1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,351 Welcome to our environmentally themed 2 00:00:02,351 --> 00:00:04,462 birthday edition of Core Connection . 3 00:00:04,462 --> 00:00:06,684 I'm your host Patrick Plug and I'm here 4 00:00:06,684 --> 00:00:08,907 at the Lynn Haven River basin ecosystem 5 00:00:08,907 --> 00:00:11,018 restoration Project in Virginia beach 6 00:00:11,018 --> 00:00:13,129 Virginia . Where are Norfolk district 7 00:00:13,129 --> 00:00:12,540 in partnership with the city of 8 00:00:12,540 --> 00:00:14,651 Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach 9 00:00:14,651 --> 00:00:16,873 Public school district are working hand 10 00:00:16,873 --> 00:00:18,818 in hand along with local nonprofit 11 00:00:18,818 --> 00:00:20,929 environmental agencies to restore the 12 00:00:20,929 --> 00:00:22,818 ecosystem of this waterway in the 13 00:00:22,818 --> 00:00:24,818 Chesapeake Bay Eustace is restoring 14 00:00:24,818 --> 00:00:26,707 historic oyster reefs , submerged 15 00:00:26,707 --> 00:00:28,873 aquatic vegetation and reef habitat as 16 00:00:28,873 --> 00:00:31,040 well as wetlands in the watershed . To 17 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:32,929 help the estuary , these habitats 18 00:00:32,929 --> 00:00:32,500 provide protection to shorelines from 19 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:34,778 erosion , reduce impacts of wave surge , 20 00:00:34,870 --> 00:00:36,926 increased resilience , improve water 21 00:00:36,926 --> 00:00:39,037 quality and provide fish and wildlife 22 00:00:39,037 --> 00:00:41,259 habitat for the waters in the community 23 00:00:41,259 --> 00:00:43,314 across the nation . The U . S . Army 24 00:00:43,314 --> 00:00:45,203 Corps of Engineers has one of the 25 00:00:45,203 --> 00:00:47,314 largest environmental restoration and 26 00:00:47,314 --> 00:00:47,090 environmental compliance roles in the 27 00:00:47,090 --> 00:00:49,257 federal government . As a result , our 28 00:00:49,257 --> 00:00:51,368 environmental mission and touches the 29 00:00:51,368 --> 00:00:53,534 lives of nearly every american some of 30 00:00:53,534 --> 00:00:55,479 the projects and initiatives we're 31 00:00:55,479 --> 00:00:57,701 gonna highlight on this edition of Core 32 00:00:57,701 --> 00:01:00,060 connection . Yeah . 33 00:01:02,540 --> 00:01:02,950 Yeah . 34 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,110 Here in Virginia and in Maryland uses 35 00:01:10,110 --> 00:01:12,221 is working with inter agency partners 36 00:01:12,221 --> 00:01:14,443 in both states to restore native oyster 37 00:01:14,443 --> 00:01:16,388 populations and tributaries in the 38 00:01:16,388 --> 00:01:18,332 Chesapeake bay . Oysters provide a 39 00:01:18,332 --> 00:01:18,040 number of environmental benefits , 40 00:01:18,050 --> 00:01:19,772 including reef habitat that is 41 00:01:19,772 --> 00:01:21,828 significant to the bay ecosystem for 42 00:01:21,828 --> 00:01:24,106 other animals like blue crabs and fish . 43 00:01:24,106 --> 00:01:25,994 Additionally , oysters are filter 44 00:01:25,994 --> 00:01:28,050 feeders that improve water quality . 45 00:01:28,050 --> 00:01:30,050 The U . S . Army Corps of Engineers 46 00:01:30,050 --> 00:01:32,106 delivers engineering solutions today 47 00:01:32,106 --> 00:01:34,328 that sustain our environment and secure 48 00:01:34,328 --> 00:01:36,272 the mission moving forward . These 49 00:01:36,272 --> 00:01:38,328 efforts include providing ecological 50 00:01:38,328 --> 00:01:38,120 and economic benefits through the 51 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,176 protection of ecosystems . As is the 52 00:01:40,176 --> 00:01:42,231 case with two projects the Baltimore 53 00:01:42,231 --> 00:01:44,342 district has been working on over the 54 00:01:44,342 --> 00:01:46,398 years . Popular Island is a national 55 00:01:46,398 --> 00:01:48,509 model for habitat restoration and the 56 00:01:48,509 --> 00:01:50,676 beneficial reuse of dredged material . 