Baltimore Inner Harbor biofilm colonization
The Baltimore Inner Harbor is part of the Patapsco River that connects to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Observations of biofilm and invertebrate colonization on a series discs have been studies since the start of the VIRTUE Project in 1997. Over the years, the disc substrate has been changed from plastic(acrylic PMMA) to metal (aluminum) to accommodate investigations of microplastic accumulation in biofilm colonization. Observations recoded this summer (2026) are part of a collaboration between Maryland Sea Grant, the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, and the Community Engaged Internship (CEI) Program.
