Cambridge, Md. (July 30, 2009) – A team of 80 researchers from more than 20 organizations has teamed up to author Shifting Sands: Environmental and Cultural Change in Maryland's Coastal Bays, a comprehensive look at the coastal lagoons and barrier islands making up Maryland's Atlantic coastline.
Published by IAN Press, Shifting Sands leads the reader through the history, setting, context and ecology of these waterways, their islands and mainland watershed.
"By integrating cutting-edge science, peer-reviewed analysis and clear graphic illustrations, Shifting Sands synthesizes decades of work to better understand Maryland's Coastal Bays ecosystem," said lead author Bill Dennison from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "Through their unique approach of weaving together the region's scientific exploration and history, the authors tell give a holistic view of the Coastal Bays."
The 396-page book is divided into 15 chapters detailing introductions to the six subwatersheds (Assawoman Bay, Isle of Wight Bay, St. Martin River, Sinepuxent Bay, Newport Bay, and Chincoteague Bay), as well as management activities, history, setting, context and ecology of these fragile lagoons.
Shifting Sands can be ordered online by visiting www.ian.umces.edu/press
The production of Shifting Sands was supported by the UMCES Integration and Application Network, Maryland Coastal Bays Program and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland's premier environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through its three laboratories – Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, and Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge – and the Maryland Sea Grant College in College Park.