what you can't see.....Keystoneness, Plankton, and the Chesapeake Bay
- Keystoneness: What is a keystone species, whey are they important, how is keystoneness determined, and what drives changes in keystone species and communities?
- Plankton: What is plankton, how do we study it, and how are Bay plankton populations changing in response to environmental pressures?
- Putting it together: Resources and strategies for incorporating content in education programs
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| February 23, 2012 |
Session 2: Oyters, Crabs, and Others that Go Bump at the Bottom of the Bay
- Oysters: Are they still a keystone species? What do we know about the history of Oysters in the Bay? What is the current scientific understanding regarding oysters, oyster restoration, and oyster disease.
- Blue crabs: Are populations recovering? How have we managed the blue crab fishery? What is the current scientific understanding regarding blue crabs in the Bay?
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| March 8, 2012 |
Session 3: Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management and Your Dinner
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| March 29, 2012 |
Session 4: Threatened, Endangered, and Invasive
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Workshop Goals
- Participants develop an understanding of fisheries sciences in the Chesapeake Bay region
- Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of organisms within the Chesapeake Bay
- Provide participants with access and knowledge of tools for exploring fisheries related issues
- Provide participants with access to and knowledge of quality existing curricula about fisheries topics
- Cultivate hands-on/field-based activities for illustrating (conducting) fisheries science in the Chesapeake
- Provide the opportunity for educators and scientists to interact on topics related to fisheries science and education
Workshop Format
The workshops will take place at NOAA’s Environmental Science Training Center in Oxford, Maryland, and will be about four hours long. If you are interested in participating or have questions, please contact
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Past Workshops
Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay
Climate change is the most important environmental issue of our time, with overwhelming trends illustrating this change and wide-ranging effects on society and the environment--including the melting of ice sheets, sea level rise, ecosystem changes, alterations in ocean chemistry, and global water supplies. The United States is already facing the effects of climate change, and the Chesapeake Bay region is particularly vulnerable to many of these impacts.
This four-part workshop series is intended to be a collaborative process that will provide participants:
- In-depth knowledge of key aspects of climate science
- Access to resources for teaching about climate change
- Experience with hands-on activities for exploring issues related to a changing climate
- Opportunities for stewardship actions that can address the causes and the consequences of a changing climate
Topics
- An introduction to climate change: what is it, how do we know about it, and how will it affect the Chesapeake Bay?
- Sea level rise: how is it measured, and why is the Chesapeake Bay particularly vulnerable to it?
- How will climate change affect the plants and animals that live in the Chesapeake Bay and it's watershed?
- Tips to effectively communicate about climate change, encourage stewardship, and foster behavior change.
Check back for more workshops as they are scheduled.
For more information, contact
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