Bob Gallagher (left) with former SERC safety officer Liza Hamill at a SERC holiday party in 2018. (Credit: Tami Huber)
by Kristen Goodhue
This is the first of two In Memoriam tributes, honoring two long-time staff members who passed away while still employed at our center over the last decade. As the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center enters its 60th year, we recognize that many of our achievements would not have been possible without their hard work and passion.
The invisible handprints of Bob Gallagher cover more than half the buildings at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. They’re also present in the center’s most popular volunteer program, and some buildings that have yet to be constructed. From 2004 until his death in 2020, Gallagher served as the center’s executive officer. And the campus as it is today would not exist without his efforts.
A drone image of the BiodiversiTREE plots at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, surrounded by the larger, older forest. (Credit: Mickey Pullen)
Forests play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Worldwide, roughly 10 million hectares of forest are lost to deforestation each year. Forest restorations—efforts to regrow forests—offset around half of that. But how do we make sure that these efforts are as efficient as possible? One answer is in planting a wide variety of tree species.
An American oystercatcher stands on the beach of the Elqui River in Chile. There is plastic netting tangled around one of its legs and it has lost the bottom part of the leg. (Credit: Pedro Valencia)
Plastic pollution in our ocean is growing daily. Scientists estimate 12 million U.S. tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, and it makes up 80% of all marine debris.
How can we hope to keep track of this vast amount of plastic, or detect any useful patterns to help get it under control? One way is to collect plastic samples using animals. Marine animals ingest plastic that has broken off from plastic trash and ends up in the ocean. Scientists can then measure how much of this plastic has accumulated in the bodies of these animals. Scientists have used this method for decades.
“Sampling microplastics can be challenging and expensive,” said Martin Thiel, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). Thiel co-authored an article in Environmental Science Advances reviewing how scientists around the world use animals to study ocean plastic. Using animals, he said, allows scientists to more efficiently collect data. “It can tell us not only how many plastics are in the environment, but how the organisms are affected by this type of pollution.”
Here are some of the most popular animals scientists use for plastic pollution research.
by Patrick Megonigal, Associate Director of Research, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Originally published in The Conversation
Flames of the Simi Valley Fire in October 2003 ravage a mountainside in Southern California. (Credit: Senior Master Sgt. Dennis W. Goff, U.S. Air Force)
Using seawater to fight fires can sound like a simple solution – the Pacific Ocean has a seemingly endless supply of water. In emergencies like Southern California is facing, it’s often the only quick solution, though the operation can be risky amid ocean swells.
Posted in California, Climate Change, Ecology, Extreme Weather | Comments Off on Firefighting planes are dumping ocean water on the Los Angeles fires − why using saltwater is typically a last resort Tags: ecology
The year 2024 is set to go down as the hottest year on record since the mid-1800s (so far), shattering severaladditional records in its wake. Even for solutions-minded scientists like the ones we’re lucky to work with, there’s no denying it was a rough year for planet Earth. But that doesn’t erase the many bright moments and crucial steps forward that also marked the year.
At the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), scientists have been finding new ways to sustain the Earth for the past six decades. This year the center will reach its 60th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we’ve rounded up our six favorite stories from 2024, from the groundbreaking and inspiring to the quirky and fun:
Carl Dunnock (left) with his detector dog, Encore, and Carl Messick with his detector dog, Grand. (Credit: USDA)
Dogs, with their ability to sniff out unseen objects, have become key players for many teams, from search and rescue missions to hunting. But lately, they’ve received a new welcome—onto the team of plant conservation. This summer, orchid scientist Melissa McCormick embarked on a search for the endangered orchid Isotria medeoloides, commonly known as the “small whorled pogonia.” Accompanied by two Labradors and their handlers, McCormick set out to survey Fort Walker, Virginia, for any sign of the elusive orchid.
Open-top chambers in the “hot moments” experiment, where scientists are growing wetland plants exposed to extreme events and measuring greenhouse gases. (Credit: Kristen Goodhue)
Coastal wetlands are vital to our planet’s health. They store carbon, filter nitrogen and protect our shorelines. But they also can emit large pulses of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in sudden events known as “hot moments.” These fleeting events are challenging to predict. However, understanding them is crucial in humanity’s fight against climate change.
Genevieve Noyce, a senior scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), is leading an innovative project to better understand these hot moments in coastal wetlands.
Amy Freestone, a former SERC postdoc and new managing director of SERC’s Marine Invasions Research Lab. (Credit: Brent Sewall)
Amy Freestone joined the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in May, to help lead the Marine Invasions Research Lab as senior scientist and managing director. Amy previously worked with SERC as a postdoctoral fellow from 2006 to 2009, before working as an assistant professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. In this Q&A, Amy discusses the roots of her love for ecology, bridging the gap between local and global research, and her core principles of scientific research.
Edited for brevity and clarity.
Do you have a personal mission that drives your interest in marine ecology?
You need to have a job that you’re passionate about, and ecology has always been that for me….I just have a very deep appreciation for the natural world. It’s important to me, and important to my family and to my kids. Those of us who are engaged in ecology often have an environmental ethic that underlies the work that we do. I know for me it’s not only about taking care of the natural world for myself, but also just knowing that this is the playground for my kids and wanting to protect those resources for them.
Students at Gwynn Park Middle School plant orchid seedlings as part of the Classroom Cultivation project. (Credit: Gwynn Park Middle School)
What does it take to grow an endangered orchid and bring it back to the wild? This past school year, the Smithsonian decided to ask hundreds of middle and high school students. It’s part of a participatory science project called “Classroom Cultivation,” run by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and Smithsonian Gardens. Its goal: Turn students into scientists and classrooms into botany labs.
Orchids are some of the trickiest plants to grow—either in a lab or in the wild. This is largely because they are so frustratingly picky about their habitats. And every species has a different wish list.
“Orchids can be a bit of a drama queen, a diva,” said Shatiyana Dunn, who runs Classroom Cultivation for SERC. “They have very specific elements that they like to grow in.”
A freshwater wetland in Merritt Island, Florida. A new study found hotter, fresher wetlands emit more methane. (Credit: Chris M. Morris, cropped. CC-BY-2.0)
Your local wetland could be sending over 500 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere every year, per square mile. Or virtually none. It’s a bit of a mystery—one that’s been troubling climate scientists for decades. But a new report published this week is helping nail down which wetlands are more likely to be methane bombs.
