Virginia Sea Grant:
Reddish streaks of color in the York River in August 2015 were a sign of a bloom of the harmful algal species Alexandrium monilatum. ©Janet Krenn/VASG
Virginia Sea Grant:
Sarah Pease (left) and her advisor Kimberly Reece, VIMS, (right) take temperature and oxygen measurements at a sampling site. ©Janet Krenn/VASG
Virginia Sea Grant:
A close look at the water reveals reddish specks of algae, some linked together in chains. ©Janet Krenn/VASG
Virginia Sea Grant:
Sarah Pease (center) opens up an oyster cage deployed in the York River in a location known for having algal blooms. (also pictured: Kimberly Reece and Wolf Volgelbein, VIMS) ©Janet Krenn/VASG
Virginia Sea Grant:
Onboard the boat, Sarah Pease sorts through the oysters to look for dead ones and take a subsample back to the lab to see whether there’s evidence that the algal bloom is harming the oyster. ©Janet Krenn/VASG
Virginia Sea Grant:
In the lab, Sarah Pease carefully shucks oysters to avoid damaging the animal inside. ©Janet Krenn/VASG
Virginia Sea Grant:
This oyster sample is called a “steak” and is cut this way to include different organ tissues, including gut and gill. The researchers will shave off thin sections that can be placed on a microscope to look for tissue damage due to the algal bloom. :copyr