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January 2022

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CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY | SOLOMONS, MDJANUARY 2022ISSUE 65Lab LinesDIRECTOR’S VIEW1IN THIS ISSUE:DIRECTOR’S VIEW23Each month I write this piece, I hope that I will not have to comment on COVID – but alas…. Positive COVID cases are on the rise at CBL. We do not believe any of these have resulted from transmissions on campus. When sta test positive based on a PCR conducted by their physician, UMCES recommends following the advice of your medical provider regarding isolation. If you test positive based on a rapid test, I would recommend talking to your care provider and follow their advice, but if this is not possible we ask that you self-isolate for at least 5 days. In either case, please inform hr@umces.edu. When we are informed of a positive test among the CBL community, we will send out an email to advise of potential exposure for people in the same spaces. We will ensure condentiality in these emails. We can do this because of the swipe card system. So, we ask that you swipe into buildings, even if someone is holding the door open for you. The end of January marks the beginning of the new academic term on January 24th. This coincides with some important activities. People returning to campus must have submitted proof of a negative COVID test to hr@umces.edu. We have rapid tests available for CBLers to use in Beaven Hall. We also have KN95 masks and hand sanitizers for anyone who requests them. I ask that you remember that masks are required in all common spaces and laboratories (unless you are alone). Masks are not required in personal oce spaces.Several among the CBL community have lost loved ones over the holiday period. I extend my personal sympathies to those who have lost loved ones. But, this serves to remind us that behind all of the messages about what to do and not do under COVID, life continues. The excitement of meeting new people remains. We continue to balance responsibilities at home and at work. We strive to achieve personal, family and professional goals. These and other opportunities and demands have continued throughout the pandemic. Please keep this in mind as you interact with your colleagues. Let’s provide each other with a little consideration.Cheers, TomSAFETY CORNER/ OUTREACHIN CASE YOU MISSED IT/ PUBLICATIONS/ WELCOME

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IN CASE YOU MISSED ITDr. Helen Bailey, Amber Fandel and Kirsten Silva have been detecting frequent North Atlantic right whale, n whale, and humpback whale calls from their real-time acoustic buoy o Ocean City, MD. See a photo Dr. Bailey captured of a humpback whale below! You can nd out more here: https://www.umces.edu/wind-energy-projectsAs a result of an Issue Study Group course on Plastic Pollution (MEES 718E) that Carys Mitchelmore and Helen Bailey taught during Fall 2022, a group of students have written an article on reducing plastics for boaters in the current issue of the Spinsheet magazine: spinsheet.com/read-spinsheet-online (pages 28-29). Student authors include: Nicole Trenholm, Lauren Rodriguez, Nicholas Dawson, and Rui Xu. Amber Fandel, Ben Frey and Kevin Kahover all successfully defended their MS thesis since our last newsletter!Please welcome Chris Turner to CBL. Chris joined us during the holidays as our Multi-Trade Facilities Chief. Along with everyone in Facilities, Chris’ work here will be very broad but his main focus will be keeping our mechanical systems maintained and operational as well as routine electrical repairs and upgrades. Chris is a long-time resident of St. Mary’s County and enjoys spending time with his wife, kids and dogs hiking, camping and all-things outdoorsy. When stuck inside he enjoys watching sports and reading. Chris started o with a snowstorm and shoveling heavy snow and still said “it’s been a great rst week on campus! I’m glad to be here and look forward to maintaining the beautiful campus and grounds.” If you see a new face around campus, be sure to introduce yourself (from a safe distance of course.)Welcome to CBLPublicationsCheck out Andrew Heyes’ article, published online December 15th in Nature!Blancheld, P.J., Rudd, J.W.M., Hrenchuk, L.E. et al. Experimental evidence for recovery of mercury-contaminated sh populations. Nature 601, 74–78 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04222-7 [UMCES Cont. No. 6077]

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Safety Corner: The Fire Triangle - Cheryl ClarkThe re triangle illustrates the three components that are necessary for the creation and maintenance of a re. By removing one of the legs of this triangle, a re can be prevented or extinguished.• Oxygen - helps support the process for a re to occur. It literally helps the re to breathe. This is why small res can be put out by simply covering with sand or dirt or smothering it with a blanket. This will cut o the oxygen supply and extinguish the re. • Heat - is needed to get the material to ignition temperature. This can be provided by matches, lighters, lightning or electricity. Ignition sources in the lab include hot plates, heating mantles, bunsen burners and other pieces of equipment that could cause a spark. • Fuel - is the food for the re. In order for these three components not to exist in the lab it is important to remember:• Keep fuel sources to a minimum. Flammable chemicals are not the only fuel in the lab. Large quantities of paper, such as journals, notebooks and records should not be stored in the laboratory.• Be sure to segregate incompatible chemicals. All ammables should be stored in a ammables cabinet, refrigerator or freezer. Be sure oxidizers, such as nitric acid and peroxides, are stored separately from other chemicals. • Keep chemical vapors to a minimum in the laboratory by working in a fume hood or well ventilated area and if necessary, reducing the temperature of the chemical (e.g. ice bath, chillers). • Be sure to clean up all spills immediately. • Keep ignition sources as far from ammables as possible. Never use ammables over an open ame.• Containers used for discharging ammables should be grounded to reduce static electricity. Note: It is not your job to ght a re. You need to leave the building to go to your assigned meeting place, pull the re alarms as you go and dial 911. Only people with re extinguisher training are allowed to use the extinguishers.National Research Council. (2011) Prudent Practices in the Laboratory. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.Science for CommunitiesScience for Communities is a public lecture series that engages non-scientic audiences in learning about environmental research and the important work being done at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Planning for our next Science for Communities series is underway. The Spring 2022 Series will be hosted as Zoom webinars and presentations will be themed around “The Urban Ocean.” Be sure to save the following dates to hear from our excellent speakers:• March 29, 2022 – Dr. Judy O’Neil, UMCES HPL• April 5, 2022 – Dr. Jeremy Testa, UMCES CBL• April 12, 2022 – Dr. Andrew Heyes, UMCES CBL • April 19, 2022 – Dr. Mario Tamburri, UMCES CBL• April 26, 2022 – Dr. Samia Rab Kirchner, Morgan State UniversitySocial MediaFollow CBL on Facebook and Twitter!Please contact Outreach Coordinator Sarah Brzezinski at brzezins@umces.edu if you have information, like upcoming public presentations or news, that you would like to have shared with CBL’s social media audiences.www.umces.edu/cbl | 410-326-4281P.O. Box 38 | 146 Williams Street | Solomons, MD 20688-0038Outreach