The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is a leading research and educational institution dedicated to understanding the ecological processes that sustain life at the land-sea margin. SERC applies innovative interdisciplinary approaches to studying the connections between complex ecological systems, while providing society with knowledge to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st Century.

SERC's general facilities include: a 34,000 square foot laboratory and office building; a 5,000 square foot shop equipped for precision machining, woodworking, and mechanical repairs; specialized storage and office buildings; a 6,200 square foot conference and dormitory center; a fleet of vehicles for field work; and a 1,600 square foot library operated for SERC by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. SERC has a private dock providing access to the Rhode River and mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay, with a wet lab adjacent to the dock. SERC owns or controls over 1000 ha of the Rhode River watershed; specialized field laboratories for research are situated in their prime investigative landscape. These include: • An Instrument Tower • Forest Canopy Tower • Meteorology array and station • Carbon dioxide chambers • Greenhouse • Lath house and experimental gardens • Fish weir • Water quality laboratory at the dock SERC Branch of Smithsonian Institution Libraries: SERC Branch library is one of the nineteen branches in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries system. It supports both education and research at SERC in both the laboratory and the field, with collections of books and periodicals in global change, environmental biology, estuarine land/water interactions, landscape ecology, the dynamics of terrestrial and aquatic biological populations, and environmental education. For more information contact Angela Haggins at 443.482.2273. Since much of our research involves modeling and geospatial analysis, we have a fully-equipped geographic information systems facility. For more information about our GIS facilities, contact Donald Weller at 443-482-2214 Vehicles and boats: SERC has a variety of vehicles available for field use both on and off of our research site. We also maintain a fleet of research vessels and small open boats for research and education programs on the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Accommodations: SERC maintains two houses for Visiting Scientists and Fellows, and plans are underway to increase that number to six cottages each capable of housing either a family of four, two couples, or four students. Visitors may also rent from within the local community. Interns may choose to stay in a dormitory on campus or rent an apartment in the nearby community. There are two dormitories on site. The first consists of six bedrooms (each with two loft beds, dressers, and desks), a communal kitchen, communal living and dining areas, and three bathrooms with showers. The second dormitory is in construction and it will house 18 visitors in 8 double rooms and two singles. Cottage housing rates vary with lenth of stay. Contact the Kim Sproat for details 443.482.2217. Conference and meeting information: SERC has limited facilities available for meetings and conferences of Smithsonian groups and some groups engaged in certain environmental science or environmental education activities. For more information, please contact the Director's office, 443.482.2400.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is among the world’s leading research centers for environmental studies of the coastal zone. Our accomplishments range from running some of the longest continuous ecological studies, to creating new technology that expands the horizons of science. For 40 years, SERC has been involved in critical research on the ecological processes and interrelationships of atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. A diverse and growing staff of 17 senior scientists and an interdisciplinary team of more than 180 researchers, technicians, and students conduct long-term descriptive and experimental research addressing such issues as global change, the effects of nutrients and chemicals passing through our landscapes, maintenance of productive fisheries, changes to our environment from biological invaders, and protection of fragile wetlands and woodlands. The Research Center serves as a natural laboratory and a focal point for long-term monitoring programs and research projects. Expanding outward from the main campus, SERC researchers conduct comparative studies at field sites around the world-from Australia to Belize and Antarctica to Alaska. SERC is the headquarters for the National Ballast Water Clearinghouse and a leader in the field of invasive species research. SERC houses the world’s longest data record on the increase in ultraviolet (UVB) solar radiation impacting the Earth, and developed the standardized tool for measuring UVB radiation. Our Scientists conduct groundbreaking research on migratory birds on both american continents and on human health issues such as West Nile Virus.

