With a declining oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay, there has been a large effort to rebuild reefs. Melissa Karp of Virginia Institute of Marine Science will analyze characteristics of habitats to determine how to best improve future oyster reef restoration. Her research will explore the effects of structural complexity and location on the species diversity and organism abundance within a reef. Karp will add her results to the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem (Ecopath) model to predict the impact on fish in the Bay under different restoration scenarios.
Fellow: Melissa Karp (VIMS)
Advisor: Rochelle Seitz (VIMS)
Outreach Mentor: Bruce Vogt (Acting Deputy Director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office)
