SERC 60thReport 250507 : simplebooklet.com

1Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary reportThe Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is turning 60 thisyear. It began as a surprise bequest, when entrepreneur Robert Lee Forrest willed his abandoned dairy farm on Maryland’s Rhode River to the Smithsonian. Over the last six decades, the center has transformed into a cutting-edge research campus that attracts experts from all over the world. I’ve witnessed this transformation personally. I’ve worked at SERC since 1979, rst as a marine ecologist with grant funding for sh, crabs and other critters of the Bay and beyond, and then as assistant director in 1988. For the last 20 years, I’ve served as the center’s director. We have grown SERC research from ve principal investigators to 21. We’ve also expanded our public programs to engage hundreds of volunteers and students and over 15,000 visitors annually.This special issue will highlight discoveries and achievements from the last decade. And there have been many — too many to list in these pages. Our educators have found new ways to engage schools and communities, meeting people where they are and giving them a larger voice in our research. Our scientists have uncovered some surprising realities, thanks to new technologies and tools. And hundreds of volunteers have devoted thousands of hours helping our research and programs succeed.I’m also incredibly gratied by how our campus has transformed. In 2015, SERC had just nished building the Charles McC. Mathias Lab. It was a landmark for green building then — the Smithsonian’s rst LEED-Platinum building. Since then, we’ve added six more LEED-Platinum buildings, with rooftop solar panels that send roughly half their renewable energy back into the grid. We also renovated the historic 1735 house on our campus. Today, the Woodlawn History Center tells the stories of the Native Americans, enslaved families and free families who preceded us and shaped the land into what it is today.This is my last year as director. A new leader will guide SERC into its seventh decade. While the projects and strategies may change, SERC’s core mission will remain the same: to advance the science that protects the Earth and its people. Anson “Tuck” HinesDirector, SERCOur world needs good science— now more than ever. At the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), scientists are doing the research that will lead us to a more resilient future. Here, on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, researchers are uncovering the secrets to a world where people and the planet can thrivetogether.SERC scientists study the most critical issues facing our planet today: sustainable food, biosecurity, pollution, conservation and climate change. They work alongside communi- ties in the U.S. and abroad. And they share their ndings with policymakers and stakeholders, so they can make decisions based on soundscience.From its headquarters in Maryland, the power of SERC science has stretched around the globe. In the last decade, our staff have worked in over 30 countries and formed collaborations with many more. And our 2,654-acre campus has become a hub where leaders from all sectors come together to create solutions for a healthier world.Environmental science has the power to transform lives and communities. SERC does science for the future, and the future belongs to everyone. KELSIE MOOREHAMPTON BRIDWELLCHRIS PATRICKALISON CAWOODSTEPHEN VOSSFRITZ RIEDEL

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2 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary report 3Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary reportWhere we workBelizeThe Marine Conservation Lab works with scientists in Belize and many other nations to measure carbon in mangrove ecosystems for their greenhouse gasinventories.Key regional and global networks From their home base in ChesapeakeBay, SERC staff did environmental work in nearly 40 countries over the past decade and every region of the continental U.S.ACT NetworkManaged by SERC, the Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network follows the underwater migrations of over 11,500 animals along the U.S. East Coast with acoustic telemetrytags.Coastal Carbon NetworkThe Coastal Carbon Network works with communities around the globe to measure “blue carbon” stored in their marshes, mangroves, seagrasses and other coastalecosystems.ForestGEOThe Forest Global Earth Observatory tracks how forests worldwide are responding to climate change, by censusing 7million trees on every continent exceptAntarctica.MarineGEOHeadquartered at SERC, the Marine Global Earth Observatory takes the pulse of ocean life by tracking biodiversity at coastal sites on sixcontinents.TreeDivNetThe world’s largest network of experiments on tree biodiversity, TreeDivNet contains data from over 30forest experiments, including SERC’s BiodiversiTREE forestrestoration.COMBINAShort for “Coastal Ocean Marine Biosecurity: International Network of the Americas,” COMBINA launched in 2024 to combat marine invasions across theAmericas.North American Orchid Conservation CenterBased at SERC, this continent-wide alliance brings together over 60collaborators working to preserve NorthAmerica’s 200-plus native orchidspecies. EcuadorIn the Galápagos Islands, the Marine Invasions Lab helped detect the arrival of dozens of non-native species.GermanyIn Germany’s Wadden Sea salt marsh, the Technology in Ecology Lab runs a futuristic experiment to see how marshes respond to hotter temperatures.AlaskaIn Alaska, SERC has helped preserve the salmon shery, detected new invasive species with volunteers and brought hands-on orchid experiments toclassrooms.CaliforniaSince 2000, the Marine Invasions Lab has maintained a full-time presence on SanFrancisco Bay studying its native and invasive species and restoring shorelines.MarylandSERC works to restore and preserve ChesapeakeBay from its Marylandheadquarters.GhanaThe Coastal Carbon Network engages with scientists and stakeholders in Ghana to study blue carbon and provide data managementtrainings.IndonesiaThe Fisheries Conservation Lab travelled to Indonesia and the Philippines to study blue swimming crabs, a popular seafood and vitalshery.

