Monitoring water quality near Southwest Virginia coalfield restoration sites

The Virginia Water Resources Research Center conducts fieldwork throughout the Appalachian coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia to monitor and assess stream rehabilitation. Researchers gather data on water quality and aquatic insect presence to continue to monitor streams impacted by runoff from former coalfields.

A Southwest Virginia salamander success story

A conservation story twenty years in the making, William Hopkins along with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources have releases their first cohort of captive-raised eastern hellbender salamanders back into the wild. Hopkins places salamander back into the streams where the hellbenders are declining to bolster wild populations. Audio Described Video Available: https://pro.smartplayer.video/play.php?vid=e927a484-be9e-40d4-b7cd-4f5e02f8f76b

Saving a salamander may require human intervention

Virginia Tech researchers William Hopkins and Erin Hotchkiss and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources biologists are rearing hellbender salamander eggs in captivity to help stabilize eastern hellbender populations and support long-term population recovery in Virginia. By protecting eggs and juveniles during their most vulnerable stage, the head start approach gives populations a better chance to recover while broader ecological restoration efforts, such as planting riparian buffers and implementing best land management practices, take root.

Saving a salamander may require human intervention

'Curious Conversations' podcast: Cayelan Carey talks about ecosystem forecasting

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 08:58:00 -0400

Carey's ecosystem forecasting provides near real-time predictions about water quality in lakes and reservoirs. Believed to be the first of its kind, the system is collecting data from 15 lakes and reservoirs spanning three continents and providing each with a daily, 30-day forecast.

Virginia Tech researchers deploy water quality forecasting system around the globe

Researchers at the Center for Ecosystem Forecasting at Virginia Tech have developed a system that can predict the quality of drinking water in lakes and reservoirs. By combining advanced sensor technologies, data analysis, AI, machine learning, and cyberinfrastructure, ecosystem forecasting tools have the potential to revolutionize environmental policy and security. This technology has now been applied to help manage lakes and reservoirs in countries around the world.

Researchers deploy water quality forecasting system around the globe

Researchers at the Center for Ecosystem Forecasting have developed a system that can predict the quality of drinking water in lakes and reservoirs. By combining advanced sensor technologies, data analysis, AI, machine learning, and cyberinfrastructure, ecosystem forecasting tools have the potential to revolutionize environmental policy and security. This technology has now been applied to help manage lakes and reservoirs in countries around the world.

When hellbenders thrive, clean water flows downstream

Professor William Hopkins and his team, along with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, are tracking the species’ survival, studying stream impacts, and using a “head-start” program that raises larvae in captivity before releasing them back into the wild.

Virginia Tech lab studies aquatic invertebrates to indicate Stroubles Creek stream health

Researchers in Sally Entrekin's Aquatic Entomology lab at Virginia Tech study the aquatic invertebrates of Stroubles Creek to determine the health of the stream. What species they find indicates if stream restoration efforts are improving a creek that is heavily impacted by ecological and anthropogenic effects. Learn more at https://news.vt.edu/

Aquatic invertebrates indicate stream health

Education modules build student and instructor skills

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:08:00 -0400

Frustrated with a gap of available data science training opportunities for environmental science undergraduate students and instructors, in 2017 Virginia Tech researchers built a new educational program and extended it to other universities.

Researcher finds nature’s hidden threshold for saltiness in the space where forests meet streams

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 07:01:00 -0400

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences researcher Sally Entrekin is co-leading a nearly $1 million National Science Foundation-funded study of how salinization impacts aquatic and terrestrial life in riparian zones.

A watershed moment for the survival of imperiled Appalachian salamanders

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:15:00 -0400

In partnership with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia Tech researchers received a $2 million science-guided conservation award from a joint venture of the National Science Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

New leadership to guide the Virginia Water Resources Research Center

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Director Kevin McGuire and Associate Director Daniel McLaughlin will continue the center’s mission to support research, collaboration, and outreach on water issues impacting the commonwealth.

New research details economic, nutritional impact of global recreational inland fishing

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 10:59:00 -0400

A new paper explores the critical role inland recreational fisheries play in providing affordable nutrition and how climate change threatens access for millions of people globally.

New center showcases Virginia Tech's strengths in global sustainability

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 13:26:00 -0400

Cayelan Carey and Quinn Thomas, co-directors of the Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting, are striving to stay ahead of ecological hazards and broadly extending their efforts to encompass partners both home and abroad.

