Photo: Potomac River, Larry Meade

When: Thursday, April 18, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Member ticket: $15
Non-member ticket: $25

Aquatic ecosystems in the northern Virginia area are subject to a variety of stresses, most related in some way to urban/suburban land use. Professor Jones will present an overview of the major aquatic ecosystems in northern Virginia: the tidal Potomac River, lakes (large and small), and streams (larger and small) and their current status and prospects for improvement.

Dr. R. Christian “Chris” Jones is Founder and Director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) located on the tidal Occoquan River in Woodbridge, VA. PEREC is home to eight faculty researchers from George Mason University’s College of Science and three from its College of Engineering and Computing. Dr. Jones has been a Potomac researcher since 1980 and founded the long-term Ecological Study of Gunston Cove, which has been conducted annually since 1984, making it one of the longest continuous aquatic ecosystem studies in the world. He has published in major journals such as Estuaries and Coasts, Journal of Phycology, Ecology, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Hydrobiologia, and Inland Waters. He has mentored over 20 Ph.D. students and over 40 Masters students and been awarded the Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations and the Earl C. Williams Presidential Medal for Excellence in Social Impact at GMU.