57 00:01:50,676 --> 00:01:52,898 Working in partnership with federal and 58 00:01:52,898 --> 00:01:52,740 state agencies , the U . S . Army Corps 59 00:01:52,740 --> 00:01:54,962 of Engineers is restoring Poplar Island 60 00:01:54,962 --> 00:01:57,073 in the Chesapeake Bay by using dreads 61 00:01:57,073 --> 00:01:59,240 material from the Baltimore harbor and 62 00:01:59,240 --> 00:01:59,190 channels Project , Which helps ensure 63 00:01:59,190 --> 00:02:01,357 safe navigation and contributes to the 64 00:02:01,357 --> 00:02:03,134 regional and national economy . 65 00:02:03,134 --> 00:02:05,357 Approximately 68 million cubic yards of 66 00:02:05,357 --> 00:02:07,357 dredged material is being placed to 67 00:02:07,357 --> 00:02:09,301 develop approximately 775 acres of 68 00:02:09,301 --> 00:02:11,590 wetlands , 830 acres of upland 110 69 00:02:11,590 --> 00:02:13,423 acres of open water embankment . 70 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,784 Meanwhile , the residents of smith 71 00:02:15,784 --> 00:02:18,007 island Maryland got a firsthand look at 72 00:02:18,007 --> 00:02:20,229 how beneficial reusing dredged material 73 00:02:20,229 --> 00:02:22,340 from one of their navigation channels 74 00:02:22,340 --> 00:02:24,340 can help the environment as well as 75 00:02:24,340 --> 00:02:24,270 directly benefit the economy of their 76 00:02:24,270 --> 00:02:26,810 island . Severe erosion and showing in 77 00:02:26,810 --> 00:02:28,866 the channel at Rhodes Point on smith 78 00:02:28,866 --> 00:02:30,643 island have historically caused 79 00:02:30,643 --> 00:02:32,754 Waterman to have to take inconvenient 80 00:02:32,754 --> 00:02:34,810 routes around Smith Island to access 81 00:02:34,810 --> 00:02:37,032 deeper portions of the Chesapeake Bay , 82 00:02:37,032 --> 00:02:39,254 leading to lost time and increased fuel 83 00:02:39,254 --> 00:02:38,680 costs . The Baltimore district 84 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,624 completed a navigation improvement 85 00:02:40,624 --> 00:02:42,847 project that increases the navigational 86 00:02:42,847 --> 00:02:44,791 clearance and provides voters from 87 00:02:44,791 --> 00:02:46,902 smith Island towns of roads Point and 88 00:02:46,902 --> 00:02:49,124 Tyler Burton with more direct access to 89 00:02:49,124 --> 00:02:49,120 the Chesapeake Bay through changing and 90 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,342 the construction of jetties . Secondary 91 00:02:51,342 --> 00:02:53,287 benefits from the project includes 92 00:02:53,287 --> 00:02:55,120 shoreline protection and wetland 93 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,287 restoration that aid in the protection 94 00:02:57,287 --> 00:02:57,230 of larger wetland systems and provide 95 00:02:57,230 --> 00:02:58,970 habitat for local animals and 96 00:02:58,970 --> 00:03:01,260 vegetative resources . Our efforts to 97 00:03:01,260 --> 00:03:03,482 protect and preserve the environment is 98 00:03:03,482 --> 00:03:05,649 an enduring mission , one that we will 99 00:03:05,649 --> 00:03:07,538 continue to advance key to this , 100 00:03:07,538 --> 00:03:09,649 embracing new technology and applying 101 00:03:09,649 --> 00:03:11,760 innovative solutions . Scientists and 102 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:13,538 engineers with our U . S . Army 103 00:03:13,538 --> 00:03:12,990 Engineering Research and Development 104 00:03:12,990 --> 00:03:15,101 Center are hard at work studying ways 105 00:03:15,101 --> 00:03:17,157 to control invasive species and help 106 00:03:17,157 --> 00:03:19,323 endangered species throughout the US . 107 00:03:19,323 --> 00:03:21,434 They give us a behind the scenes look 108 00:03:21,434 --> 00:03:21,400 at the work they are doing in the 109 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,590 facilities they are working in . My 110 00:03:23,590 --> 00:03:25,812 name is Island Castle from the chief of 111 00:03:25,812 --> 00:03:27,646 the aquatic ecology and invasive 112 00:03:27,646 --> 00:03:29,757 species branch at the verdict . Today 113 00:03:29,757 --> 00:03:31,590 we're at the aquatic and wetland 114 00:03:31,590 --> 00:03:33,534 ecosystem Research and Development 115 00:03:33,534 --> 00:03:35,646 center . I'm going to show you around 116 00:03:35,646 --> 00:03:37,701 the facility and some of the work we 117 00:03:37,701 --> 00:03:39,757 have going on for endangered species 118 00:03:39,757 --> 00:03:39,560 conservation and invasive species 119 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,180 management . Hey , my name's Ian Night . 