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7Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary reportUnlocking answers to climatechangeHumans are resilient. Our ability to adapt helped us thrive for millennia. Today, humanity faces a new challenge: adapting to rapid climate change on our doorstep. Looking forwardThe Marine Conservation Lab entered a new partnership with Fundación Propagas in the Dominican Republic last year, to expand their coral reef monitoring to include mangroves and seagrasses. The collaboration will help local communities develop strategies for coastal resilience and climate change adaptation.Mangroves and coastal wetlands can store carbon an estimated 10xfaster than the same area of tropical forest.SERC scientists have long known that wetlands, mangroves and seagrasses —life-giving coastal ecosystems— are key to our protection. They shield us from hurricanes and oods. They can also slow climate change by storing massive amounts of “blue carbon.” Researchers at SERC are helping to conserve them. Emeritus scientist Candy Feller spent decades tracking mangrove health around the world. Ecologists like SteveCanty and Hannah Morrissette continue her legacy, joining scientists in Central America to measure how much blue carbon their mangroves can store. Those data are helping nations like Belize, Honduras and Panama include mangroves in their greenhouse gas inventories. James Holmquist, Andre Rovai and JaxineWolfe manage the Coastal Carbon Library and Atlas, which contains blue carbon data from 70 countries. And SERC’s Biogeochemistry Lab helped bring blue carbon credits to market, making wetland conservation good business.They’re also tracking how these ecosystems are shifting. In the 1980s, Bert Drake launched the rst futuristic climate experiment on SERC’s Global Change Research Wetland. The last decade has seen three new experiments, managed by Pat Megonigal, Genevieve Noyce and Roy Rich. At SMARTX, scientists raise temperature and carbon dioxide. At GenX, scientists measure how wetland greenhouse gas emissions uctuate. And at TEMPEST, scientists ood a forest to simulate heavier rainfalls and sea level rise. In a nearby tidal creek, they also created a “marsh organ” where scientists can run additional experiments by placing marsh pots at different depths to test the impacts of ooding.SERC’s climate scientists are dedicated to protecting these ecosystems, so they continue protecting us. Top row: Technician and site manager Andrew Peresta on the Global Change Research Wetland. PHOTO: STEPHEN VOSSSecond row: SERC postdoc Alia Al-Haj examines a chamber for the GenX experiment on the Global Change Research Wetland. PHOTO: STEPHEN VOSSThird row: SERC postdoc Hannah Morrissette stands in a mangrove forest in Belize. PHOTO: STEVE CROOKS, SILVESTRUM CLIMATE ASSOCIATESFourth row: Mangrove shoreline in Belize. PHOTO: JONATHAN LEFCHECK“If we don’t understand how our ecosystems function and how they might shift in the future, we’re unable to make plans to conserve and protect them. We can’t do this alone or with only short-termprojects.” Genevieve NoyceSERC senior scientist

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8 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary reportConservation from the land...SERC science is all about connections: between land and sea; between predators and prey; between people and nature. By conserving species and their habitats, SERC scientists aim to keep those connections strong. Looking forwardSERC is making new inroads in the ecology of cities. A series of projects in Baltimore look more closely at urban forests and green spaces, to explore how they can cool down heat waves and shapebiodiversity.Land-dwelling vertebrates are 4.5x safer inside protected areas than outside them, with amphibians and birds seeing the biggestbenets.At SERC, ecologists study how to help both individual species and their habitats. Justin Nowakowski, head of SERC’s Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab, has zeroed in on the benets of protected areas. He also helped publish the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan in 2023, to help Earth’s most endangered vertebrates. In the plant world, SERC leads the North American Orchid Conservation Center — nearly 50 organizations preserving North America’s 200-plus native orchids. Launched by Dennis Whigham in 2012, MelissaMcCormick assumed leadership in 2024. Besides studying orchids and the pollinators they need, the center has identied essential fungi that more than half of native orchids need to grow.SERC scientists are especially interested in forest habitats. In SERC’s ForestGEO plot — part of a global forest network — scientists track how trees adapt to change. The ForestGEO team measured over 38,000 trees twice this