Virginia Beach Research Articles

Enhancing Regulatory Compliance to Prevent Errors: Insights from Federal Housing Program Implementation

Purpose: Regulatory compliance is a vital part of governance, ensuring that programs across various sectors are implemented effectively and without errors. This study focuses on the Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation department, examining how it managed the CARES Act and HUD ARPA legislation, two significant federal regulations introduced during challenging times. The integration of these laws into existing local policies presented a range of difficulties, including conflicts, misinterpretations, and delays. This research analyzes those challenges and offers strategies to streamline compliance in future situations. Methodology: To better understand the regulatory hurdles, this study employed a thorough document analysis and compared housing sector compliance issues with those faced in healthcare. Both sectors deal with strict regulations, and non-compliance can have serious consequences. In healthcare, for instance, lapses in compliance can endanger patient safety, while in housing, they can lead to administrative inefficiencies and misuse of resources. By drawing this comparison, the study highlights the broader implications of effective compliance systems across different sectors. Findings: The findings show that regulatory compliance not only helps reduce errors but also enhances overall program performance. The challenges faced by the Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation department serve as an example of the obstacles organizations encounter when implementing new regulations. The solutions proposed in this study offer a clear path for improving compliance systems and reducing operational disruptions. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: Ultimately, this study emphasizes the importance of robust compliance frameworks in ensuring efficient program execution. It argues that proper management of compliance not only mitigates risks but also contributes to better outcomes across various sectors. By offering practical strategies for overcoming compliance challenges, this research adds valuable insights to the field and supports the ongoing development of effective regulatory practices that benefit both organizations and the communities they serve.

Surf zone hazards before and after a beach nourishment in Virginia, USA

Beach nourishment is the leading coastal protection technique in the United States to combat erosion, enhance resilience to storm surge, and maintain recreational value. Despite these benefits, anecdotal reports suggest that beach nourishments elevate the surf zone hazard to beach patrons by steepening the beach face and altering the shoreface morphology such that conditions are more favorable for rip current formation. This study analyzes lifeguard rescue reports collected on the United States Atlantic Coast before and after a 2019 beach nourishment in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to assess whether the nourishment was correlated with an increased hazard to beach patrons. The data indicate that regardless of nourishment status, rescues were most probable during periods of high rip current probability (moderate to large wave heights and low-obliquity wave angles), along with low water level. To formally quantify pre-versus post-nourishment hazards, the proportion of rescues observed in nourished versus unnourished beach zones was compared with bootstrapped distributions of the pre-nourishment rescue proportions. Although the proportion of rescues in the nourished section of the beach exceeds the pre-nourishment average, it is not outside the overall range of pre-nourishment values obtained by random resampling. Consequently, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the existing coastal management beach nourishment strategy increased the hazard to beach patrons at Virginia Beach.

Uranium Mine Proposed Experimental Design for Natural Background Gross Gamma Exposure Rates, Post Remediation Final Status Survey Sampling Density, and Radiological Water Quality Modeling for a Worst-case Catastrophic Failure, Coles Hill, Virginia.

Completely randomized experimental design statistical modeling techniques were employed to analyze exposure rate measurements for evaluating hypothetical natural background post uranium mill operations at Coles Hill, Virginia uranium milling processes. The proposed Coles Hill Uranium Mine is situated upstream of the Banister River. This River is nearly homogenous throughout the reach length used in analysis and feeds into the mouth of Kerr Reservoir, Lake Gaston, which serves as the main drinking water source for cities in the Hampton Roads area including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake. A critical scan value (=DCGLscan) was developed to flag anomalies of surface contamination during simulated post remediation final status surveys. The natural background was critical for meeting the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual guidance for post remediation final status surveys. The overarching null hypothesis suggested that the selected mean natural background is equal to the survey unit's mean natural background. Using SAS Procedures Shapiro-Wilk Test, ANOVA, and CR, it was decided the exposure rate data was normal, had no extreme outliers, and no collinearity between the number of samples (=treatment) and the areas (=block). Using the q-hyper (hypergeometric) distribution, the soil sampling density was decided for a final status survey unit. The most likely worst-case catastrophic failure analysis, 500-year event, such as the1969 Hurricane Camille of 69 centimeters of rain in Nelson County, Virginia was included in the model. The model showed impact was minimal at most to the Banister River's drinking water and likely less than the Virginia's Drinking Water Standards for gross alpha, 226Ra and 228Ra, and total uranium.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Adults in Communities With Mass Violence Incidents

