Boat captains Tara Reynolds, Brendan Drinkwater, and Kevin Gormley discuss how their professional efforts impact the Norfolk Harbor and Chesapeake Bay during a behind the scenes look into their daily operations. Brendan's vessel, the Harrell, is put into action primarily to ensure the safety of transiting vessels by removing floating or sunken debris from the waterways while Tara's vessel, the Ewell, is used to conduct 3D-surveying of the harbor floor to ensure it's both deep and wide enough to allow large ships to transit safely. With the The Port of Virginia and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the vicinity, their efforts to keep the harbor safe impact both the economy and safety of the Commonwealth and our Nation.

Drew Gebler, a chief architect with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Norfolk, explains how architects contribute to the various USACE construction projects in the surrounding areas and who these efforts impact. Mr. Gebler recently received recognition as the USACE 2022 Architect of the Year due to his professional expertise and dedication while facilitating the Norfolk District mission. USACE strives to deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with partners, to secure the nation, energize the economy, and reduce risks of disaster.

In this interview, Becky Gwenn, a Virginia Department Wildlife Resources Deputy Director explains bird tagging and the collaborative efforts between her organization and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Norfolk District to ensure a huge and diverse population of birds keeps its local breeding grounds despite increased construction in the Hampton Roads area surrounding their habitat. She further explains plans to use dredged material for the construction of an entirely new habit for them. The birds currently nesting at Fort Wool represent nearly half of the entire population of these species within the territory of Virginia and they nest in very few other places within the commonwealth. Currently, USACE and VDWR are also working together to find construct another suitable location for these birds made from dredged material removed from the Norfolk Harbor and Chesapeake bay. In this video, VDWR is conducting bird tagging in order to track the movement and growth of the laughing gull species.