Potomac EnvironmentalResearch Laboratory

Belmont Bay

Prince William County, Virginia

An Environmental Research and Education Center

for the Potomac River Basin

Department of Environmental Science and Policy

George Mason University

Department of Environmental Science and Policy

• 12 tenured faculty

• 8 tenure-track faculty

• 6 term faculty

• Part-time faculty

• 14 graduate TA’s

• 4 full-time staff

• Wage staff

•Ph.D in Environmental Science and Public Policy

•M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy

•B.S. in Earth Science

•Proposed B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy

Faculty and Staff Resources

Degree Programs

Our Mission

To utilize the tools of scientific research, restoration, education, and policy analysis to help society understand and sustain natural processes in ecosystems, watersheds, and landscapes.

Potomac Environmental Research LaboratorySpecific Research Foci

• Restoration of Potomac River & Chesapeake Bay

• Sustainability of Natural Ecosystems in Suburban Areas

• Impact of Global Climate Change on Management of Aquatic Ecosystems

• Use of Molecular Techniques to Study Biodiversity and Biocomplexity of Natural Ecosystems

Restoration of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay

• New Bay Agreement• Important research

questions remain:– The effect of nutrients on

Bay organisms– Greater understanding of

tidal freshwater & oligohaline ecosystems

– The role of wetlands in protecting the Bay

– The recovery of Bay communities when stresses are removed

Suburban Sustainability

• Northern Virginia is one of the most rapidly growing regions of the Country– How does this rapid growth

impact our ecosystems?

– What are the growth and development strategies that can lessen that impact and allow us to retain a greater variety of organisms?

Global Climate Change and Management of Natural Ecosystems

• Role of wetlands and uplands in affecting global carbon balance

• Carbon storage and how it will change under climate change

• Using managed landscapes to store carbon & carbon credits

Use of Molecular Techniques to Study Biodiversity and Biocomplexity of Natural Ecosystems

• Microbial diversity in salt marshes

• Microbial communities associated with Bay anoxia

• Toxic algal bloom agents

• Picture here.

Belmont: A Great Opportunity for Environmental Science and Policy

• At the mouth of the tidal Occoquan River

• 30 minute drive from the Fairfax campus

• Convenient to eastern PW, so. Fairfax, Spring- field, Alexandria, Mount Vernon, & points south

Immediate Vicinity

• Adjacent to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge & Virginia Science Museum site

• Near Mason Neck, PW Forest National Park and other natural areas

• Convenient to I-95, Rt. 1, Rt. 123, Fairfax Campus

• Adjacent to VRE commuter rail station

• In mixed use development including retail, convention center, housing

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

• 580 acres of tidal marshes and upland meadows

• A wide variety of plants and animals

• Access for class field trips, observational research

Dockage Facilities on the Tidal Occoquan River

• Facilitate access for research on the tidal Freshwater Potomac River, a major subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay

• Allow K-12 program to take whole classes out on the river

Potomac Environmental Research Laboratory

• Cluster of eight professors with research and office space

• Support facilities for field and laboratory studies of ecology and environmental science

• Graduate and undergraduate student researchers• Classroom space for graduate and undergraduate

classes in Environmental Science and Policy, Biology & other subjects

• Space for K-12 environmental education programs to be developed in concert with local school systems.

• Publicly accessible environmental resource center with space to host community and regional public meetings

Facilities Anticipated at Belmont• 8 research labs

(with viewing walls)

• 4 teaching lab• 14 support rooms• 3 Lecture Rooms

(30-50 seat)• 1 Large Assembly

Room (80 seat)• 10 Offices

Facilities Anticipated at Belmont

• Library/Resources Center

• GIS/Graphics Facility

• Conference Room

• Classrooms for general university courses

Specific Benefits of Proposed Facility• Laboratory and office space

freed up on Fairfax Campus• Increased capacity for

research and graduate training in environmental science

• Increased grant activity and overhead generation

• Potential for new courses in environmental science, earth science, and biology

• Increased visibility for GMU environmental programs

Education Programs• Serve as a focus of activity

for Environmental programs at GMU– Graduate programs in

Environmental Science and Public Policy

– Certificates in Environmental Management

– Courses in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Geography, Human Ecology

– General Education course in Environmental Science

K-12 and Community Programs

• Work with local schools to implement watershed and bay ecology educational programs incorporated into basic science curriculum

• Conduct ecology camps

• Serve as a resource for local government and citizens

Space Opened• Robinson:

– 2000 sq ft of lab space

• King– 500 sq ft of lab

– 500 sq ft of office

• Krug– 1200 sq ft of lab

• Boat Yard

Enhanced Visibility for GMU• Would move GMU into front ranks of schools with

active environmental programs• Would establish GMU as center of research on the

Potomac River and its watershed• Would establish GMU as a center of research on

suburban sustainability• Strongly endorsed by recent external review of GMU

programs in Biology and ESPP• The Belmont complex would provide a venue for state

and national conferences and workshops on environmental issues

A Great Opportunity

• The location is ideal

• The research agenda is topical and significant

• The faculty and programs are a good fit

• The educational opportunities are exciting

• Some significant benefits will accrue to the university

• The costs are affordable