Mass violence incidents (MVIs) are prevalent in the US and can have profound and long-lasting psychological consequences on direct survivors, but their outcomes among the broader communities where the MVI occurred are unknown. To investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with past-year and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adults in communities that experienced an MVI. This cross-sectional survey was completed between February and September 2020 with a household probability sample of adults from 6 communities that had experienced an MVI between 2015 and 2019: Dayton, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; Parkland, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; San Bernadino, California; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Address-based sampling was used to identify randomly selected households, mail invitations, and select 1 adult per household to complete a self-administered paper or online survey. Data analysis was performed from September to November 2023. The primary outcome was presumptive diagnostic-level past-year PTSD and current (past month) PTSD determined using American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (DSM-5) PTSD criteria. A total of 6867 adults aged 18 years or older accessed the website with a description of the study and consent materials. Of these, 5991 (87.2%) agreed to participate and completed the survey, 343 (6.3%) partially completed the survey, and 443 (6.5%) did not meet eligibility criteria or refused to participate. Most of the 5991 respondents were female (3825 individuals [53.5%]) and had a mean (SD) age of 45.56 (17.58) years. A total of 1261 of 5931 individuals (21.0%) reported high exposure to the MVI (either they or a close friend and/or family member was on site during the shooting). Nearly one-quarter (23.7%; 1417 of 5977 participants reporting PTSD) met presumptive DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for past-year PTSD, with 8.9% (530 participants) meeting the criteria for current PTSD. Regression analyses found that being female (odds ratio, 2.32; 95% CI, 2.01-2.68) and having a history of both physical or sexual assault and other potentially traumatic events (odds ratio, 9.68; 95% CI, 7.48-12.52) were associated with the greatest risk of past-year PTSD. In this survey study of 5991 participants, presumptive PTSD was quite prevalent long after the MVI among adults in communities that have experienced an MVI, suggesting that MVIs have persistent and pervasive public health impacts on communities, particularly among those with prior exposure to physical or sexual assault and other potentially traumatic events. Focusing exclusively on direct exposure to MVIs is not sufficient. Incorporating these findings into screening should improve efforts to identify the individuals most in need of prevention or mental health service after MVIs.

Anticipating the winds of change: A baseline assessment of Northeastern US continental shelf surficial substrates

AbstractThe introduction of thousands of wind turbines along the North American Atlantic continental shelf over the next decade will constitute the largest regional change in marine substrates since the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet over 14,000 years ago. Here, two large data sets, SMAST drop camera survey (242,949 samples, 2003 to 2019) and the US Geological Survey databases (27,784 samples, 1966 to 2011), are combined to derive sea floor surficial substrate probability maps for the Northeastern US continental shelf from Virginia Beach to the Gulf of Maine to 300 m depth (218,571 km2). Geostatistical models were used to estimate the probability of five geologic and one biogenic substrate types being present at a 250 m resolution, and the proportional contribution of each substrate type to the seabed composition at a 500 m resolution. By providing the first synoptic maps depicting the probability of a particular substrate or combination of substrates occurring at any location on the Northeastern US continental shelf, including planned wind energy sites, we aim to (1) provide insights regarding how substrates in the areas selected for wind energy development compare with other locations, (2) motivate the development of a priori expectations for ecosystem changes to inform monitoring and research efforts going forward, and (3) to provide a baseline characterization of the Northeastern US continental shelf surficial substrates to support robust examination of the future changes observed in areas impacted by wind energy installations.

Drone-Delivery Network for Opioid Overdose: Nonlinear Integer Queueing-Optimization Models and Methods

This study proposes an emergency network design model that uses a fleet of drones to deliver naloxone in response to opioid overdoses. The network is represented as a collection of M/G/K queueing systems with variable capacity and service time modelled as a decision-dependent random variable. The model is a complex queuing-based optimization problem which locates drone bases and dispatches drones to opioid incidents. The authors devise an efficient solution framework in which they linearize the multiple nonlinearities (fractional, polynomial, exponential, factorial terms), derive an equivalent mixed-integer linear reformulation, and design an outer approximation branch-and-cut algorithm. The authors demonstrate the generalizablity of the approach to any problem minimizing the response time of M/G/K queueing systems with unknown capacity. Tests on Virginia Beach data reveal that drones can decrease response time by 82%, increase survival chance by more than 273%, save up to 33 additional lives annually, and provide up to 279 additional quality-adjusted life years.