decade, in 5-year censuses led by JessShue, Sean McMahon, Jess Parker and several interns and technicians. And in BiodiversiTREE, a restoration experiment led by John Parker and Jamie Pullen, scientists have watched a new forest grow for 13years. They’ve discovered that diverse forests are generally better for people, climate and wildlife. SERC’s conservation work on land has a direct benet for life in the water, as forests and wetlands help protect marine habitats from the dangers of pollution.Top row, left: Tuberous grass pink orchid, Calopogon tuberosus. PHOTO: GLENN BERRYTop row, right: Justin Nowakowski, head of SERC’s Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab. PHOTO: KRISTEN GOODHUESecond row: John Parker walks through the BiodiversiTREE forest restoration experiment he founded. PHOTO:STEPHENVOSSThird row: Hourglass treefrog, Dendropsophus ebraccatus. PHOTO: JUSTIN NOWAKOWSKI Fourth row: Aerial view of BiodiversiTREE, SERC’s forest restoration experiment with roughly 17,000 trees. PHOTO: MICKEY PULLEN“Nothing in nature stands alone, and the species that we think have no direct benet to humans may have a critical function that we can’t see.” Melissa McCormickSERC senior scientist

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11Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary report10...to conservation in the seaAs a coastal research center, SERC lives in the transition zone: at the shore’s edge, where the land meets the sea. SERC’s marine scientists follow life underwater, to understand what truly works to protect the ocean and the resources it provides for life on land.Marine protected areas can help people and nature. Communities near them can enjoy greater health and prosperity. But more than 90% of U.S. marine protected areas are in the central Pacic — leaving thousands of species vulnerable. SERC scientists are busy studying some of those species and their habitats. They’re tracking sharks, cownose rays and river herring migrating along the Atlantic coast. In Florida, they’re studying coral reef communities. In Alaska, they’ve discovered the crucial role wetlands and alder trees play for juvenile salmon. And in Maryland, Katrina Lohan and the Coastal Disease Ecology Lab investigate how river otters could offer clues for human health. SERC leads regional and global efforts as well. In 2016, in response to falling ocean oxygen, Denise Breitburg became a founding member of the United Nations’ GO2NE network (“Global Ocean Oxygen Network”). In 2020, Matt Ogburn and Kim Richie took over leadership of the Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry network, which has tracked nearly 80 species along the North American Atlantic coast. And SERC is the headquarters of the Marine Global Earth Observatory led by Emmett Duffy, with partners in over 55countries cooperating to understand the health of coastal life and ecosystems.Top row, left: Former SERC intern Michelle Edwards holds a bull shark on a tagging expedition with SERC’s Fisheries Conservation Lab. PHOTO:JAYFLEMING Top row, right: Cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus. PHOTO:JAYFLEMINGSecond row: SERC dive ofcer Emily Anderson in Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. PHOTO: LEAH HARPER Third row: Oysters in Maryland’s Harris Creek Sanctuary. PHOTO: SERC FISHERIES CONSERVATION LABSUSTAINING OUR FOODOystercamerasDo oyster sanctuaries work? Chesapeake oysters have plummeted to 1% of historic levels, jeopardizing a beloved seafood and way of life. Oyster sanctuaries, where harvest is limited or prohibited, remain a popular but controversial solution.Matt Ogburn, Keira Heggie and the Fisheries Conservation Lab developed an efcient, low-cost way to measure oyster reef health: by lowering GoPro cameras into the water. A few minutes of footage allows them to quickly determine the status of restorations, sanctuaries and harvest areas. They’ve also recruited local riverkeepers and volunteers to help, in a project called “Oyster Cam.” Together, they’ve discovered that active restoration in oyster sanctuaries increases the health of oyster reefs and attracts more sh and otherwildlife.Children in Mesoamerica are1/2as likely to suffer stunted growth if they live near a marine protectedarea.Looking forwardThe new Mid-Atlantic MBON project is helping create more informed sheries strategies, by assembling data from along the coastal zone —environmental DNA, animal tracking, soundscapes and remote sensing — and making it accessible to everyone. Nationwide, a new collaborative initiative on America’s Living Ocean launched in 2025, co-led by SERC’s MarineGEO team. The initiative works with com- munities, indigenous groups, nonprots, governments, scientists and shers to implement a national-scale strategy to sustain a healthy living ocean.

