VIMS cuts ribbon on new Eastern Shore Lab in Wachapreague

October 19, 2022
 |
Image

Pictured from left to right: VIMS Director & Dean Dr. D. Derek Aday, VIMS Eastern Shore Director Richard Snyder, Senator Lynwood Lewis and Delegate Rob Bloxom.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences(VIMS) celebrated the near completion of its renovated campus in Wachapreague on Saturday with an invite only event for donors and stakeholders in the project.

Approximately 80 attended the event to celebrate the complete replacement of the existing buildings and the addition of two new buildings. Six years in the making, the $17 million appropriation funded complete rebuild of the administration building, maintenance and fabrication shop, a new residence hall for guests and the Castagna Research Hatchery. The two new buildings added to the campus are a research and education building, with dedicated research laboratories and a classroom, and a warehouse.

“The research and education building is the most exciting,” said Dr. Richard Snyder, Director of the VIMS facility in Wachapreague. “It will double our classroom space and the conference room will hold 20 people. So we now have the capability of hosting small conferences or meetings here.”

Hertrich Ford March Specials

VIMS’ two main programs are the Visitor Program, which brings in researchers not affiliated with VIMS to conduct studies locally, and the research on aquaculture operation. The Visitors Program utilizes the residence hall, originally built by the Reese’s Candy family, which was essentially falling down.

The Administration Building now has a welcome lobby with information about the labs, specimens on display and three Turner Sculptures, which were donated by Steve Johnson.

The appropriation also will help fund new staff for the campus, including custodial/grounds keepers, a marine technician and an Assistant or Associate Professor faculty position.

Administered by William & Mary, VIMS laid the ground work 50 years ago for the hard clam industry.

Coldwell Banker Harbour Realty

“That’s turned into a $58 million a year industry for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Snyder. “.1% is grown elsewhere in the Commonwealth, 99.9% of that is grown on the Eastern Shore… Mike Castagna’s crew worked on hard clams, bay scallops and a lot of other species and they found the clams are very amenable to industrial scale aquaculture and pretty much all that started right here.”

VIMS is also conducting studies and work on restoring seaside bay grass in an effort to resume the commercial harvest of bay scallops.

“We are currently supporting several growers to try to promote bay scallop aquaculture and we are also growing and releasing bay scallops for restoration in the local bays,” he added. “1932 was the last commercial harvest, then they were lost to the 1933 hurricane.”

“This project began with a conversation between then Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Chris Jones and myself,” said Delegate Rob Bloxom. “After he discussed the matter with VIMS administration, he came to realize the value of our Eastern Shore research. I am thankful to Senator Lewis for helping shepherd the project through the Senate.”

Buchanan Subaru

Another ribbon cutting that will be open to the public will be scheduled and announced once the project is completed.

.

Listen Live!

WESR 103.3FM PLAY BUTTON
COASTAL COUNTRY PLAY BUTTON

Local Weather

March 28, 2024, 12:11 pm
Heavy rain
N
Heavy rain
47°F
11 mph
Apparent: 42°F
Pressure: 1015 mb
Humidity: 96%
Winds: 11 mph N
Windgusts: 36 mph
UV-Index: 0.73
Sunrise: 6:53 am
Sunset: 7:21 pm
 

Visit our sponsors

FOLLOW US

OUR ADVERTISERS

Hardees 2 Wraps for $5

Member of the

esva chamber