Researchers receive National Science Foundation grant for long-term data research

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:15:00 -0500

The five-year grant will support three Virginia Tech researchers working to help better predict the future of ecosystems.

Undergraduate students SURF into research this summer

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 09:16:00 -0400

Nine undergraduate students were paired with Fralin Life Sciences Institute-affiliated faculty mentors for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, a 10-week training program designed to give motivated undergraduates full-time research experience that mirrors real-world graduate work.

Restoring filter feeders in Potomac River tributaries

A team of biologists from different universities are collaborating with state and federal agencies to introduce freshwater mussels into two urban streams in Reston, VA. Both streams flow into the Potomac River and subsequently the Chesapeake Bay. "A lot of times we have too much sediment in urban streams," said Associate Professor Sally Entrekin. "So the freshwater mussels are a lot like oysters, where they filter that sediment."

Scientists spurred by a thirst to transform the field of phytoplankton forecasting

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 12:02:00 -0400

Cayelan Carey, professor of biological sciences, will serve as the lead principal investigator on a $2.2 million National Science Foundation grant to develop the first automated, real-time system to forecast the toxic blooms that endanger drinking water.

A river of water research flows throughout the commonwealth

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:53:00 -0400

The Virginia Water Resources Center plays an important role in supporting collaborative research on water science at Virginia Tech while fostering public engagement and outreach across the commonwealth.

Virginia Tech study reveals reason hellbenders are disappearing

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

The gigantic, slimy salamanders known as hellbenders, once the apex predators of many freshwater streams, have been in decline for decades. A study led by Virginia Tech professor William Hopkins, published in The American Naturalist, determined that in deforested areas, hellbender fathers are far more likely to eat their entire brood than in areas that still have lush foliage.

The soul of a department

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 08:52:00 -0400

A conversation with Don Orth, the Thomas H. Jones Professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, who is concluding a 43-year career teaching fisheries science at Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech team awarded NSF grant to assess how salt in freshwater streams impacts aquatic ecosystems

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:35:00 -0400

The Appalachian region is home to extremely high biodiversity, making it urgent need to understand how increased freshwater salinization affects these environments.

Biological Science’s Cayelan Carey to expand modeling capabilities for daily water quantity and quality forecasts

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:41:00 -0400

The Fulbright Future Scholar aims to give water managers the tools to forecast the effects of droughts, storms, and algal blooms on driving water conditions in lakes and reservoirs as regularly as we predict the weather.

New study: A vicious cycle of oxygen loss threatens water quality in lakes

Wed, 25 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In a seven-year field experiment that manipulated oxygen levels in the bottom waters of a nearby reservoir, Cayelan Carey and her research team found that with anoxic conditions came effects they had expected: The sediments release a lot of nutrients and carbon.

Whitney Woelmer named Outstanding Doctoral Student for College of Science

Tue, 17 May 2022 10:13:00 -0400

Woelmer’s research is broadly focused on understanding water quality – things like the amount of algae or nutrients – in lakes and reservoirs and predicting how it can change both over time and spatially.

Class of 2022: Carla López Lloreda honored as College of Science's Outstanding Master’s Student

Tue, 10 May 2022 08:24:00 -0400

Hurricane María was a turning point in the life of Carla López Lloreda, the 2022 Outstanding Master’s Student in the College of Science. Experiencing firsthand the devastation wrought by the hurricane – including weeks without water and months without power – she became even more motivated to make a difference through her research.

Class of 2021: College of Science’s Outstanding Doctoral Student continues passion as postdoctoral researcher, educator

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:55:00 -0500

Mary Lofton’s goal as a student was to help find ways to sustainably provide high-quality freshwater resources to all communities. “One of the things that draws me is the ability of water quality to bring people together,” she said. “It’s a unifying topic."

Discovering the hidden world of freshwater mussels with immersive technology

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 08:38:00 -0500

“With this project, we are trying to explain and make people aware of a complicated environmental problem that affects some of the most imperiled creatures in our very backyard, at the Clinch River in Appalachia,” explained Matthew Hull.

From camera traps to tank tracks: Hokies manage conservation work on military landscapes

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 08:42:00 -0400

The Conservation Management Institute works with the military to protect threatened and endangered animals and plants while preserving critical conservation landscapes.

Propagating mussel power to purify Virginia's freshwater

The Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center at Virginia Tech is a cooperative research and propagation facility to restore and recover endangered freshwater mollusks in Virginia and adjacent states.