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Combating pollutionRunoff from sewers and farms. Mercury from power plants. Plastic in the ocean. At SERC scientists study pollution right at its source, to understand where it comes from and how to stop its spread.Looking forwardWorking with the Anacostia Riverkeeper, SERC ecologists are searching for the sources of bacteria across the Anacostia watershed and testing whether on-site sensors can accurately measure water safety.In 1984, SERC ecologists made a groundbreaking discovery: Streamside forests absorb nutrient pollution from cities and farms, keeping it out of streams — and out of Chesapeake Bay, where it creates harmful algal blooms and low-oxygen zones. Since then, emeritus scientists Don Weller and Tom Jordan have uncovered more links between land use and water quality in the Bay, leading to rigorous nutrient pollution standards for the Bay’s 64,000-square mile watershed. Meanwhile Rebecca Hale, head of the Watershed Science Lab, works to combat stream pollution. Thanks to the Technology in Ecology Lab, she has a suite of automated sensors that can measure water quality every 15 minutes. She also works with cities across the U.S. studying urban streamlife. Emeritus scientist Cindy Gilmour spent her career investigating mercury. Her lab tracked how power plant regulations created cleaner air and water, and what conditions generate the toxic methylmercury contaminating seafood.Resisting invasive speciesThe Smithsonian has been at the forefront of tracking invasive species — and curbing their spread — for three decades. Since the 1990s, SERC research has helped revolutionize how the global shipping industry stops invaders before they arrive. Looking forwardIn 2024, the Marine Invasions Lab welcomed new managing director Amy Freestone, who now co-leads the lab with Greg Ruiz. That year also saw the launch of a new pan-Americas network led by SERC. Called “COMBINA” (Coastal Ocean Marine Biosecurity International Network of the Americas), it will advance and coordinate marine biosecurity across 14 nations in North, Central and South America.When Congress passed the 1996 National Invasive Species Act, they called on SERC and the U.S. Coast Guard to track one of the most common ways invaders spread — in the ballast water massive ships carry for stability. That act created the National Ballast Information Clearinghouse, co-led by Whitman Miller, where every commercial ship entering the U.S. reports how they treat their ballast water for potential invaders.The past decade has witnessed astounding progress. Today, 97% of overseas vessels and 80% of coast- voyaging ships treat their ballast water. Most use on-board treatment like ultraviolet light or electrolysis rather than exchanging ballast water at sea. SERC scientists have made gains on other fronts as well. In San Francisco, scientists with the Living Seawall Pilot Project tested ways to make the city’s seawall more friendly to native life. On land, ecologists are cracking the code on how the invasive reed Phragmites australis spread so quickly across the mid-Atlantic. They’ve found some pockets where eradication ispossible.But new discoveries have upended old ideas. In 2017, GregRuiz and the Marine Invasions Lab helped detect If all cropland in the Chesapeake watershed had streamside buffers, that could keep54%of the nitrogen pollution they generate out of the Bay.To prevent the spread of invasive species97%of overseas vessels treat the ballast water in their hulls for potential invaders. In the ocean, SERC scientists are tackling plastic pollution. They’ve partnered with volunteers and colleagues worldwide to identify regions where oceanic plastic arrives, potentially bringing non-native species to local coasts. MarineGEO’s Martin Thiel founded “Cientícos de la Basura” (“Litter Scientists”) in Chile, where volunteers sample beach litter in 11 Latin American countries. Thiel brought SERC into the project in 2022. With their international collaborators, SERC biologists trace the journeys plastic pollution makes, to generate the knowledge to combat its spread.nearly 300 species that crossed the Pacic on plastic— an unprecedented voyage from Japan to Hawai’i and the U.S. West Coast. The Galápagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have over 50 non-native marine species: 10 times more than scientists thought. And microscopic invaders, including parasites and disease-causing organisms, have own under the radar. SERC’s invasion scientists continue scanning the horizon, to detect and limit biosecurity threats.Rebecca Hale, head of the Watershed Science Lab KRISTEN GOODHUEMonaca Noble, research technician, sampling ballast water

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17Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary reportPartnering with schools True science is about asking questions and making discoveries. SERC educators are committed to bringing students and their teachers into that journey.Looking forwardFirst begun in Maryland and the District of Columbia, Classroom Cultivation has expanded to schools in Alaska, Delaware and Minnesota. As each region discovers ways to help conserve its own native orchids, new opportunities emerge. In the near future, SERC hopes to open this framework to more informal education institutions, like museums, aquaria and parks. SERC inspires thousands of students a year through on-campus eld trips led by staff and volunteers. Their education specialists also equip teachers with hands-on research activities they can bring to their classrooms.Nowhere is this clearer than in the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program. First invited