Center for Inland Bays science committee to meet Oct. 16
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays invites the public to learn more about water-quality monitoring, marine debris work and other ongoing research in the bays at an upcoming Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee meeting hosted as an online video conference from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Oct. 16.
STAC meetings are a great opportunity for the public to learn about the local environment and ask questions about the latest research. This committee provides objective advice and guidance to the center’s board of directors and other cooperating agencies with interests in the Inland Bays.
Dr. Wei-Jun Cai with the University of Delaware and Scott Andres with Delaware Geological Survey will explore new funding resources and partnerships aimed at addressing the persistence of poor water quality in the Inland Bays, including how the installation of additional, high-tech water-quality sensors will allow researchers to more closely examine the impacts of excess nutrients and coastal ocean acidification.
“We are very excited to be working with Wei-Jun and Scott to establish new monitoring stations in the Inland Bays,” said Dr. Marianne Walch, CIB science and restoration coordinator. “The data collected will allow us to better understand how water quality responds to ongoing nutrient pollution and to eventually predict the effects of climate change on water quality.”
University of Delaware’s Kate Fleming will also provide an update on past and future efforts to identify and remove derelict crab pots from the bays. Andrew Wozniak, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware’s School of Marine Science and Policy, also will share insights on the work now underway at his organic geochemistry laboratory.
A draft agenda and instructions on how to join the online meeting, as well as additional information about the committee and past meetings, can be found at www.inlandbays.org/stac.
For more information, contact Lisa Swanger at 302-226-8105, Ext. 103 or lswanger@inlandbays.org, or go to www.inlandbays.org.