120 00:03:42,180 --> 00:03:44,069 I'm a research biologist with the 121 00:03:44,069 --> 00:03:46,069 environmental lab and I work on the 122 00:03:46,069 --> 00:03:48,236 biological control of invasive aquatic 123 00:03:48,236 --> 00:03:50,347 weeds . At the moment I am working on 124 00:03:50,347 --> 00:03:52,513 the alligator Weekly Battle , which is 125 00:03:52,513 --> 00:03:54,736 a biological control agent of alligator 126 00:03:54,736 --> 00:03:56,958 weed . Alligator weed was introduced to 127 00:03:56,958 --> 00:03:58,847 the US in the 18 hundreds and was 128 00:03:58,847 --> 00:03:58,370 actually part of a really successful 129 00:03:58,370 --> 00:04:00,537 biological control programme in the 19 130 00:04:00,537 --> 00:04:02,703 sixties and seventies . But what wound 131 00:04:02,703 --> 00:04:04,850 up happening was over the subsequent 132 00:04:04,850 --> 00:04:06,961 decades , alligator , we just started 133 00:04:06,961 --> 00:04:09,072 to move northward into more temperate 134 00:04:09,072 --> 00:04:11,072 climates and has become an invasive 135 00:04:11,072 --> 00:04:13,239 species in in temperate climates where 136 00:04:13,239 --> 00:04:15,239 the tropical beetles have failed to 137 00:04:15,239 --> 00:04:17,294 establish . So the work I'm doing at 138 00:04:17,294 --> 00:04:19,128 the moment is investigating cold 139 00:04:19,128 --> 00:04:21,239 tolerance among different populations 140 00:04:21,239 --> 00:04:20,770 of beetles that have already been 141 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,480 released into the US and comparing them 142 00:04:23,490 --> 00:04:25,601 with populations from South America , 143 00:04:25,601 --> 00:04:27,768 along with some collaborators with the 144 00:04:27,768 --> 00:04:29,768 USDA R . S . And hopefully we'll be 145 00:04:29,768 --> 00:04:31,823 able to identify populations of flea 146 00:04:31,823 --> 00:04:33,934 beetles that are putatively more cold 147 00:04:33,934 --> 00:04:33,600 tolerant and more suitable for 148 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,711 biological control in these temperate 149 00:04:35,711 --> 00:04:37,767 climates . Hey , I'm Audrey Harrison 150 00:04:37,767 --> 00:04:39,989 and I'm a research entomologist here at 151 00:04:39,989 --> 00:04:42,780 arctic . Um I'm working on a macro 152 00:04:42,780 --> 00:04:45,390 invertebrate colonization study in the 153 00:04:45,390 --> 00:04:48,170 lower Mississippi River , aquatic macro 154 00:04:48,170 --> 00:04:50,770 invertebrates are the invertebrates 155 00:04:50,770 --> 00:04:52,530 that live underwater , and the 156 00:04:52,530 --> 00:04:55,740 Mississippi River is full of them . And 157 00:04:55,740 --> 00:04:57,530 with this project , which is a 158 00:04:57,530 --> 00:04:59,700 colonization study of macro 159 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,400 invertebrates , we are looking at 160 00:05:02,410 --> 00:05:04,990 different natural and artificial 161 00:05:04,990 --> 00:05:08,470 revering substrates and seeing what 162 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,590 types of macro invertebrates are 163 00:05:10,590 --> 00:05:13,090 associated with different substrate 164 00:05:13,090 --> 00:05:16,040 types or habitat types underwater . The 165 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,590 importance of doing that is to be able 166 00:05:19,590 --> 00:05:22,980 to figure out which habitats hold the 167 00:05:22,980 --> 00:05:25,240 most biological diversity , which 168 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,590 habitats we want to protect , enhance , 169 00:05:28,590 --> 00:05:32,260 create more of or can serve . And in 170 00:05:32,260 --> 00:05:35,340 doing so , we have a way to quantify 171 00:05:35,340 --> 00:05:37,500 the benefit of various restoration 172 00:05:37,500 --> 00:05:39,833 projects in the lower Mississippi River . 