to SERC in summer 2022, RET teachers do science in the eld or lab alongside SERC researchers. They also receive professional development sessions from Karen McDonald, Haley Jackson, Alison Cawood, and Anna Davis. At the end of the summer, the teachers design activities tailored for their students. The experience sticks: Many RET teachers continue including new research practices in their classrooms years later.Students take part in SERC research as well. Shatiyana Dunn leads Classroom Cultivation, a participatory science project where students become orchid conservation scientists. Each classroom cares for 32 orchids under different soil conditions. Their data give SERC scientists vital clues for helping endangered and threatened orchids thrive in the wild. The project — and its predeces-sor, Orchids in the Classroom— has reached over 2,400 students in ve states and the District ofColumbia.“Teaching science is about helping others discover nature and their science identity. It’s not about memorization or sitting inside four walls. We go to seek nature where it is and nd ourselves.” Karen McDonaldSERC education director2400+students have collected data in their classrooms that can help conserve orchids in the wild. Top row, left: Teachers Elijah Moore, Candace Taylor and Jennifer Collins on a seining survey as part of the Research Experiences for Teachers program. Top row, right: Portable bog for orchids to grow at the end of the Classroom Cultivation experiment. PHOTO:SHATIYANADUNN Second row, left: ShatiyanaDunn, coordinator of the Classroom Cultivation project. PHOTO:HAMPTONBRIDWELLSecond row, right: Students from GwynnPark Middle School in Maryland prepare their orchid experiment. PHOTO:DELONTA DAVIS Third row: Hooded ladies’ tresses Spiranthes romanzofana, one of the orchids Alaska students are growing for Classroom Cultivation. PHOTO:SCOTTYARGER

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18 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary report 19Partnering with communities Environmental science works best when it makes people’s lives better. To be truly relevant, SERC science needs input from community leaders.Looking forwardThe Breathe Baltimore team aims to have all 15 air quality sensors set up by the end of 2025. SERC’s public engagement team continues to build relationships with local communities. Through open conservations, they’re uncovering new areas where SERC science can support communities and help meet their needs.SERC’s education team sent over8K+Science To Go kits to schools and libraries during the pandemic. When COVID-19 struck, SERC worked with libraries to bring science into people’s homes. SERC staff created thousands of “Science To Go” kits, which libraries gave families for free. Each kit contained materials for a simple science activity, which families could do during a virtual meeting with a SERC scientist. The program continued for two years.Some of SERC’s newest partnerships are in Baltimore. In 2023, Rylee Wernoch began the Science and Faith Initiative. After connecting with religious leaders across the city, two major issues emerged where SERC science could help: studying how environmental restoration on faith-based properties could benet the city, and offering educational opportunities for youth. Since the program began, 50 Baltimore high schoolers have completed paid weekend internships with SERC and Temple X. They collected microclimate and biodiversity data at church green spaces, learned to nd stories within data and explored environmental issues in theircity.Nearby, Breathe Baltimore seeks to address air pollution, especially in South Baltimore. A community-inspired project, the idea emerged when the non-prot EJJI learned residents wanted access to better air quality data. SERC is setting up 15 real-time air quality sensors designed by the Technology in Ecology Lab. Conversations with community members help determine locations for the sensors. Nine sensors are already in place. These data help pinpoint which communities are most in danger — a small step toward rectifying a history of inequity.Top row, left: High school interns collect samples in test tubes as part of the Science and Faith Initiative. Top row, right: High school interns with the Science and Faith Initiative measure “wet bulb globe temperature” at Liberty Grace Church of God inBaltimore. Second row, left: Air quality sensor in West Covington, part of the Breathe Baltimore project. PHOTO:ANNAHEDINGERSecond row, right: The Breathe Baltimore team beside one of 15air quality sensors installed for the project. PHOTO:ANNAHEDINGER Third row: Ulysses Archie, Jr., shows a high school intern an egg at his urban farm in Baltimore. PHOTO:ALISON CAWOOD

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20Engaging volunteers in science Science belongs to everyone — and everyone can play a part in how it’s done. Volunteers and students help make discoveries on scales scientists couldn’t achieve alone.Looking forwardSERC’s participatory science continues to expand its community focus. Urban heat islands cause problems for many city residents. Having already begun exploring urban heat and green spaces with faith-based partners, they’re now looking to include data from parks andhomes. At SERC, volunteers have worked alongside researchers for decades. But there was no organized support system for them until 2014, when Alison Cawood joined. Cawood created SERC’s rst Citizen Science Program, now called the Participatory Science Program. The last decade has seen an explosion of volunteer science at SERC.Hundreds of volunteers join SERC for in-person research annually. Thousands have participated online, in SERC’s virtual project Invader ID. They band owls, count plants and search for parasites. Some even use smart phones to track water quality, as part of the Chesapeake Water Watch project run by Pat Neale and Rachel Terracina.