Environment & Sustainability

Session I

Francesca Twombly, Jack Zamary,  "Effect of Shoreline Types on Grass Shrimp Productivity"

This summer, the Keck Environmental Field Lab partnered with VIMS to study how shoreline type influences grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) productivity. Our goal was to evaluate the ecological function of living shorelines and determine whether they have had a positive impact since their implementation in the early 2010s. We compared shrimp abundance and size across four habitat types: beach, living shoreline, natural marsh, and scarp. Data was collected at five locations over a two-week period. In the lab, grass shrimp were weighed, measured, and sexed. Later, a length–weight relationship was applied to estimate productivity at each site. This research offers explanations for how habitat restoration and management shape estuarine food webs and emphasizes the prospect of living shorelines as a sustainable alternative to hardened coastlines. 

Student Major(s): Francesca: CAMS; Jack: Data Science & Biology

Advisor: Dr. Randolph Chambers

Session II

Skye Auger, "Assessment of William & Mary Stormwater Management and Retention"

The ongoing construction on William & Mary’s campus, coinciding with heavy precipitation events, has exacerbated flooding and sediment disruption as impervious surfaces direct unfiltered runoff into the campus creek system. Three stormwater retention ponds exist to filter and slow water before it enters Lake Matoaka, but increased sediment and pollution affects this efficiency. This project evaluates the current stormwater retention system, affected by West Woods construction, in June 2025. Permanent and temporary impermeable surfaces are measured using GIS to highlight areas of need in the watershed. The performance of the stormwater retention system is then determined using 48 hours of water sampling from Swem Dell pond during an intermittent rainfall event, measuring nutrients and suspended solids as indicators of water quality and retention. This data is used to provide insight on the efficiency of the campus’s stormwater management, highlighting insufficient retention and high sediment load, to guide future campus development.

Student Major(s): Chemistry & Environmental Policy

Advisor: Dr. Randolph Chambers