page_title: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
section_title: Research programs
hierarchical_section_title: Virginia Institute of Marine Science / Research programs
caption_attribution_description: English: NOMAD real-time data buoy, Va. Inst. of Marine Science
context_page_description: The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is one of the largest marine research and education centers in the United States. Founded in 1940, VIMS is unique among marine science institutions in its legal mandate to provide research, education, and advisory service to government, citizens, and industry. Funding for VIMS comes from the Commonwealth of Virginia, grants and contracts from federal and state agencies, and private giving. The School of Marine Science at VIMS is the graduate school in marine science for the College of William & Mary. Offering both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in marine science, the school has 57 faculty members, an enrollment of 80-100 students, and includes 4 academic departments. VIMS' main campus is located in Gloucester Point, Virginia.
context_section_description: VIMS research spans a broad range of topics. A 2009 analysis of research citations by Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators found VIMS among the top 1% of institutions in the fields of Plant & Animal Science and Environment & Ecology.
  Early programs included:
  oyster research in the 1950s that was the seminal work on the ecology of these shellfish;
  juvenile fish and blue crab surveys in Chesapeake Bay began in 1955; these key fishery management tools continue today;
  annual shark survey started in 1973, this is now the world's longest-running fishery independent shark survey;
  seagrass restoration efforts that are the most successful in the world, with more than 6,000 acres (24 km²) restored to coastal bays.
  Current active research includes:
  Coastal Research - more than 50 coastal projects on every continent including Antarctica;
  Blue Crab sustainability
  Oyster restoration and aquaculture
  Bay Grasses / Submerged aquatic vegetation
  Aquatic Diseases & Immunity
  Fisheries and Aquaculture
  Global Change
  Marine Life & Processes
  Observing & Modeling - computer models using real-time data to help predict storm surge, sediment transport, and food-web dynamics.
  Coastal Economies & Recreation
  Pollution detection and risk of marine pollutants
caption: VIMS NOMAD real-time data buoy
exif: {"Image XResolution": "96", "Image YResolution": "96", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Paint.NET v3.22"}