“So much of SERC science and research would not be possible without your help, and your perspective, experience, and input make everything that SERC does better. The questions we ask, the data we collect, and the stories we tell are all made better when you all are a part of it. ”Rachael MadyParticipatory science coordinatorEnvironmental Archaeology LabMeet the only lab at SERC made of 100% volunteers! SERC’s archaeology team has grown from two to over 160 volunteers exploring Maryland history. Recent projects include the lost shell button industry in Delmarva, a 19th-century blacksmith shop, and excava- ting historic sites on the SERC campus. Lab members share their ndings in peer-reviewed journals and professionalconferences.Bird is the wordSERC has three participatory science projects devoted to birds. Project Owlnet, run every fall by Melissa Acuti, bands saw-whet owls at night. Each spring, volunteer AnnJohnson tracks nests and bird boxes on SERC’s Bluebird Trail. SERC’s newest bird project, led by BrianEvans of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, began recruiting volunteers in fall 2024 to bandsongbirds. Chesapeake Water WatchCould scientists track Chesapeake Bay water quality from space? Chesapeake Water Watch, launched by SERC photobiologist Pat Neale, wants to make it so! By collecting water samples or making measurements with smart phones, volunteers led by Rachel Terracina “train” satellites to get more accurate readings. To date they’ve submitted over 3,500 data points.Parasite patrolsThe Chesapeake Bay Parasite Project— a.k.a. “zombie mud crab project”—is entering its 12th year. Led by MonacaNoble, volunteers inspect tiny mud crabs for an invasive parasite that forces crabs to produce and nurture parasite offspring. Meanwhile, Rhode River Parasite Survey volunteers hunt for parasites in grass shrimp with SERC’s Coastal Disease Ecology Lab.Invader IDSERC’s rst virtual participatory science project, Invader ID, engaged over 8,000 volunteers during its 4-year run. Participants submitted over 29,000 identications of marine life on underwater panels, using photos from SERC’s Marine Invasions Lab.Sometimes volunteers bring new expertise. SERC has no staff insect biologist. But in 2018, retired entomology duo Charles and Sue Staines began beetle surveys in SERC forests. They found SERC’s 1,000th beetle species in 2024.SERC also has one all-volunteer lab: the Environmental Archaeology Lab. Led by archaeologist Jim Gibb, lab members explore sites at SERC and throughout southern Maryland. The Woodlawn History Center, a 1735 house at SERC that is open to visitors, contains over 200 artifacts discovered and curated by the lab’s volunteers. Now run by Rachael Mady, SERC’s Participatory Science Program continues to ourish. The last four years have seen a new focus: working with communities, riverkeepers and faith-based organizations, to ensure SERC science meets people’s needs where they are.MELISSA BOYLE ACUTIVICTORIA ROSENCRANZBRIANNA TRACY

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Welcoming visitors Every year, thousands of visitors explore SERC’s campus on Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, Maryland. Looking forwardSERC’s newly christened Fox Creek Nature Trail (formerly the Java History Trail) will soon host a series of new trail signs, highlighting the wildlife and habitats along the path. SERC also began opening the campus to visitors on Sundays and most federal holidays in fall 2024. Thanks to the dedication of SERC’s security team, 2025 will be the rst full year SERC is open to visitors seven days a week. Most are already avid nature lovers. But some are tentative, or even fearful, about getting up close with the natural world. SERC staff and volunteers are dedicated to helping everyone feel at home in the outdoors, wherever they are on their journey with nature.STEM program coordinators Karen McDonald and HaleyJackson host hundreds of school eld trips every year. They’re joined by a team of roughly 40 volunteers. The volunteers run stations for each group: sorting through oyster baskets, hiking through wetlands, peering through microscopes or catching sh in the Rhode River (and carefully returning them afterward). Many visiting students don’t have access to green spaces. These trips can often be their rst time walking through a forest, touching a sh or standing on a dock. SERC runs a wide array of additional programs for visitors, from archaeology dig days at the Java Mansion Ruins to teen and family programs at the Reed Education Center. Since the pandemic, SERC’s science webinars have Since reopening after the pandemic, SERC’s annual visitors have grown 27%from scal years 2021 to 2024.Launching careersInterns have walked SERC’s grounds for 55 years. Looking forwardSERC is preparing to welcome approximately 50 interns in 2025, under the guidance of new internship and fellowship coordinator Heather Richardson. In addition to traditional full-time internships, SERC’s Science & Faith Initiative has also begun working with high school interns in Baltimore, providing paid opportunities onSaturdays.The rst interns arrived in 1970, just ve years after the organization was born and transformed from an abandoned dairy farm into a research center. They slept in a dormitory that in a previous life was a hayloft.In 1970, internships were a bonus. Today, they are all but essential for nding work after graduation. But many students cannot afford the luxury of unpaid internships. Since the 1970s, SERC has maintained a commitment to paying interns, ensuring equal access to these life-changing opportunities.Over the last decade, SERC provided nearly 550 paid internships to students and recent graduates. The majority are Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) internships, funded by the National ScienceFoundation. Even during the pandemic, SERC remained committed to providing these opportunities. Nearly all internships in 2020 — and many in 2021 — were remote. Interns performed backyard experiments, crunched data on their laptops and designed curricula for school eld trips that would one day return.