The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is one of the oldest and largest schools of oceanography
focused on coastal ocean and estuarine science in the United States.
Founded in 1940, VIMS operates three campuses, has 57 faculty members and a total student body ranging from 100 - 125 students, and is a part of the College of William & Mary. It is funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and
includes four academic departments: Biological Sciences, Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health,
Fisheries Science, and Physical Sciences, and offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in marine science.
The main campus is located in Gloucester Point, Virginia.
Coordinates: 37°14′56″N76°30′00″W / 37.248759°N 76.50000°W / 37.248759; -76.50000
Mission
VIMS provides research, education, and advisory service in marine science to Virginia, the nation, and the world.
History
VIMS was started by Prof. Donald W. Davis as the William and Mary Maritime Laboratory in 1938, which in 1940 was chartered by the Commonwealth as the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory. Its original building, Maury Hall,
is named for Virginian Matthew Fontaine Maury, the “Father of Modern Oceanography”. The Eastern Shore Laboratory was established in 1962, and jumpstarted Virginia’s large hard clam industry. VIMS scientists were leaders in establishing the national Sea Grant and Coastal Zone Management programs in the 1960s.
Virginia (i/vərˈdʒɪnjə/vər-JIN-yə, UK/vərˈdʒɪniə/vər-JIN-ee-ə), officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first colonial possession established in mainland British America, and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2014 is over 8.3 million.
The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New WorldEnglish colony. Slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colony's early politics and plantation economy. Virginia was one of the 13 Colonies in the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War, during which Richmond was made the Confederate capital and Virginia's northwestern counties seceded to form the state of West Virginia. Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction, both major national parties are competitive in modern Virginia.
The reason for Virginia's name is not known; it may be named after Verginia, the Roman noblewoman slain by her father, but it may alternatively have been named after the American state of Virginia, which is contiguous with Washington.
Photometric observations of this asteroid at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico during 2008 gave a light curve with a period of 14.315 ± 0.001 hours and a brightness variation of 0.19 ± 0.02 in magnitude. The shape of the light curve at the maximum was found to change with phase angle.
The orbit of 50 Virginia places it in an 11:4 mean motion resonance with the planet Jupiter. The computed Lyapunov time for this asteroid is only 10,000 years, indicating that it occupies a chaotic orbit that will change randomly over time because of gravitational perturbations of the planets.
At VIMS, we invest in the intersections—in the places where rivers meet oceans and shorelines seek the sea. We transform data into policies, students into leaders, and theories into tangible change. We find solutions to global problems, work to restore marine life, and freely share the answers we find. We are people who love the Chesapeake Bay, and the great wide world with which it intersects. Watch our video to learn more.
published: 19 Dec 2019
What makes VIMS Unique?
Faculty at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, help mark VIMS' 75th anniversary by describing what makes the institution unique.
published: 06 Jan 2015
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science Congratulates NNS on 130 Years
On January 28, 1886, Collis P. Huntington founded The Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Company. It was his dream to build a shipyard where the greatest ships in the world would be built - 130 years later, that dream continues to be a reality.
published: 02 Aug 2016
VIMS' Marine Science Day 2012
VIMS' annual Marine Science Day included a sea-critter parade, hands-on exhibitions and opportunities to seine in the York River.
published: 23 May 2012
VIMS 75th Anniversary Video
published: 27 Mar 2017
IPSO/ Prof Robert Diaz,Virginia Institute of Marine Science
The second 'State of the Ocean' report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and IUCN is released today, October 3rd 2013. The report confirms the IPCC's recent findings that the ocean is bearing the brunt of climate change, but says additional impacts, such as deoxygenation, overfishing and pollution are creating a deadly combination which means the ocean's ability to act as Earth's buffer is seriously compromised. Here, IPSO contributing scientist Professor Robert Diaz explains deoxygenation, or so-called 'dead zones'. For more information on the latest IPSO global ocean report go to http://www.stateoftheocean.org/
published: 02 Oct 2013
Eels and Nematode Parasites by Zoemma Warshafsky (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Zoemma Warshafsky of Virginia Institute of Marine Science was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Warshafsky's presentation discussed how parasitic nematodes are affecting American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.
