Striving to meet Maryland's growing needs for scientific information on its environment and natural resources, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is building the nation's first research facility dedicated to the holistic restoration of a major ecosystem like the Chesapeake Bay. Construction on the Aquaculture and Restoration Ecology Laboratory officially began in December 2001, following a groundbreaking ceremony officiated by Maryland Governor Parris Glendening and former Gov. Harry Hughes. The AREL facility will double research space at the Horn Point Laboratory while supporting science for sustainable development of our living Resources, and effective ecosystem restoration, and aquaculture that is economically and environmentally sound. The $23 million facility is located at UMCES Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge and will be completed in Spring 2003.

A greenhouse will support algal culture for oyster aquaculture production. The anticipated improvements in algae production and larval nutrition made possible could result in up to a ten fold increase in oyster spat production over the next decade.

New shellfish culture facility will more than double current oyster spat production, aiding oyster research and restoration efforts across the state. The building will also provide state-of-the-art quarantine systems for sensitive research on non-native species without risking accidental introduction.

The technology incorporated into the new finfish aquaculture facility will greatly enhance fish spawning, genetic, feeding, and growth studies, aiding cooperative fish restoration projects and developing new aquaculture methods.

Managing sediments is very important in estuarine restoration. The AREL will include state-of-the-art analytical capabilities, including alpha and gamma counting of sediment radionuclides used to measure rates of sedimentation in Chesapeake Bay. Such studies have provided important information on the role of marshes in water quality, and the history of contaminant loading to Baltimore Harbor and the Bay, and the beneficial uses of dredged material.

A unique 25-foot water flume featured in the facility will allow us to study how water flow, such as waves and currents, affects marsh and SAV systems and animal communities. The flume will also improve our understanding of physical processes and nutrient cycling in sediments.

Utilizing the facility's capabilities to highly control the growth environment of the organisms, scientists will advance photosynthesis and primary productivity research of the Chesapeake Bay food web and the effects of environmental factors, including nutrient enrichment and pollutants on estuarine plants and algae.

Research on harmful algal blooms, including Pfiesteria, will be advanced by the controlled environment, quarantine and state-of-the-art water quality analysis facilities of the new facility.

Utilizing the facility's controlled environmental facilities, scientists will advance research on primary productivity and the food web of the Chesapeake Bay and the effects of environmental factors, including nutrient enrichment and pollutants, on estuarine plants and algae. New incubation facilities will improve research on shallow water nutrient cycling currently difficult to test, enabling researchers to develop habitat restoration models for improving water quality and ecosystem health.

The AREL facility will double research space at the Horn Point Laboratory while supporting science for sustainable development of our living resources and effective restoration while integrating aquaculture that is economically and environmentally sound.

The 2,000-square-foot conference and meeting facility will be outfitted with web-based teleconferencing equipment. Interactive Video Network (IVN) will be instrumental in graduate-level courses and research collaboration.

Chief Architects: John A. Ammon + Associates, Inc.; Spillis Candela/DMJMN
MEP/Structural Engineers: Spillis Candela/DMJMN
Civil Engineers: A. Morton Thomas & Assoc., Inc.
Geotechnical Engineers: Schnabel Engineering Assoc., Inc.
Landscape Architects: Mahan Rykiel Assoc., Inc.
Laboratory Planners: SST Planners, Inc.
Aquaculture Systems Consultants: Applied Aquatics, Inc.
Construction Management: Gilbane Construction Company
Project Management: University of Maryland, College Park Architectural, Engineering and Construction Department

When completed, the AREL facility will contain more than 62,000 square-feet supporting research laboratories for studies in: water quality, biochemistry, geochemistry, nutrient cycling, algal ecology, aquaculture, and marsh and submersed aquatic vegetation. Six miles of pipes carry 14 different types of water into the laboratories. All aquaculture systems have redundant backup systems to allow for continuous service.

The following faculty members will be among the first occupants of the new facility.
Dr. Jeff Cornwell, Research Associate Professor, Biogeochemistry of nutrients and metals in aquatic sediments.
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-Eilers, Associate Professor, Seagrass ecology, hydrodynamics of macrophytes.
Dr. Andy 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. Bill Van Huekelum, Associate Research Scientist, Finfish aquaculture & biology of blue crabs.