“Early-career opportunities at SERC are so valuable for people to explore their interests, connect with the environment and grow their professional condence.”Heather RichardsonSERC internship and fellowshipcoordinator attracted thousands of viewers. And in 2022 SERC opened the Woodlawn History Center, turning a historic 1735 house into a place to share stories of enslaved and free people who once lived here. Visitors to SERC come from all over the world. International scientists and students come to collect data from SERC’s long-term and large-scale experiments. Policymakers, natural resource managers and business leaders hold workshops to brainstorm solutions to the latest environmental issues. The SERC campus is committed to providing an open space not only for research, but for collaboration and problem solving. SERC also provided 68 paid fellowships in the last decade. Master’s students, Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows all received funding to pursue their projects. Interns and fellows alike have published their ndings in peer-reviewed journals. These opportunities do more than open doors for individuals. By training new scientists, they move society closer to a healthier, more resilient future.Intern Amanda Martinez, SERC Fisheries Conservation LabCOSETTE LARASH

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25Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary report24Looking backIn 2022, SERC restored the historic 1735 Woodlawn House — the oldest building in the Smithsonian still in its original spot. Renamed the Woodlawn History Center, the house contains a walk-through exhibit on the rst oor with over 200 artifacts unearthed and curated by SERC’s volunteer archaeology lab.Reimagining a climate-friendly campusRoughly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from buildings. Since 2014, SERC has led the Smithsonian in cleaner, energy-efcient construction that puts renewables at the center.Looking forwardA new Collaboration Commons will enable SERC to host large seminars and intimate workshops, with rooms for 20 to 175 people. Like the Visitor Cottages, it will create more energy than it consumes. And it will join the Dating back to 1735the Woodlawn History Center is the oldest building in the Smithsonian still in its originalspot.The Charles McC. Mathias LaboratoryCompleted in 2014, the Mathias Lab was the rst building in the Smithsonian to achieve LEED-Platinum status—the highest rating for green building at the time. The lab relies heavily on renewables, with solar panels on its roof and above the parking lot. A eld of 250 geothermal wells helps power the lab’s HVAC system. Energy efciency also receives a boost from its open passive solar design, automated lighting controls and strong insulation.Outside the lab, a 4.5-acre wetland captures stormwater runoff and provides wildlife habitat through a series of terraced pools.Visitor Cottages: Beyond net zeroNet-zero energy buildings make up for the energy they use, by generating equal amounts of clean energy. SERC’s six LEED-Platinum Visitor Cottages go further. They produce 100% more energy than they consume and send the surplus back into the grid.Each cottage can host up to ve people, enabling visiting scientists and educators to attend multiday conferences or workshops.Living Building Challenge, a sustainable certication for buildings that benet both the environment and theircommunities. SAM BENSONSTEPHEN VOSSSTEPHEN VOSSAYERS SAINT GROSS

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26 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary report 27Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary report20%49%18%13%Paul FofonoffOcean Scientist (1952–2024)Over 500 aquatic species have entered the U.S. from abroad — and Paul Fofonoff could name almost all of them. He could also name nearly every tree, animal or ower on one of his hikes or paddling trips. During his three decades at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), he earned a reputation as a walking encyclopedia for wildlife.Fofonoff joined SERC’s edgling Marine Invasions Lab in1994.“Paul’s rare talents and immense passion for natural history were immediately evident to everyone at SERC and beyond,” said Greg Ruiz, the lab’s director who hiredFofonoff. One year later, Fofonoff began a master project that would last the rest of his career: NEMESIS, an online database Investing in discoveryHow we power science for a betterfutureEvery dollar fuels groundbreaking research, education and solutions for our planet’s most pressingchallenges.From competitive grants to the critical exibility of philanthropic support and endowment income, this diverse funding ensures resilience, innovation and impact. Your support strengthens the foundation that allows SERC scientists to explore, discover and deliver real-world environmental solutions— today and for generations to come.Bob GallagherExecutive Ofcer (1954–2020)Half the buildings at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center