Analysis of bubble curtain effectiveness in the coastal Virginia offshore wind turbine installation

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) consists of two turbines roughly 40 km off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Water- and seabed-borne acoustic signals from impact pile driving at CVOW were recorded during the installation of these turbines in May 2020. In-water pressure signals were measured using two vertical line arrays (VLAs) at ranges of 3 km and 7.5 km. The water depth at the wind turbines and both VLAs was about 26 m. During installation, one of the piles utilized a double bubble curtain during construction while the other pile did not. Bubble curtains are used to reduce the acoustic impacts of pile driving by creating a barrier of bubbles around the source. We found that the bubble curtains were most effective at longer ranges and at frequencies above 200 Hz. Normal modes are an efficient representation of the acoustic field in this relatively range-independent shallow water environment. The amplitudes of acoustic modes at several frequencies were used to analyze the effectiveness of bubble curtains. Energy propagating in the seabed was also measured by an array of geophones and was found to be unattenuated by the bubble screens.

Complete genome sequence of a winter season Vibrio facilitates discovery of a novel subclade of cold-adapted species in the albus clade.

In temperate marine climate zones, seasonal changes in water temperature contribute to distinct populations of warm- and cold-water vibrios. We report here the complete genome sequence (BUSCO score=94.8) of the novel strain Vibrio sp. VB16 isolated in late winter from the intertidal zone near Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA with the ability to form colonies at 4 °C. The 5.2 Mbp genome is composed of a large (3.6 Mbp) and small (1.6 Mbp) chromosome. Based on paired average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), V. sp. VB16 is the same species as V. sp. UBA2437 from a North Sea tidal flat and is closely related to V. sp. DW001 from Antarctic sea ice. Our phylogenomic and bioinformatic analyses placed VB16, UBA2437 and DW001 into a cold-tolerant subclade within the albus clade, along with two non-cold-tolerant subclades. Orthovenn analysis indicated that VB16 and its other albus clade members shared 1544 gene orthologue clusters, including clusters for biosynthesis of polar flagella and tight adhesion pili that predict multiple lifestyles, either free-living or as an opportunistic pathogen within a marine eukaryotic host. The cold-tolerant subclade shared 552 orthologue proteins, including genes known to promote survival in cold or freezing temperatures, such as the eicosapentaenoic acid biosynthetic gene cluster, syp exopolysaccharide gene cluster and novel giant proteins with ice-binding domains. This subclade represents a group of psychrotolerant or 'moderate psychrophile' winter season Vibrio species. The discovery of this subclade opens the door for experimental work on the physiological features, virulence potential and ecological importance of this subclade.

The path of a principal: A conversation with Sham Bevel

Sham Bevel, principal of Bayside Sixth Grade Campus in the Virginia Beach City Schools, is one of three finalists for the 2024 National Principal of the Year award. The honor, awarded annually by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, recognizes outstanding school leaders who make exemplary contributions to their schools, staff, students, and the profession. Phi Delta Kappan spoke with Bevel about her path to becoming a principal, how principals keep their schools aligned and focused on their goals, and the importance of modeling expectations.

An Objective Evaluation of Cleft Lip Repair Deformities Based on Standardized Photographic Views.

Several assessment systems of the cleft-related facial deformity have been reported in the medical literature. Assessments have been made from direct clinical evaluations, photographs, on-screen digital images, and 3-dimensional imaging. An evaluation method based on standardized photographic views is developed to evaluate the most common postoperative deformities and to detect the responsible factors for occurrence of these deformities and how to avoid them. One hundred forty-five cleft lip cases (105 unilateral and 40 bilateral) were evaluated by using standard sheet and scoring system designed by Operation Smile Inc (Virginia Beach). The scoring system is based on photographic analysis of items including Cupid's bow, nasal symmetry, vermilion contour, white roll continuity, and scar quality. In the unilateral cleft cases, we found 0.4% excellent, 48.57% good, 38% fair, and 2.85% poor cases. For bilateral clef lip cases, we found 27.5% excellent, 47.5% good, 17.5% fair, and 7.5% poor outcomes. The most common postoperative deformities were nasal asymmetry, scar hypertrophy, deformed Cupid's bow, and vermilion contour asymmetry. This objective evaluation system can determine the common cleft lip nasal deformities with detection of the responsible factors. Principles that guide optimum surgical repair have been advocated to avoid the common postoperative deformities. Scar formation is an independent factor that must be managed early and separately to maintain surgical outcomes.

