Hampton University
 Hampton University
Marine and Environmental Science Department, housed within the Center
for Marine and Coastal Environmental Studies, is dedicated to the task of
improving the presence and role of minority scientists in the study of
marine and coastal regions. This goal is addressed via the implementation
of three programmatic elements: instruction, research and
community service. |
Dr. George Burbanck Co PI
Contact us: (757) 727-5883 |
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Strategically located on the Hampton River, adjacent to Hampton Roads on the Lower Chesapeake Bay, the Center for Marine and Coastal Environmental Studies is ideally situated for the study of marine, estuarine and freshwater locales. The R/V Pirates Cove, a 38-foot research vessel built for the Center, a 42'-motor-sailboat R/V Aquria, the 50-foot ketch-rigged sailboat Chesapeake and several small boats, including five canoes, provide access to deep water areas as well as shallow coastal and lacustrine ones. The faculty members of the Center have been continuously engaged in research projects and actively participate in activities to attract students to assist in these projects, especially at the undergraduate level. The instructional, or academic, element recognizes the interdisciplinary nature of marine and environmental studies and encompasses courses within the traditional disciplines (biology, chemistry, physics, math and geology). Departmental offerings, courses with marine (MAS) or environmental science (ESC) designators, build on knowledge gained in traditional areas and integrate that information into applied areas of marine and environmental science. Upon graduation, our majors will be qualified to enter graduate schools in areas of oceanography, marine studies and environmental studies. Concentration in quantitative areas of chemistry, math and physics are particularly important in contemporary employment competition.
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Presently, the instructional program is targeted at the undergraduate level, however, a graduate program, granting a M.S. degree in Environmental Studies, is also available in the Center through the Department of Biological Sciences. Additionally, there are frequent interactions between faculty and graduate students in chemistry and biology. Research conducted in the Center has focused on coastal, ecological problems. Studies that have been completed include: 1. effects of turbidity in predator/prey relations; 2. zooplankton diversity as a measure of productivity in coastal waters; 3. presence and diversity of various amoebae in the Hampton Roads area; 4. age distribution of coastal scallop populations; 5. heavy metals present in runoff to the Hampton River; 6. heavy-mineral concentrations present in ancient East Coast placer deposits; and, 7. NOAA/Sea Grant baseline studies. |
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Recently, a 3-year $700,000 award has come from NOAA for the study of
Living Marine Resources, $225,000 for remote sensing of vegetation types and
$8,000 to remotely identify marine mammals. Since the first graduating class in 1982, the Marine and Environmental
Science Department has graduated 110 students. Seven have received the
doctorate, four are in Ph.D. programs and 37 have either received or are
pursuing the Master’s degree. Five graduates are officers in the Armed Forces
and several are employed by the EPA or other government agencies. Just under 50% percent of the graduates from our program have pursued further education via graduate school. Greater than eighty percent of our graduates are making direct use of their undergraduate degrees. Faculty at Hampton who have participated in the LMRCSC are Drs. George Burbanck (sediment dynamics), Deidre Gibson (Gelatinous zooplankton ecology), Benjamin Cuker (Zooplankton Ecology), Robert Jordan (Zooplankton Ecology). |