Warshafsky presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
published: 10 Mar 2016
Ghost Pot Partnership
Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are working with local watermen and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to remove "ghost" crab pots from Chesapeake Bay. Many of the recovered pots have been derelict for several years, and continue to inadvertently trap and kill crabs and a variety of fish and wildlife. During the winter of 2009-2010, the watermen recovered more than 9,000 crab pots, along with 113 eel pots, 31 abandoned nets, and 535 pieces of other debris, including anchors, some old waders and even a plastic deck chair. Visit ccrm.vims.edu/marine_debris_removal for details.
published: 18 May 2010
Steve Kuehl - Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Sediment Archives of Climate and Humans in Active Margins
published: 03 Sep 2013
Larval Fishes by Cindy Marin Martinez (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Cindy Marin Martinez was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Martinez's presentation discussed the environmental factors, like temperature and salinity, that might affect larval fish survival in Chesapeake Bay.
Martinez presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
At VIMS, we invest in the intersections—in the places where rivers meet oceans and shorelines seek the sea. We transform data into policies, students into leade...
At VIMS, we invest in the intersections—in the places where rivers meet oceans and shorelines seek the sea. We transform data into policies, students into leaders, and theories into tangible change. We find solutions to global problems, work to restore marine life, and freely share the answers we find. We are people who love the Chesapeake Bay, and the great wide world with which it intersects. Watch our video to learn more.
At VIMS, we invest in the intersections—in the places where rivers meet oceans and shorelines seek the sea. We transform data into policies, students into leaders, and theories into tangible change. We find solutions to global problems, work to restore marine life, and freely share the answers we find. We are people who love the Chesapeake Bay, and the great wide world with which it intersects. Watch our video to learn more.
Faculty at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, help mark VIMS' 75th anniversary by describing what makes the institution unique...
Faculty at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, help mark VIMS' 75th anniversary by describing what makes the institution unique.
Faculty at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, help mark VIMS' 75th anniversary by describing what makes the institution unique.
On January 28, 1886, Collis P. Huntington founded The Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Company. It was his dream to build a shipyard where the greatest ship...
On January 28, 1886, Collis P. Huntington founded The Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Company. It was his dream to build a shipyard where the greatest ships in the world would be built - 130 years later, that dream continues to be a reality.
On January 28, 1886, Collis P. Huntington founded The Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Company. It was his dream to build a shipyard where the greatest ships in the world would be built - 130 years later, that dream continues to be a reality.
The second 'State of the Ocean' report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and IUCN is released today, October 3rd 2013. The report...
The second 'State of the Ocean' report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and IUCN is released today, October 3rd 2013. The report confirms the IPCC's recent findings that the ocean is bearing the brunt of climate change, but says additional impacts, such as deoxygenation, overfishing and pollution are creating a deadly combination which means the ocean's ability to act as Earth's buffer is seriously compromised. Here, IPSO contributing scientist Professor Robert Diaz explains deoxygenation, or so-called 'dead zones'. For more information on the latest IPSO global ocean report go to http://www.stateoftheocean.org/
The second 'State of the Ocean' report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and IUCN is released today, October 3rd 2013. The report confirms the IPCC's recent findings that the ocean is bearing the brunt of climate change, but says additional impacts, such as deoxygenation, overfishing and pollution are creating a deadly combination which means the ocean's ability to act as Earth's buffer is seriously compromised. Here, IPSO contributing scientist Professor Robert Diaz explains deoxygenation, or so-called 'dead zones'. For more information on the latest IPSO global ocean report go to http://www.stateoftheocean.org/
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Zoemma Warshafsky of Virginia Institute of Marine Science was challenged to tell an audience of...
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Zoemma Warshafsky of Virginia Institute of Marine Science was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Warshafsky's presentation discussed how parasitic nematodes are affecting American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.
Warshafsky presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Zoemma Warshafsky of Virginia Institute of Marine Science was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Warshafsky's presentation discussed how parasitic nematodes are affecting American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.
Warshafsky presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are working with local watermen and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to remove "ghost" crab po...
Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are working with local watermen and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to remove "ghost" crab pots from Chesapeake Bay. Many of the recovered pots have been derelict for several years, and continue to inadvertently trap and kill crabs and a variety of fish and wildlife. During the winter of 2009-2010, the watermen recovered more than 9,000 crab pots, along with 113 eel pots, 31 abandoned nets, and 535 pieces of other debris, including anchors, some old waders and even a plastic deck chair. Visit ccrm.vims.edu/marine_debris_removal for details.
Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are working with local watermen and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to remove "ghost" crab pots from Chesapeake Bay. Many of the recovered pots have been derelict for several years, and continue to inadvertently trap and kill crabs and a variety of fish and wildlife. During the winter of 2009-2010, the watermen recovered more than 9,000 crab pots, along with 113 eel pots, 31 abandoned nets, and 535 pieces of other debris, including anchors, some old waders and even a plastic deck chair. Visit ccrm.vims.edu/marine_debris_removal for details.
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Cindy Marin Martinez was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. M...
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Cindy Marin Martinez was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Martinez's presentation discussed the environmental factors, like temperature and salinity, that might affect larval fish survival in Chesapeake Bay.
Martinez presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Cindy Marin Martinez was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Martinez's presentation discussed the environmental factors, like temperature and salinity, that might affect larval fish survival in Chesapeake Bay.
Martinez presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
At VIMS, we invest in the intersections—in the places where rivers meet oceans and shorelines seek the sea. We transform data into policies, students into leaders, and theories into tangible change. We find solutions to global problems, work to restore marine life, and freely share the answers we find. We are people who love the Chesapeake Bay, and the great wide world with which it intersects. Watch our video to learn more.
Faculty at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, help mark VIMS' 75th anniversary by describing what makes the institution unique.
On January 28, 1886, Collis P. Huntington founded The Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Company. It was his dream to build a shipyard where the greatest ships in the world would be built - 130 years later, that dream continues to be a reality.
The second 'State of the Ocean' report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and IUCN is released today, October 3rd 2013. The report confirms the IPCC's recent findings that the ocean is bearing the brunt of climate change, but says additional impacts, such as deoxygenation, overfishing and pollution are creating a deadly combination which means the ocean's ability to act as Earth's buffer is seriously compromised. Here, IPSO contributing scientist Professor Robert Diaz explains deoxygenation, or so-called 'dead zones'. For more information on the latest IPSO global ocean report go to http://www.stateoftheocean.org/
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Zoemma Warshafsky of Virginia Institute of Marine Science was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Warshafsky's presentation discussed how parasitic nematodes are affecting American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.
Warshafsky presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are working with local watermen and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to remove "ghost" crab pots from Chesapeake Bay. Many of the recovered pots have been derelict for several years, and continue to inadvertently trap and kill crabs and a variety of fish and wildlife. During the winter of 2009-2010, the watermen recovered more than 9,000 crab pots, along with 113 eel pots, 31 abandoned nets, and 535 pieces of other debris, including anchors, some old waders and even a plastic deck chair. Visit ccrm.vims.edu/marine_debris_removal for details.
On January 21, 2016, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Cindy Marin Martinez was challenged to tell an audience of non-scientists about her research. Martinez's presentation discussed the environmental factors, like temperature and salinity, that might affect larval fish survival in Chesapeake Bay.
Martinez presented at the 2016 Virginia Sea Grant Symposium.
Find more about Virginia Sea Grant and our graduate research opportunities at: http://vaseagrant.vims.edu
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is one of the oldest and largest schools of oceanography
focused on coastal ocean and estuarine science in the United States.
Founded in 1940, VIMS operates three campuses, has 57 faculty members and a total student body ranging from 100 - 125 students, and is a part of the College of William & Mary. It is funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and
includes four academic departments: Biological Sciences, Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health,
Fisheries Science, and Physical Sciences, and offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in marine science.
The main campus is located in Gloucester Point, Virginia.
Coordinates: 37°14′56″N76°30′00″W / 37.248759°N 76.50000°W / 37.248759; -76.50000
Mission
VIMS provides research, education, and advisory service in marine science to Virginia, the nation, and the world.
History
VIMS was started by Prof. Donald W. Davis as the William and Mary Maritime Laboratory in 1938, which in 1940 was chartered by the Commonwealth as the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory. Its original building, Maury Hall,
is named for Virginian Matthew Fontaine Maury, the “Father of Modern Oceanography”. The Eastern Shore Laboratory was established in 1962, and jumpstarted Virginia’s large hard clam industry. VIMS scientists were leaders in establishing the national Sea Grant and Coastal Zone Management programs in the 1960s.