Fruit Quality of Several Strawberry Cultivars during the Harvest Season under High Tunnel and Open Field Environments

Parameters such as titratable acids (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), and their ratio (TSS/TA) are critical in determining strawberry fruit quality and the value of new cultivars. Ten strawberry cultivars were evaluated in two environments (open field and high tunnel) in the city of Virginia Beach. The objective was to evaluate the fruit quality characteristics (total soluble solids, titratable acidity TA, and total anthocyanin content) of newer strawberry cultivars grown in the annual hill plasticulture systems in coastal Virginia climatic conditions. Another objective was to measure the correlation between TA and a new digital meter (pocket acidity meter; PAM). Fruits were harvested weekly and TSS was measured using a refractometer. Acidity was measured using the pocket acidity meter and titratable acidity by a single sample titrimeter. Genetics significantly affected total anthocyanin content, TSS, TA, and acidity. The effect of the environments (high tunnel and open field) was not significant on TSS but significant on total anthocyanin content, TA, and acidity. “Flavorfest” had the highest and “Sweet Ann” the lowest anthocyanin content, TSS, and TA among the cultivars. The acidity (PAM data) showed a different level of correlation than TA, with a higher correlation for the open field than the high tunnel. On average, when outliers were removed, there was a regression of TA = 2.22(PAM) + 0.49 between the two data sets, with R2 = 0.47.

Exploring the relationship between flood insurance claims, crowdsourced rainfall, and tide levels for coastal urban communities: Case study for the mid-Atlantic United States

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently released a large dataset (∼2.5 million records) of flood insurance claim transactions from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that are geolocated by census tract. In this study, we present a methodology for using these NFIP flood claims along with agency rainfall and tide level data, combined with high-resolution rainfall data collected from growing networks of crowdsourced Personal Weather Stations (PWSs), to investigate the characteristics of storm events that result in flood insurance claims. Using 25 cities/counties in five metropolitan areas in the Mid-Atlantic region as case studies for testing the methodology, we find that the majority of flood claim events in this region were associated with rainfall below a 1-year return period and a tide level below the NOAA minor flood risk tide level. When storm events exceeded these rainfall and tide thresholds, the probability of a flood claim occurring could reach 100% for rainfall only events and 33% for tidal only events, depending on the region. While compound events of both high rainfall and high tide were rare, when seen in Virginia Beach, the probability of insurance claims being made during these events far exceeded the probability that would be expected if rainfall and tide were independent, showing how compound events in this region exacerbate flood impacts. Additionally, analysis of 110 heavy rainfall events showed that crowdsourced PWSs, can better capture rainfall extremes associated with insurance claims due to their higher spatial density compared to federal agency rainfall networks. This suggests that the PWS networks, once quality controlled, can offer greater insights into which rainfall events are likely to contribute to insurance claims. These region-specific findings and the general methodology presented in this study can benefit multiple stakeholders including researchers, risk management officials, insurers as well as the general public in understanding the impacts of rainfall, tidal, and compound flooding, along with the value of crowdsourced data in assessing flood risk.

Regional response of zoysiagrass turf to glufosinate and glyphosate applied during postdormancy transition based on accumulated heat units