would not exist without the efforts of BobGallagher. Nor would its most popular volunteer program. For 16 years, Gallagher served as the center’s executive ofcer and transformed the campus.Gallagher joined SERC in 2004, one year before director Tuck Hines would take the helm. One of his rst projects — creating a new Facilities Master Plan— included a new laboratory, six Visitor Cottages, a Collaboration Commons and an Environmental Leadership Center. He lived to see one of those buildings completed: The Charles McC. Mathias Laboratory, the Smithsonian’s rst building to achieve LEED-Platinum for green construction. Six Visitor Cottages, also LEED-Platinum, were nished in 2023 after his death.He also secured funds for SERC’s rst citizen science coordinator. Now called the Participatory Science Program, the program draws hundreds of volunteers every year to join active research projects.In memoriamThe Smithsonian Environmental Research Center lost two long-time staff members in the last decade. Both died while still employed at the Smithsonian and at the peak of their careers. Many of our accomplishments would not have been possible without their efforts, and we honor them as part of our 60th anniversary.Paul Fofonoff leads visitors on a nature hike through a SERCforest.Bob Gallagher at the SERC holiday party in 2018. for hundreds of nonnative marine species in the U.S. Fofonoff researched, fact-checked and updated prole pages detailing how a species arrived, its spread and any negative impacts. The database even included dozens of unsuccessful invasions.“Failed species can tell you about vectors, factors affecting establishment, etc.,” Fofonoff wrote of the project in 2023. “And when a species is eradicated… that’s a big story.” Outside the Smithsonian, Fofonoff led a second life as an outdoors guide. For decades he led hikes, backpacking treks and paddling trips with the Appalachian Mountain Club — including an annual hiking tour of SERC. He is survived by three siblings (Stephanie, Timothy and Nicholas David Fofonoff), a niece Rebecca and nephewAlexander.“He was the advocate behind-the-scenes, to engage key people in central Smithsonian to support our ambitions to transform our facilities and programs,” Hines said. “The Mathias Lab is a miracle of his commitment. And most importantly, Bob was a good friend with a sensitive respect for SERC’s community values.”Gallagher passed away from cancer in 2020 while still SERC’s executive ofcer. He had guided the center through three presidential administrations, two government shutdowns and the rst months of a global pandemic. He is survived by his former wife Tatiana Gallagher, children Larisa and Chris Gallagher and siblings David Gallagher, Anne Murphy and EileenWitkowski.TAMI HUBERFederal dollarsGrantsPhilanthropyEndowments

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28 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 60th anniversary reportAdvisory BoardMajor General Phillip M. Churn, Sr.Retired, U.S. Army Woodbridge, VirginiaHoward K. CohenIndependent Real Estate Consultant Estero, FloridaJon CoileFormer President and Chief Executive Ofcer, Champion Realty, Inc. Shady Side, MarylandDavid DeVosChief Sustainability Ofcer, PGIM Real Estate Lincolnshire, IllinoisKay Dryden, Esq.CEO and President, Energy Dispute Solutions LLC (EDS) San Francisco, CaliforniaDiane Ebert-May, Ph.D.University Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University San Diego, CaliforniaBrendan HerronStrategic and Financial Advisor Bethesda, MarylandCaptain Kevin W. KrickSenior Director of Safety, Quality, Environment and Security (SQES), Matson, Inc. Novato, CaliforniaMidgett S. Parker, Jr., Esq., Past Chair Attorney and Founder/CEO, Law Ofce of Midgett S. Parker, P.A. Annapolis, Maryland Harold R. Denton, ChairFormer President and CEO, General Land Abstract Co., Inc. West River, MarylandBradford Nordholm, Vice ChairPresident & Chief Executive Ofcer, Farmer Mac Edgewater, MarylandKathleen AbbottGlobal Executive Director, Clients and Business Development, Arcadis’ Places Global Business Area San Rafael, CaliforniaRosamaria AcuñaReal Estate Professional, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CaliforniaProperties San Diego, CaliforniaSusan Battley, PsyD, PhDFounder and Principal, Battley Performance Consulting New York, New YorkWilliam H. Bohnett, Immediate PastChair President, Whitecap Investments LLC Hobe Sound, FloridaHampton BridwellCEO and Managing Partner, TenetPartners New York, New YorkAnne MacMillan PedreroDirector, Waycrosse, Inc. Teton Village, Wyoming, and SanFrancisco, CaliforniaNicholas Penniman IV, Past ChairRetired Senior Vice President of Newspaper Operations, PulitzerPublishing, and former Publisher, St.Louis Post-Dispatch Naples, Florida, and Baltimore, MarylandCyrena SimonsRetired Facilities Planner, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Galesville, Maryland, and Portola Valley, CaliforniaNancy Merrill SullivanPresident, Merrill Family Foundation, and Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Historic London Town & Gardens Annapolis, MarylandJames ToomeyCreator of the comic strip “Sherman’sLagoon” Annapolis, MarylandLisa VolgenauExecutive Director, Vice President and Founding Board Member, The Volgenau Foundation (TVF) Ashburn, VirginiaAdvancing solutions for people and theplanetFor 60 years, SERC has delivered science that drives real-world impact — protecting ecosystems, informing policy and empowering communities. Your support fuels discovery, education and action. Together, we can build a healthier, more resilient future for all.Get involved. serc.si.edu (443)482-2200

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