JUNE 5, 2015--On May 14, 2015, NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office hosted a Congressional Staff Roundtable at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) in Gloucester Point, Virginia.

OR&R’s Emergency Response Division was represented by Frank Csulak, Scientific Support Coordinator. This was the second NOAA Congressional Roundtable and focused on “Supporting Resilient Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in Virginia.” The first NOAA Congressional Roundtable focused on Virginia’s Maritime Commerce. Congressional staff members from the Offices of Senators Steve Warner and Tim Kaine and House of Representatives Rob Wittman and Bobby Scott attended the event. Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office facilitated the day-long event.

The Congressional staff members learned about NOAA’s leading and innovative involvement with numerous and diverse habitat protection and restoration activities and fisheries management taking place throughout the State of Virginia, especially in Chesapeake Bay. Frank Csulak teamed up with Captain Rick Wester, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads and discussed “Managing the Risk of Oil and Chemical Pollution in Virginia’s Coastal Areas.” The event included a site visit to view the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Spat-on-Shell Oyster Restoration Facility located on the VIMS campus.

For further information, please contact Frank.Csulak@noaa.gov.

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