After more than a decade of collaborative planning, the Aquaculture and Restoration Ecology Laboratory opened its door to the next generation of environmental science on November 20, 2003.

The scientific contributions made by UMCES and the Horn Point Laboratory to Chesapeake Bay restoration have been substantial. The research enabled by this new, state-of-the-art facility will be instrumental in providing new scientific information and technologies needed for understanding the Chesapeake Bay and developing the necessary methods for its restoration.

The new Aquaculture and Restoration Ecology Laboratory building will ensure that Maryland continues to work at the leading edge of research on emerging environmental issues facing the watershed. The Center looks forward to continuing its scientific leadership supporting the State of Maryland's efforts to restore Chesapeake Bay.

Building Details and Features

Interactive conference room outfitted with web-based teleconferencing equipment to aid graduate education and research collaboration.

Production-scale oyster and finfish hatcheries with automated shell and finfish feeding systems.

Twelve different "flavors" of seawater accessible within the building for experiments; More than seven miles of pipes carrying research water throughout the aquaculture portion of the building.

Eight 10,000 gallon mass larval tanks each capable of holding 500 million oyster larvae.

Quarantine facilities for non-native species research.

25-foot flume for submerged aquatic vegetation experiments; one of only three in the world designed for seagrass research.

Dedicated radioisotope research lab.

Numerous research laboratories for studies in: water quality, biochemistry, geochemistry, nutrient cycling, algal ecology, aquaculture, marsh and submersed aquatic vegetation.

Size: 62,881 gross square feet; 45,266 net square feet.

Cost: $25 million

Constructon timeline: Broke ground on December 4, 2001; Dedicated building on November 20, 2003.

Resident Faculty

Dr. Jeff Cornwell, Research Associate Professor, Biogeochemistry of nutrients and metals in aquatic sediments.

Dr. Byron Crump, Assistant Professor, Microbial ecology.

Dr. Pat Glibert, Professor, Nutrient cycling and primary production of plankton.

Dr. Todd Kana, Research Associate Professor, Phytoplankton physiological ecology and regulation of photosynthesis.

Dr. Evamaria Koch, Associate Professor, Seagrass ecology, hydrodynamics of macrophytes.

Dr. Andrew Lazur, Associate Professor, Finfish aquaculture.

Dr. Don Meritt, Senior Agent, Oyster aquaculture.

Dr. Court Stevenson, Professor, Coastal zone resources and water quality management issues.

Dr. Diane Stoecker, Professor, Ecology and physiology of marine ciliates and dinoflagellates.

Dr. William Van Huekelum, Associate Research Scientist, Finfish aquaculture & biology of blue crabs

Design Team

Chief Architects: John A. Ammon + Associates, Inc.; Spillis Candela/DMJM

MEP/Structural Engineers: Spillis Candela/DMJM

Construction Management: Gilbane Building Company

Project Management: University of Maryland, College Park Architectural, Engineering and Construction Department

Civil Engineers: A. Morton Thomas & Assoc., Inc.

Geotechnical Engineers: Schnabel Engineering Assoc., Inc.

Laboratory Planners: SST Planners, Inc.

Landscape Architects: Mahan Rykiel Assoc., Inc.

Aquaculture Systems Consultants: Applied Aquatics, Inc.

With Gratitude

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science would like to thank those who helped make the Aqauculture and Restoration Ecology Laboratory a reality, including:

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

Maryland General Assembly

Citizens of Maryland

Chancellor William E. Kirwan

University System of Maryland Board of Regents

David "Skip" Jones and family

The Seraph Foundation, Inc.

Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, Inc.

George B. Todd Fund