[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13435-13436]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 239--COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
 VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE OF THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY

  Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Warner) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 239

       Whereas the Virginia General Assembly, with Professor 
     Donald W. Davis of the College of William & Mary, envisioned 
     a center for marine research and education in the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia;
       Whereas the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (referred 
     to in this preamble as ``VIMS''), originally known as the 
     Virginia Fisheries Laboratory, began operation in 1940;
       Whereas the early work of VIMS assured the future of the 
     fishery industry in Virginia by improving the general 
     knowledge of the resources of fisheries so that they might be 
     properly conserved and managed, and by meeting the need for 
     training in practical marine biology;
       Whereas VIMS is now the home of the School of Marine 
     Sciences of the College of William & Mary, a university 
     research and teaching center with a strong element of public 
     service, and is the leading marine center that focuses on 
     estuarine and coastal environments in the nation; and
       Whereas VIMS continues to serve the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia and the United States by advancing the frontiers of 
     marine science and sharing the knowledge gained through 
     research with the users and stewards of the environment and 
     future scientists: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the College of William & Mary and the 
     Virginia Institute of Marine Science on the 75th anniversary 
     of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; and
       (2) expresses appreciation for the 75 years of service to 
     the environment by the faculty, staff, and students of the 
     Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the School of Marine 
     Sciences of the College of William & Mary.

  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, Virginia has a proud tradition of academic 
excellence dating back to Thomas Jefferson and a deep appreciation for 
our beautiful and bountiful coastal waters that predates that. For 75 
years, one Virginia academic institution has built a sterling 
reputation as a national leader in environmental education and a 
trusted source of information and analysis for generations of 
policymakers. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College 
of William & Mary is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2015. I am 
proud to join my bipartisan colleagues Senator Mark Warner and 
Congressman Rob Wittman in submitting a resolution to commemorate this 
milestone.
  VIMS research has yielded critical insights into the water quality of 
the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers, informing the work of Virginia and 
other Chesapeake Bay States in striving to reduce pollution while 
growing outdoor recreation and the economic activity that goes with it. 
It has produced data and analysis that has contributed to the 
development of strategies to maintain robust oyster and crab 
populations, particularly through cooperative partnership with 
Virginia's commercial watermen. It has also developed technology and 
expertise that allows more precise projections than ever before of 
rates of sea level rise and recurrent flooding in the Hampton Roads 
region.
  Elected officials of both parties and at all levels of government in 
Virginia have benefitted from the expertise and objectivity that this 
institution brings to environmental policy. I was fortunate to have 
access to this valuable scientific asset as Governor of Virginia, and I 
continue to consider its thoughtful views on policy issues that come 
before Congress.

[[Page 13436]]

  I congratulate VIMS for 75 years of dedication to academic excellence 
and scientific achievement.

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