The Virginia Coast Reserve Long-term Ecological Research Project focuses on understanding the relationships between physical, biological and anthropogenic forces on the dynamic ecology of a coastal barrier island, lagoon and mainland system. The Virginia coast is an extremely dynamic, frequently disturbed landscape with elements that differ in degrees normally associated with biome-level differences, e.g. grasslands, forests, marshes, mudflats, and lagoons. The system is frequently disturbed by storms. Astronomical tides, wind and storms cause sea level variations that impact 70% of the landscape of the VCR. Over the last century sea level rose 35 cm, the highest rise along the Atlantic Coast. 60 to 90% of the upland land surfaces of the VCR barrier islands is new land since 1870. This land creation has left century-long and longer chronosequences of landscapes and ecosystems that we use as natural experiments. Primary study sites are located on Hog Island, Parramore Island, and mainland marshes near Nassawadox VA. The VCR/LTER maintains a laboratory facility in Oyster, VA at: 20496 Seaside Road, Route 600, Oyster,VA 23419 or PO Box LTER, Oyster, VA 23419 (US Mail).

The VCR/LTER is administered through the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. Researchers from many other institutions participate in research. These include Bucknell University, East Carolina University, Old Dominion University, Utah State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Nature Conservancy. The VCR/LTER is supported by National Science Foundation grants BSR-8702333-06, DEB-9211772 and DEB-9411974 and is part of the U.S. Long-term Ecological Research Network.

For further information, please contact John Porter at 434-924-8999.

VCR/LTER
Department of Environmental Sciences
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Tel: 434-924-8999
Email: jhp7e@virginia.edu