173 00:05:39,833 --> 00:05:41,944 Today , we'll be talking to you about 174 00:05:41,944 --> 00:05:44,167 some of the research we're doing on Big 175 00:05:44,167 --> 00:05:46,278 Head Carp . What we're really focused 176 00:05:46,278 --> 00:05:48,500 on in this lab right now is health Carp 177 00:05:48,500 --> 00:05:50,611 interact with increased salinity . So 178 00:05:50,611 --> 00:05:52,389 we're exposing them to an acute 179 00:05:52,389 --> 00:05:54,444 salinity experiment where we greatly 180 00:05:54,444 --> 00:05:56,444 increased salinity over a matter of 181 00:05:56,444 --> 00:05:58,167 minutes and a chronic salinity 182 00:05:58,167 --> 00:06:00,222 experiment where we slowly dose them 183 00:06:00,222 --> 00:06:02,111 with higher and higher amounts of 184 00:06:02,111 --> 00:06:04,278 salinity over 1 to 2 week period . The 185 00:06:04,278 --> 00:06:06,222 reason we're interested in this is 186 00:06:06,222 --> 00:06:08,222 because as we operate flood control 187 00:06:08,222 --> 00:06:10,222 structures and during regular flood 188 00:06:10,222 --> 00:06:12,333 events sometimes we create freshwater 189 00:06:12,333 --> 00:06:14,500 bridges out in the Mississippi river . 190 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:16,667 And we want to make sure those bridges 191 00:06:16,667 --> 00:06:18,667 don't create new pathways for those 192 00:06:18,667 --> 00:06:20,833 carp to spread invasive species really 193 00:06:20,833 --> 00:06:23,056 impact our native ecosystems but pretty 194 00:06:23,056 --> 00:06:25,278 much out competing our native species . 195 00:06:25,278 --> 00:06:27,111 Native species are going to have 196 00:06:27,111 --> 00:06:27,020 natural predators , whereas an 197 00:06:27,020 --> 00:06:29,440 introduced species may not , therefore 198 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,662 it can grow and double much faster than 199 00:06:31,662 --> 00:06:33,718 the native species , effectively out 200 00:06:33,718 --> 00:06:35,829 competing them for food and resources 201 00:06:35,829 --> 00:06:38,051 out of the lab and into the field . The 202 00:06:38,051 --> 00:06:40,273 U . S . Army Corps of Engineers is busy 203 00:06:40,273 --> 00:06:42,440 working to restore native species back 204 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,551 in their habitats . The san Francisco 205 00:06:44,551 --> 00:06:46,662 district is working to restore native 206 00:06:46,662 --> 00:06:48,884 salmon in the estuaries of California . 207 00:06:48,884 --> 00:06:50,940 My name is Ben White , a supervisory 208 00:06:50,940 --> 00:06:52,996 fish biologist for the Army Corps of 209 00:06:52,996 --> 00:06:54,996 Engineers in san Francisco district 210 00:06:54,996 --> 00:06:57,260 were at the Lake Sanoma Warm springs 211 00:06:57,260 --> 00:06:59,427 fish hatchery , also known as the Dawn 212 00:06:59,427 --> 00:07:01,480 Close and fish hatchery . And we're 213 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,080 currently at the coho building . So 214 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,560 there's two programs at this hatchery , 215 00:07:07,940 --> 00:07:11,580 ah and I oversee the Russian river coho 216 00:07:11,590 --> 00:07:13,760 root stock program . Basically , we 217 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,860 have different year classes of coho 218 00:07:16,860 --> 00:07:20,330 salmon coho are on a very rigid three 219 00:07:20,330 --> 00:07:22,552 year life cycle . So we have three year 220 00:07:22,552 --> 00:07:25,910 classes of coho fished out , our only a 221 00:07:25,910 --> 00:07:28,270 couple weeks old to fish that are a 222 00:07:28,270 --> 00:07:31,970 year old to our oldest , that are now a 223 00:07:31,970 --> 00:07:34,760 little over two years old . Um but this 224 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,982 is where all of the rearing takes place 225 00:07:36,982 --> 00:07:39,470 for the coho program . We're trying to 226 00:07:39,470 --> 00:07:41,830 reestablish natural populations of coho 227 