Education at SERC Education is a major component of SERC’s mission. We accomplish our educational mission through professional training of young scientists, educational programs for K-12, and public events that increase understanding and stewardship of the environment and inspire young people to explore further education in natural sciences. K-12 From the regional community, nearly 10,000 students (kindergarten through college), visit SERC annually to participate in our hands-on science education programs. Our education department also runs teacher-training workshops and educational programs for adults that are open to the general public. Public education at SERC interprets the Chesapeake's landscape, history, and ecology as a pathway to understanding global environmental issues. -SERC’s hands-on programs for elementary schools, led by teachers and parents trained at SERC, provide rewarding educational experiences for adult leaders as well as children. -Guided Canoe Trips enable Middle school, high school, and college students as well as as the general public to explore the ecology of tidal wetlands and learn about SERC research. -Short River and Bay cruises aboard SERC’s Research Vessels allow High school students, college students, and teachers to explore the physical, chemical, and biological components of the Rhode River and Chesapeake Bay. Distance Learning Programs Electronic Field Trips and video conferences carry our educational mission into classrooms and homes across the country and help us bring millions of participants into the lab and the field to learn about research where it occurs. Through collaborations with other organizations, SERC’s message of estuarine ecology reaches a national and international audience. Last year, 80 video conferences reached schools in 50 states and four countries and electronic field trips attracted 20 million participants. Professional Training SERC's internship program provides undergraduate and graduate students from around the world a chance to conduct environmental research with the guidance of a scientific mentor. Between 40 and 60 young scientists participate in SERC’s internship program annally. The postdoctoral fellowship program provides scientists at any career stage support for collaborative research with SERC scientists. Postdoctoral fellowships often foster long-term collaborations between SERC and research centers around the world. Fellows, interns and graduate students are important members of SERC's research team. They make substantial contributions to the Center's research effort while continuing their educations. University Partnership SERC scientists also teach courses in environmental science for teachers, resource managers, and other professionals.

SERC's 17 Principal Investigators work in a variety of fields. Denise Breitburg: (breitburgd@si.edu / 443-482-2308) Marine and estuarine ecology, system-level responses to anthropogenic stressors, effects of hypoxia on food webs, potential for oyster restoration. Wayne Coats: (coastw@si.edu / 443-482-2271) Protistan Ecology, factors influencing algal blooms. Bert Drake: (drakeb@si.edu / 443-482-2294) Plant Physiology, effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on plant communities. Ilke (Candy) Feller: Felleri@si.edu / 443-482-2269) Biocomplexity, plant and animal interactions in mangrove communities. Charles Gallegos: (gallegosc@si.edu / 443-482-2240) Phytoplankton Ecology, optical properties and water clarity standards for Submerged Aquatic Vegetation. Anson (Tuck) Hines: (hinesa@si.edu / 443-482-2208) Estuarine Ecology, fish and invertebrate life studies, 20 years of studies on blue crab biology and ecology. Thomas Jordan: (jordant@si.edu / 443-482-2209) Chemical Ecology, transport of nutrients through the watershed. Peter Marra: (marrap@si.edu / 443-482-2224) Avian Ecology, migratory bird ecology, effects of urbanization, West Nile virus. Patrick Megonigal: (megonigalp@si.edu / 443-482-2346) Environmental Chemistry, biogeochemistry of wetland systems, effects of global change on ecosystems. Patrick Neale: (nealep@si.edu/ 443-482-2285) Solar Radiation, effects of UVB radiation in aquatic ecosystems, solar radiation in the Antarctic and ozone depletion. Richard Osman: (osmanr@si.edu / 443-482-2213) Marine community ecology, marine and benthic animals and the factors controlling recruitment, invasions. Geoffrey (Jess) Parker: (parkerg@si.edu / 443-482-2210) Forest Ecology, canopy structure and forest function. Gregory Ruiz: (ruizg@si.edu / 443-482-2227) Invasion Studies, transportation, prevalence, and impacts of marine invasive species. Donald Weller: (wellerd@si.edu / 443-482-2214) Ecological Modeling, landscape ecology, GIS and spacial geography. Dennis Whigham: (whighamd@si.edu / 443-482-2226) Plant Ecology, terrestrial and wetland ecosystems, indicators of ecosystem condition.

SERC's main campus, 25 miles from Washington, D.C., encompasses 2,800 acres of land along the Rhode River, a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. The site includes forest, cropland, pasture, freshwater wetlands, tidal marshes, and estuaries. Much of our research focuses on this subestuary and its 12-square-mile watershed as a representative model system for the enormous (64,000-square-mile) Chesapeake drainage basin. As a highly visible and fragile ecosystem on the doorstep of the nation's capital, the Chesapeake Bay has become indicative of the complex environmental issues facing the world. Like all of the Chesapeake watershed, the Rhode River site has been impacted by human activities such as agriculture, forestry, and extensive commercial fishing, with an influx of diffuse pollutants in the tributaries and estuarine basin. The Research Center serves as a natural laboratory and a focal point for long-term monitoring programs and research projects. The watershed was settled by Europeans in the 1650's and cleared for agriculture. Prior to that time, it was occupied intermittently by Indian villages for several thousand years. No area larger than a few hectares can be typified as having only one land use category.

Primary: Ross Simons, Director 443-482-2205 simonr@si.edu Alternate Anson Hines Assistant Director 443-482-2208 hinesa@si.edu