From mollusks to mountaintops: Working with federal agencies to make strides in conservation science

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 10:31:00 -0400

The College of Natural Resources and Environment partners with several federal agencies to serve Virginia and the nation while providing students with unique learning opportunities.

An amazing ecosystem engineer in Southwest Virginia

Faculty and students from the College of Natural Resources and Environment are gaining a better understanding of the bluehead chub and uncovering their secrets just may be the key to conservation efforts.

The amazing ecosystem engineer of Southwest Virginia: the bluehead chub

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0400

Fish conservation and engineering researchers will use a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to decipher the nest-building secrets of the bluehead chub.

Virginia Tech freshwater scientist Cayelan Carey selected for 2021 cohort in Earth Leadership Program

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 10:06:00 -0500

Carey, an associate professor of biological sciences in the Virginia Tech College of Science and an affiliated faculty member at the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and the Global Change Center, is one of 21 academics who have been handpicked for the 2021-22 North American cohort.

What can stream quality tell us about quality of life?

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 09:32:00 -0500

Researchers are using stream quality data to find new insights into the interactions between the health of our natural spaces and human well-being.

New water monitoring station in Blacksburg will provide research experiences for Virginia Tech undergraduates

Tue, 26 May 2020 09:57:00 -0400

The monitoring station, located on the south-facing slope of Brush Mountain, will provide students with field research experiences close to campus that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

Freshwater ecology professor stresses importance of Duck Pond to learning experience

Dr. Cayelan Carey, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, works as a freshwater ecologist both in the classroom and out in the field. Dr. Carey says students learn a lot from the Duck Pond by doing things like collecting water samples and measuring the chemistry and biology of the water.

Freshwater Ecology

Dr. Cayelan Carey, an assistant professor of biological sciences, is leading a course in freshwater ecology this fall, where students are testing and sampling water at the Duck Pond.

Tags

Monitoring water quality near Southwest Virginia coalfield restoration sites

A Southwest Virginia salamander success story

Saving a salamander may require human intervention

Saving a salamander may require human intervention

'Curious Conversations' podcast: Cayelan Carey talks about ecosystem forecasting

Virginia Tech researchers deploy water quality forecasting system around the globe

Researchers deploy water quality forecasting system around the globe

When hellbenders thrive, clean water flows downstream

Virginia Tech lab studies aquatic invertebrates to indicate Stroubles Creek stream health

Aquatic invertebrates indicate stream health

Education modules build student and instructor skills

Researcher finds nature’s hidden threshold for saltiness in the space where forests meet streams

A watershed moment for the survival of imperiled Appalachian salamanders

New leadership to guide the Virginia Water Resources Research Center

New research details economic, nutritional impact of global recreational inland fishing

New center showcases Virginia Tech's strengths in global sustainability

Researchers receive National Science Foundation grant for long-term data research

Undergraduate students SURF into research this summer

Restoring filter feeders in Potomac River tributaries

Scientists spurred by a thirst to transform the field of phytoplankton forecasting

A river of water research flows throughout the commonwealth

Virginia Tech study reveals reason hellbenders are disappearing

The soul of a department

Virginia Tech team awarded NSF grant to assess how salt in freshwater streams impacts aquatic ecosystems

Biological Science’s Cayelan Carey to expand modeling capabilities for daily water quantity and quality forecasts

New study: A vicious cycle of oxygen loss threatens water quality in lakes

Whitney Woelmer named Outstanding Doctoral Student for College of Science

Class of 2022: Carla López Lloreda honored as College of Science's Outstanding Master’s Student

Class of 2021: College of Science’s Outstanding Doctoral Student continues passion as postdoctoral researcher, educator

Discovering the hidden world of freshwater mussels with immersive technology

From camera traps to tank tracks: Hokies manage conservation work on military landscapes

Propagating mussel power to purify Virginia's freshwater

From mollusks to mountaintops: Working with federal agencies to make strides in conservation science

An amazing ecosystem engineer in Southwest Virginia

The amazing ecosystem engineer of Southwest Virginia: the bluehead chub

Virginia Tech freshwater scientist Cayelan Carey selected for 2021 cohort in Earth Leadership Program

What can stream quality tell us about quality of life?

New water monitoring station in Blacksburg will provide research experiences for Virginia Tech undergraduates

Freshwater ecology professor stresses importance of Duck Pond to learning experience

Freshwater Ecology