Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Recruitment Surveys Program

Call Directions Website Contact the school

Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Recruitment Surveys Program Juvenile Fish Trawl Survey,
Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey, &
American Eel Monitoring Program

Marine Life Day 2026 showcasing the ARIS & habitat restoration project at the Eastern Shore Lab!📸 Katie Nickerson
10/15/2026

Marine Life Day 2026 showcasing the ARIS & habitat restoration project at the Eastern Shore Lab!

📸 Katie Nickerson

We have a new graduate student! Conner Benson worked on the Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey for the past two summers ...
10/06/2026

We have a new graduate student! Conner Benson worked on the Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey for the past two summers and is now pursuing an M.S. in Marine Science here at the William & Mary and VIMS Batten School of Coastal and Marine Science.

Advised by Troy Tuckey and Hamish Small, Conner's research focuses on parasites in young-of-the-year juvenile Striped Bass, whose adult population supports one of the most important recreational fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. He is specifically examining how parasite presence and infection intensity vary throughout the summer and across Virginia's tidal tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. He also aims to investigate the extent to which these infections may have harmful effects on young-of-the-year Striped Bass, particularly in combination with increasing temperature stress.

09/17/2026

Ever wondered what baby squids look like inside their eggs? In August, we caught some Brief Squid eggs on the trawl survey and brought them back to the lab to check out under the microscope. These eggs were not fully matured, but you can see their yolk sacs (the large, bulbous portion), eyes, mantles, and little arms!

Squid-mania! Can you spot the differences?🦑The Atlantic Brief Squid is a Chesapeake Bay resident, but we sometimes catch...
09/10/2026

Squid-mania! Can you spot the differences?🦑

The Atlantic Brief Squid is a Chesapeake Bay resident, but we sometimes catch other seasonal squid visitors.

Learn how to tell them apart and see if you can spot other differences 👀

Information: NOAA

Congratulations to Dr. Mary Fabrizio, the Recruitment Surveys Program's Principal Investigator and beloved professor at ...
08/21/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Mary Fabrizio, the Recruitment Surveys Program's Principal Investigator and beloved professor at VIMS and the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences, on her retirement after more than 20 years of service!

Dr. Fabrizio has shaped countless lives through her teaching, mentorship, and friendship. Thank you for your dedication, stewardship, and lasting scientific impact on the Chesapeake Bay community and beyond!

Your contributions will be felt for years to come, and we wish you all the best in your retirement!

The Nepal Water Initiative (NWI) is an interdisciplinary project led by scholars from William & Mary in collaboration wi...
07/30/2026

The Nepal Water Initiative (NWI) is an interdisciplinary project led by scholars from William & Mary in collaboration with Nepal-based researchers, leaders, and organizations. Some of the goals are:

🔍Understand and assess threats to Nepal's water resources while training and empowering the next generation of conservation champions

🌊Actively participate with Nepali stakeholders, leaders, scholars, and policy-makers to develop tools and strategies for managing water resources

⚖Balance and sustain ecological, community, and economic well-being

Learn more about the NWI at the link in our bio!

Species Spotlight: Striped Blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus)❌ They are scale-less and lack a swim bladder, so they are usual...
07/20/2026

Species Spotlight: Striped Blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus)

❌ They are scale-less and lack a swim bladder, so they are usually found in bottom habitat.

🫣They are commonly found hiding in oyster reefs. They are laterally compressed, and their extended dorsal and a**l fins allow them to move quickly to avoid predators and capture prey.

👫They are sexually dimorphic in color, meaning that males and females display different colors. Females are olive green, whereas males are brighter with a blue spot on their dorsal fin used to attract females.

⬆️Their large pectoral and pelvic fins help them perch upright and stay balanced. This behavior is even displayed in this post!

Information: North American Native Fishes Association

07/15/2026

Birds-eye view of a station workup on the Juvenile Fish Trawl Survey 🐟

Our field fashion depends on the survey!
07/07/2026

Our field fashion depends on the survey!

Juvenile Fish ID! Shad vs. River Herring 🔍These three anadromous alosines are often caught in our surveys during the spr...
07/03/2026

Juvenile Fish ID! Shad vs. River Herring 🔍

These three anadromous alosines are often caught in our surveys during the spring. They can be tricky to ID, so these are a few characteristics we check!

📏The slope and notch of the bottom jaw. American and Hickory shad have a longer jaw with a subtle notch at the end. Alewife and Blueback Herring have a shorter slope with an abrupt notch.

👀Alewife eyes are large compared to Blueback Herring. Alewife eye length is larger than their snout length, whereas Blueback Herring eye length is equal or smaller than the snout length.

Based on these characteristics, can you guess which of these is the Alewife, Blueback Herring, and American Shad?

Address

1370 Greate Road
Gloucester Point, VA
23062

Telephone

+18046847000

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Recruitment Surveys Program posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Recruitment Surveys Program:

Shortcuts

Share

Category