Shorelines

Previously millions strong, the river herring have nearly gone belly-up. But not all hope is lost.

by Wes Melker

As he watched the British bombarding Fort McHenry from a truce ship on the Patapsco River, inspiration struck Francis Scott Key. When the American flag was raised after 24 hours of explosive assault, Key wrote what would become “The Star Spangled Banner.” Our national anthem was born, along with our country’s obsession with fireworks.

But long before there were red rockets glaring in the sky, the Patapsco River had an equally impressive natural spectacle of its own. Every spring, it would turn silver with millions of river herring. The annual migration of these fish was a sight to behold in rivers up and down the East Coast of North America. In fact, here at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Maryland, Muddy Creek used to be called Herring Creek.

Emphasis on “used to.” In less than a century, river herring populations have dwindled by well over 90 percent. These fish have certainly seen better days, but recovery efforts are well underway. Scientists are fighting an upstream battle to protect what remains, using cutting-edge research and… bombs bursting in air?

by Kiran Das-Goel

Leaves were changing, the sky was bright and nearly cloudless, and Yerang Yang was looking out into a glimpse of the future. Scientists had controlled the wetlands surrounding her for more than 40 years. In some plots, infrared lamps and underground wires heated the soil. In others, experimental chambers received extra carbon dioxide to simulate a ore carbon-rich atmosphere. Here, on the Global Change Research Wetland, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) was studying climate-driven changes across an entire ecosystem.

She had never seen climate experiments of such scale before.

“It left an impression on me,” said Yang. “I made myself a promise that someday I would build a site like that in Korea.” 

Building Blocks

Enter: FreViEW (or “Forest Response to Variability in Ecosystem Warming,” if you’ve got the time).   

FreViEW, a collaboration between the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and SERC, is a large-scale, long-term forest warming experiment taking place in Seoul, Korea. Unlike previous climate experiments, it uses “pulse heating,” where plots of forest experience a more accurate version of climate change, complete with temperature spikes.  

“In the future, there’s going to be more variability in temperature, which doesn’t give plants and microbes time to adapt,” said Jaehyun Lee, senior researcher at KIST and former postdoctoral fellow at SERC. Lee notes that when temperatures get too hot, plants stop performing photosynthesis. This could mean summer months where forests no longer take up carbon.

From bourbon barrels to sea battles, white oaks are among the most significant trees in American history – and they need our help.

by Wes Melker

One could say that the white oak is “as American as apple pie.” The problem is that apples aren’t exclusive to the United States, and pies were first baked by ancient Egyptians. To make the expression accurate, you’d need a food so patriotic that it could not be produced anywhere else in the world. As luck would have it, bourbon fits the bill, and we have the white oak to thank for it. 

In 1963, Congress legally designated bourbon as a distinctive product of the United States. They laid out a unique set of production standards to ensure this would never change. The most important of these rules is that the spirit must be stored in fresh white oak barrels, which are charred before use. The burnt wood provides the spirit’s unique flavor and qualifies it as true bourbon. Without white oak, it’s just whiskey. 

The United States wouldn’t be the same without white oaks either. Americans have put their trust (and sometimes their lives) in the hands of this tree for 250 years and counting. It’s a mainstay in our nation’s history in ways that you might not expect. In fact, one of the Smithsonian’s research organizations, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland, may have never come into existence without it. Simply put, the white oak’s laurels are long overdue. 

by Kiran Das-Goel

They come in a hundred different forms, as creatures from all over the world take up residence in the marine ecosystems of the United States. Some are brought by ships, others by storms. For millions of years, temperature served as a natural barrier for species. But the current warming world encourages the spread of marine invaders.

Scientists like those at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s (SERC) Marine Invasions Research Lab are working hard to defend the coasts, by detecting and preventing new introductions. Here are eight of the most-wanted species on their radar today. 

Since it would take up too much space to include every high-profile marine invader, let us know in the comments if you have a favorite (or least favorite) aquatic invasive species!  

by Wes Melker

Imani Black is the founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people in underrepresented communities establish themselves in the seafood industry. Her passion for aquaculture is rooted in coastal Maryland, where her family has worked on the water for over 200 years. Her June 16 webinar at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, “Seafood 101,” aims to clear up misconceptions about the aquaculture industry and teach consumers to make informed seafood purchases. In anticipation of her talk, we sat down with Black for a Q&A on her nonprofit, sustainability and the future of the seafood industry. Edited for brevity and clarity.  

How did growing up on the coast of Maryland fuel your interest in aquaculture? 

Growing up in a coastal community, I think it really just gets ingrained into your DNA. Some of us get bit by the bug and want to stick with it, and I’m a product of that.  

by Kiran Das-Goel

In the warming oceans of the Caribbean Sea, restorationists plant 10,000 fast-growing corals by cementing them to the limestone seafloor. The goal is simple: Rebuild the reef quickly and efficiently. The coral takes off, and a year after the project, the planters report that it’s a success. Yet several years later, the new reef is gone.

Scenarios like the one above are not uncommon for conservationists working to save corals. Almost one third of all coral restorations fail eventually, either by failing to attract reef-dwelling species or collapsing entirely due to high mortality rates.

“What restoration actually means is to bring an ecosystem back to what it was,” said biologist Leah Harper, a researcher with the Marine Global Earth Observatory network at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

Harper recently co-authored a new paper on coral restorations. The article, published in PLOS One, suggests a new approach: Treat restorations like science experiments.

by Molly Murphey

Allie Blanchette joined the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in November 2025, after completing her Ph.D. in biology with a focus on coral reef ecology at Florida State University. Now, as a postdoc in SERC’s Fisheries Conservation Lab, she is heading a project to study recreational fisheries in the Chesapeake, like bluefish and sheepshead. In this Q&A, Blanchette shares stories about what sparked her interest in marine ecology and how that led to her research in shallow marine ecosystems throughout the world. Edited for brevity and clarity.

What first sparked your interest in marine ecology?  

I was always interested in environmental science, and I think marine biology is one of those things that everyone loves. I tried out an internship in college with the South African Shark Conservancy, and it was a done deal after that…The shark internship started it, and ever since then I’ve been hooked. 

by Kiran Das-Goel

_{A hooded warbler lands on a branch in BiodiversiTREE (Credit: Eriberto Osorio)}

Alongside Chesapeake Bay, a young forest is growing. 

BiodiversiTREE isn’t like other reforestation attempts. Instead of planting a single species, the project includes 16 different species and roughly 17,000 trees. Many of these multi-layered canopies increase shade and enhance cooling effects—great news for birds, which may use cooler plots as a refuge from warmer temperatures, according to a new study. 

“You experience this yourself,” said Justin Nowakowski, senior scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). “On a hot day, you’d rather spend more of your time under the shade of a tree than baking in the sun. The same goes for many species.”