Throughout our 2009 Annual Report, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science shows how technological advances are helping improve the way we discover and manage the natural world.
Today, technological advancements are ubiquitous. From on-demand movies piped to our homes through fiber optic cables to smart phones perpetually at our side, technology makes the impossible possible and brings the far away near. And the environmental research field is no exception.
Environmental scientists are finding new ways to integrate these advancements into their research; taking advantage of this new set of tools that technology has forged. Not only have they helped us blaze new paths to a greater understanding of the natural world, they have also increased the productivity of our research enterprise.
At the UMCES, our faculty’s collective embrace of technology has elevated our work to a higher plain. Researchers can now feed billions of oyster larvae a balanced diet with a computer controlled automated algal production and feeding system, creating efficiencies that have contributed to record production of oyster spat destined for the Chesapeake Bay. Unmanned underwater gliders collect continuous current and water quality data as they “fly” preprogrammed courses along the mid-Atlantic from New Jersey to Delaware, giving us new insights of the water masses and flows. And, the addition of the research vessel Rachel Carson has improved our ability to track the pulse of the Bay through its state-of-the-art dynamic position system and smart scientific instruments.
While these recent advancements have helped propel the Center to new levels, the addition of the Baltimore-based Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in 2010 will allow us to further expand our technology programs and capitalize on new, integrated research efforts. IMET will bring together the resources of UMCES, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and University of Maryland, Baltimore to bring a new wealth of scientific collaboration to each of the partner institutions.
While technology has opened new doors to exploration and understanding, the drive and passion of UMCES scientists make these advancements possible. Locally, regionally and internationally, the Center’s faculty has a well-earned reputation for developing sound science to support environmental decision making. Now, by continuing to expand the reach of our environmental research programs through the integration of new technologies, UMCES will continue to set the pace of environmental research throughout Maryland, the region and the world.