AbstractTurfgrass managers apply nonselective herbicides to control winter annual weeds during dormancy of warm-season turfgrass. Zoysiagrass subcanopies, however, retain green leaves and stems during winter dormancy, especially in warmer climates. The partially green zoysiagrass often deters the use of nonselective herbicides due to variable injury concerns in transition and southern climatic zones. This study evaluated zoysiagrass response to glyphosate and glufosinate applied at four different growing degree day (GDD)-based application timings during postdormancy transition in different locations, including Blacksburg, VA; Starkville, MS; and Virginia Beach, VA, in 2018 and 2019. GDD was calculated using a 5 C base temperature with accumulation beginning January 1 each year, and targeted application timings were 125, 200, 275, and 350 GDD5C. Zoysiagrass injury response to glyphosate and glufosinate was consistent across a broad growing region from northern Mississippi to coastal Virginia, but it varied by application timing. Glyphosate application at 125 and 200 GDD5C can be used safely for weed control during the postdormancy period of zoysiagrass, while glufosinate caused unacceptable turf injury regardless of application timing. Glyphosate and glufosinate exhibited a stepwise increase to maximum injury with increasing targeted GDD5C application timings. Glyphosate applied at 125 or 200 GDD5C did not injure zoysiagrass above a threshold of 30%, whereas glufosinate caused greater than 30% injury for 28 and 29 d when applied at 125 and 200 GDD5C, respectively. Likewise, glyphosate application at 125 or 200 GDD5C did not affect the zoysiagrass green cover area under the progress curve per day, whereas later applications reduced it. Glyphosate and glufosinate caused greater injury to zoysiagrass when applied at greater cumulative heat units and this was attributed to increasing turfgrass green leaf density, because heat unit accumulation is positively correlated with green leaf density. Accumulated heat unit-based application timing will allow practitioners to apply nonselective herbicides with reduced injury concerns.

Estimating Demand Volume for Signalized Corridors Under Oversaturated Conditions Using Aggregated Probe Vehicle Speed Data

Measuring demand directly with vehicle sensors is not possible when demand is larger than capacity for an extended period, as the queue grows beyond the sensor, and the flow measurements at a given point cannot exceed the capacity of the section. The main objective of this study is to develop methods that could be implemented in practice based on readily available data. To this end, two methods are proposed: an innovative method based on shockwave theory and the volume delay function adapted from the Highway Capacity Manual (7th edition). Both methods primarily rely on probe vehicle speeds (e.g., from INRIX) as the input data and the capacity of the segment or bottleneck being analyzed. Probe vehicle data are used to determine the critical times when the queue reaches the end or beginning of a road segment. From these critical times, the shockwave speed for the boundary between congested (high density) traffic and arriving (low density) traffic is estimated. The proposed methods are tested with simulation data generated in VISSIM and validated based on volume data from the field. The field data are collected from a congested arterial in Virginia Beach, VA, and include the ground truth volumes and INRIX speed data aggregated at one-minute intervals. The results show that both methods are effective for estimating the demand volume and produce less than 4% error when tested with field data.

Spatiotemporal implications of flooding on relocation risk in rural and urban coastal municipalities

The research on coastal hazards predicts substantial adverse impacts of chronic and episodic flooding on populated coastal areas. Despite the growing evidence about anticipated flood risks, many coastal communities are still not adapting. The observed disconnect between science on physical impacts and adaptation decision-making in part reflects stakeholders’ inability to envision the implications of these impacts on socioeconomic systems and the built environment in their jurisdictions. This inertia is particularly apparent in the discourse on flood-driven displacement and relocation. There is a lack of knowledge about direct and indirect flood impacts on community attributes and services that contribute to relocation decision-making. This study holistically evaluates the flood exposure on municipal features vital for socioeconomic stability, livelihoods, and quality of life across spatiotemporal scales. As such, it uses a more nuanced approach to relocation risk assessment than those solely focused on direct inundation impacts. It measures flood exposure of land use, land cover, and sociocultural and economic dimensions that are important drivers of relocation in selected rural and urban areas. The approach uses a 50-year floodplain to delineate populated coastal locations exposed to 2% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) storm surge projections adjusted for 2030, 2060, and 2090 sea level rise (SLR) scenarios. It then evaluates the potential impacts of this flood exposure on different types of land uses and critical socioeconomic assets in rural (Dorchester and Talbot Counties, Maryland, USA) and urban (Cities of Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA) settings. The results show that some urban land uses, such as open space, military and mixed-use, and rural residential and commercial areas, might experience significantly more flooding. There are also notable differences in the baseline flood exposure and the anticipated rate and acceleration in the future among selected communities with significant implications for relocation planning.

The Virginia Beach municipal center mass shooting: A retrospective threat assessment using the WAVR-21.

The Virginia Beach municipal center mass shooting: A retrospective threat assessment using the WAVR-21.