00:07:41,830 --> 00:07:44,310 salmon throughout the watershed to 228 00:07:44,310 --> 00:07:47,520 prevent extinction and to eventually 229 00:07:47,530 --> 00:07:50,640 create self sustaining runs . So today 230 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,280 we have Rory taylor , ken , Leister and 231 00:07:54,290 --> 00:07:57,110 Emily van cedars . We're all out in the 232 00:07:57,110 --> 00:07:59,740 field releasing fish into Mark West 233 00:07:59,740 --> 00:08:03,180 Creek today . So we released 10,000 234 00:08:03,180 --> 00:08:06,400 juvenile coho at the small stage , 235 00:08:06,410 --> 00:08:08,590 these are basically one year old fish 236 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,544 that are getting ready to make the 237 00:08:10,544 --> 00:08:12,360 transition from the freshwater 238 00:08:12,370 --> 00:08:14,970 environment to the marine , salt water 239 00:08:14,970 --> 00:08:18,000 environment . So we released fish into 240 00:08:18,010 --> 00:08:20,780 streams that historically had wild coho . 241 00:08:20,790 --> 00:08:23,360 Mark West being one of them . Um but we 242 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,471 released fish into up to 20 different 243 00:08:25,471 --> 00:08:27,693 creaks throughout the year . Uh so Mark 244 00:08:27,693 --> 00:08:29,638 West just happened to be the creek 245 00:08:29,638 --> 00:08:32,160 we're working on today . Um we released 246 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,216 different life stages into different 247 00:08:34,216 --> 00:08:36,216 creeks . So Mark West is one of the 248 00:08:36,216 --> 00:08:38,327 creeks that we conduct small releases 249 00:08:38,327 --> 00:08:40,840 into whether it's restoring fish and 250 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,062 habitat or for our own drinking water . 251 00:08:43,170 --> 00:08:45,170 Taking care of our planet's natural 252 00:08:45,170 --> 00:08:47,114 water systems is vital for our own 253 00:08:47,114 --> 00:08:49,114 health , as our Pittsburgh district 254 00:08:49,114 --> 00:08:49,090 would like to remind you 255 00:08:53,900 --> 00:08:57,360 if you care about your body , Mhm . 256 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,360 Take care of your waterways . If you 257 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,480 care about your waterways , take care 258 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,330 of the earth , restore 259 00:09:08,340 --> 00:09:09,050 our earth , 260 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:13,350 happy earth day 261 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,862 back here in Virginia . The work in the 262 00:09:18,862 --> 00:09:21,029 New Haven River is ongoing and will be 263 00:09:21,029 --> 00:09:23,084 completed in multiple phases . Phase 264 00:09:23,084 --> 00:09:25,196 one , which started recently includes 265 00:09:25,196 --> 00:09:27,529 eight acres of reef habitat restoration , 266 00:09:27,529 --> 00:09:29,473 7.1 acres of wetlands and riparian 267 00:09:29,473 --> 00:09:31,307 buffer , as well as 6.3 acres of 268 00:09:31,307 --> 00:09:33,529 submerged aquatic vegetation located in 269 00:09:33,529 --> 00:09:35,473 strategic locations throughout the 270 00:09:35,473 --> 00:09:37,696 watershed . These are just a handful of 271 00:09:37,696 --> 00:09:36,900 projects that are going on throughout 272 00:09:36,900 --> 00:09:39,200 uses . And while progress has been made 273 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,200 for our planet , there's still more 274 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,367 work to be done . And together we will 275 00:09:43,367 --> 00:09:45,311 continue to advance our collective 276 00:09:45,311 --> 00:09:47,311 efforts for the greater good of our 277 00:09:47,311 --> 00:09:49,589 environment and our nation , for the U . 278 00:09:49,589 --> 00:09:51,478 S . Army Corps of Engineers . I'm 279 00:09:51,478 --> 00:09:53,589 Patrick Bloodgood and this has been a 280 00:09:53,589 --> 00:09:53,460 special edition of core connection . 281 00:10:05,540 --> 00:10:06,650 Mhm . Yeah .