The Potomac Environmental Research and
Education Center, or PEREC, is an
interdisciplinary collection of
scientists at George Mason University
PEREC scientists, who have an expertise
ranging from aquatic ecosystem health
and modeling, to environmental chemistry,
ecology, and geology, to K through 12
education and community outreach, not to
mention a large group of enthusiastic
undergraduate and graduate students
who assist with field lab work and
outreach programs based out of the
Potomac Science Center on Belmont Bay
PEREC researchers gather samples on the
Potomac River as well as local
tributaries and feeder streams to better
understand ecological impacts downstream
from wastewater treatment plants. PEREC
researchers are looking at long-term
ecological trends in two tributaries of
the Potomac River,
Gunston Cove and Hunting Creek. From
April through September researchers and
students regularly visit the same sites
to collect Zooplankton and
macroinvertebrates, or bugs, and adult and larval
fish. They also gather water quality
samples and look at how much dissolved
oxygen and sunlight is present at
various depths. Research at Gunston Cove
in particular has been going on since
the 1980s and in recent decades aquatic
plants have begun to return, providing
great habitat for fish and invertebrates
Back at the lab, students identify
plankton fish and invertebrate species.
The type of plankton found includes
Copepods and Amphipods and Cladocerans. Some species of fish commonly found
include shiners herring and sunfish.
Every year PEREC sends their reports
to two wastewater treatment plants,
located upstream from their sample sites
Both use this ecological information to
improve their treatment process recently
PEREC's environmental chemistry team has
begun looking even more closely at the
downstream sites, collecting sediment
water and fish tissues, which they
analyzed for evidence of personal care
products and pharmaceutical pollutants
So far many over-the-counter drugs such
as cold medication and caffeine have
been found. Researchers are currently
determining if these pollutants are
found at unsafe levels and
are looking into what possible effect
they might have on fish and other
organisms. PEREC is not just limited to
research however. PEREC faculty feel
strongly that their research findings
should be shared with the public
including local communities and K
through 12 youth. PEREC has won awards
for its involvement in the Meaningful
Watershed Experiences which has educated
over 92,000 middle school students and
counting. PEREC is often represented at
community events and- because what
happens on the land directly impacts
aquatic ecosystems- faculty and student
volunteers enjoy sharing their love of
the environment and their passion for
PEREC's mission educating people of all
ages about their local watershed.