Risk perception in housing markets: Evidence from a fighter jet crash

AbstractIn this study, we investigate the capitalization of flight accident risk in housing prices near military bases in Virginia from 2003 to 2016. We focus on a localized shock caused by a fighter jet crash into an apartment complex near the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. Although flight accident hazards were transparently disclosed by sellers and local governments years beforehand, the crash led to a temporary (approximately 3 years) decline in the prices of properties within accident potential zones (APZ) and by a lesser magnitude, properties slightly outside the APZ boundaries. This analysis sheds light on how market participants react after an extreme event, emphasizing the role of recency in the capitalization of risk.

RHPMF: A context-aware matrix factorization approach for understanding regional real estate market

The real estate market has a significant impact on people’s daily life. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the real estate market from both spatial and temporal perspectives, while there is still a lack of research in real estate industries. In this paper, a regional house price mining and forecasting (RHPMF) framework is proposed to help people intuitively understand the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of the urban estate market based on real-world housing data and urban contexts such as demographics and criminal records. Specifically, the RHPMF framework introduces a context-aware matrix factorization to extract crucial spatial and temporal price factors for revealing the housing market. Meanwhile, the RHPMF can forecast future regional house prices by manipulating the two price factors. Consequently, this study presents extensive exploratory analysis and experiments in Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles to verify the proposed RHPMF. These case studies indicate that the RHPMF framework can accurately capture the market’s spatial distribution and temporal evolution and forecast future regional house prices compared with recent baselines. The experimental results suggest the great potential of the proposed RHPMF for applications in real estate industries.

Distribution, abundance and sighting patterns of multiple stocks of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in coastal Virginia waters

Three stocks of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are currently known to co‐occur in the coastal waters off Virginia. A combination of visual line‐transect survey and photo‐identification (photo‐ID) methods was used to gather information on the occurrence, distribution and density of bottlenose dolphins in the coastal areas of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Sixty‐one line‐transect surveys were completed in two zones (inshore and offshore) between August 2012 and August 2015, with on‐effort coverage of 6,550 kilometres (km) of trackline over 349.6 hours. Conventional line‐transect analysis of bottlenose dolphin sightings showed both spatial and temporal variation in density (D) and abundance (N), with highest density in the inshore zone during warm‐water months (June–November). Inshore densities were calculated as 3.51 individuals per square kilometre (km2) (N = 1,090) in the warm‐water season and 0.73 individuals/km2 (N = 225) in cool‐water months (December–May). Densities in the offshore zone were 1.24 individuals/km2 (N = 741) in the warm‐water season and 0.61 individuals/km2 (N = 366) in the cool‐water season. Warm‐water density peaks support previous research; however, this study documents a cold‐season presence of dolphins in both zones not previously reported. Twenty‐seven photo‐ID surveys were completed and a photo‐ID catalogue was created using photos taken during both dedicated photo‐ID and line‐transect surveys, containing 1,335 unique individuals. Re‐sighting numbers were low, with less than 17% of individuals documented on more than one occasion, and only 4% sighted on three or more occasions, with a maximum of 4 re‐sightings. Days between re‐sightings ranged from 5 to 970, though distance between re‐sightings spanning greater time was minimal (less than 25km). Sighting locations of photo‐IDed dolphins were broken into three regions to investigate seasonal and spatial patterns of individual distribution; dolphins sighted only in the Cape Henry (CH) or Inner Bay (IB) region were observed mostly during summer and fall seasons (93% CH, 100% IB) with none occurring during winter. For the Outer Coastline (OC) region, the majority of sightings (88%) occurred during fall and winter. Additionally, there were two individuals sighted during winter months also sighted during summer more than 130km to the north inside Chesapeake Bay (matched to a different catalogue). These sightings support the possibility that the current stock structure does not account for all dolphins in the region. Stock structure as currently understood is complicated, with overlapping spatial distribution of three stocks that separate seasonally. Our study provides information that may be useful for management, but also additional findings that could impact future stock designations

On Leadership: The architecture of equity

The work of a school leader can be compared to that of an architect, who must bring a team together to create something original on a solid foundation. Aaron Spence, superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, came to the district nine years ago, ready to serve the district where he’d grown up. His previous experiences in school leadership had given him a vision for equity-based transformation, but the district had a more immediate need — getting all schools accredited. Joshua P. Starr explains how focusing on this urgent need enabled him to build relationships that helped him when it was time to turn to more transformative goals. This initial work proved to be the foundation on which the new work could rest.