The FDA recently announced that Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide GLP-1 medication (Ozempic and Wegovy) is no longer in short supply. Before this announcement, the FDA permitted compounded GLP-1 products to be sold at much lower prices to maintain supplies. But, since the FDA only allows compounded drugs to be sold while the branded forms they’re mimicking are limited, compounded GLP-1 sellers will have until April or May to take their products (which are far cheaper than their branded counterparts) off the market.

This announcement means that weight loss treatment is going to get more expensive. Compounded semaglutide medications are currently being sold at large online healthcare providers for as little as $165 per month. The decision by the FDA could raise those costs as much as 10-fold, as only expensive brands by big Pharma will be available.

What are compounded GLP-1s? You may have heard the brand names in advertisements, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound. Compounded GLP-1s are purported to have the same ingredients and formulas as the brand names at significantly lower prices. 

GLP-1s are game changing weight loss drugs. These medications were initially developed to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. When weight loss was recognized as a side effect, physicians began prescribing them off label for weight loss. Now, GLP-1s are prescribed for those who qualify as overweight (with certain comorbidities) or obese based on Body Mass Index (BMI). 

How do these medications work? GLP-1 drugs mimic the GLP-1 gut hormone and amplify its effects. This hormone decreases blood sugar levels and slows down the stomach. More importantly, it suppresses hunger signals by affecting the hypothalamus, known as the appetite center of the brain. People taking these drugs report experiencing little or no hunger. 

The success of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss is significant. And in most cases, GLP-1 drugs are prescribed alongside lifestyle changes, like a healthy diet and physical activity, to help patients lose weight and maintain their weight long-term. Numerous clinical studies have shown they can help patients lose weight (between 17% to 23% of body weight) more effectively and maintain a healthy body weight (if they continue to take them). The use of GLP-1s has resulted in a 20% reduction in cardiovascular diseases, reduced fatty liver disorder, and reduced instances of type 2 diabetes.

The population of overweight people in America is not a small one. According to the CDC, 74% of adults are overweight based on BMI. About 43% of the population are clinically obese (BMI>30).

Recent guidelines by the CDC emphasize preventing obesity through better education about health and diet, improving food labels, and continuing programs that focus on healthy eating. These habits include adequate nutrition, reduced sugar, reduced fast food intake, recommended activity levels, and limited exposure to unhealthy stressors. 

It is easy to say that overweight people are merely people who lack willpower, but the truth is that our bodies are designed to retain weight, not lose it. Scientists learned a lot about fat and weight loss after monitoring participants from the television show The Biggest Loser. Most of the poor souls who participated in that television show have gained their weight back. Not because they are weak-willed or lazy, but because the biology of their bodies is determined to return to their unhealthy weight levels.

One of the causes of their weight regain was the hormone leptin, which causes the feelings of hunger and satiety. Contestants began their weight-loss journey with normal levels of the hormone leptin. By the season’s finale, they had almost no leptin at all. In short, they were starving.

Their metabolism, regulated by the thyroid, had slowed dramatically as well. After weight loss, they needed to eat 600 fewer calories than the average person to maintain their weight. One contestant who has been working to keep his weight down; is a 295-pound man, 6 feet tall; whose metabolism has so slowed that, despite 6-8 hours of rigorous weekly strength exercise and constant feelings of starvation, he must consume 800 calories per day fewer than a typical male his size to maintain his current weight. Hardly a fair fight.

Our body uses other mechanisms to prevent us from losing weight. After losing 10% of our body weight, our muscles start using genes to exercise more efficiently, causing us to burn 20-30% fewer calories while doing the same amount of exercise. 

The combined effects of low leptin levels and a slower metabolism conspired to make the contestants regain most, if not all, of the weight they’d lost. But the truly shocking part was that their leptin and metabolism levels never rebounded. The more weight a contestant lost, the slower his metabolism became. Weight regain was inevitable.

But GLP-1 medications have proven to be the game changer for these issues, and can be continued after weight loss to maintain weight. So why did the FDA eliminate the low-cost version of these medications, the compounded semaglutide injections? 

The FDA allowed compounded semaglutide (GLP-1s) to be produced when there were scarcities in the branded drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. Allowing compounded semaglutides (GLP-1s) ensured that the population could get access to these medications. The FDA recently declared that these shortages no longer exist, thus paving the way for only the branded (and significantly more expensive) FDA approved drugs to be used.

The FDA expressed concerns that compounded GLP-1 drugs, which are not regulated by the FDA, could pose risks for the patient. While most of these online health organizations that supply these GLP-1 medications use FDA approved components in FDA approved labs, there is no regulation on the actual compounded product. There have been few reports of problems, but the potential exists. Branded GLP-1s (such as Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic), on the other hand, have undergone rigorous testing to obtain FDA approval.

For many reasons, including the costs of research and development, big pharma cannot compete with the lower priced compounded GLP-1s. The hope is that as more big pharma products are introduced (Eli Lilly is introducing a GLP-1 pill next year), competition will reduce prices. Eli Lilly recently lowered the price of its tirzepatide (another GLP-1 drug).

But, for now, this announcement significantly increases the cost of GLP-1 weight loss medicines. At this time, most insurance companies and Medicare do not cover these medications for weight loss (only for diabetes), so someone who wants to lose weight using GLP-1s must have sufficient funds to pay for this medicine. (At current prices, it would be very costly for Medicare and insurance companies to cover GLP-1s for weight management.)

Which begs the larger question. If scientists are calling obesity a disease, which they are, why is it not being treated as a disease? We have a solution for obesity that is proven to work, but without insurance and affordable prices, these treatments are only available to those who have the resources to pay for these medications. The rest must fight their biology with weight loss plans, diets, but mostly, sheer willpower. Hardly a fair fight.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Okay, I am being overly dramatic by the title, the asteroid YR4 was initially projected to have a 3.1% chance of hitting the earth in 2032. A day later, NASA downgraded it significantly and by February 21st, the space agency lowered its chances of a potential strike to 0.28%. At the same time, they increased the asteroid’s chances to 1% of hitting the moon. 

First, it’s a relief. This asteroid whose full name is 2024YR4 has a width of 177 feet (54 meters) and is considered a “city killer.” While its impact would not be as devastating as the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs (it had a width of 10-15 kilometers), YR4 would be large enough to eviscerate a major city. It would release more than 500 times the energy released by the Hiroshima atomic bomb. If the asteroid landed in the ocean, it could spare a city but create an immense tsunami.

At its peak, YR4 was the highest impact-probability NASA had ever recorded for a space object as large as YR4. The latest reduction in impact probability came after astronomers made overnight observations of YR4 in mid-February. The darker skies enabled astronomers to get a better observation of the asteroid. Even while YR4’s impact odds were going up, the increase was due to uncertainty about the asteroid’s orbital path. 

But there are misses. In 2023, an asteroid, 2023NT1, came close to earth and astronomers did not see it due to the sun’s glare. Astronomers didn’t catch the skyscraper-size rock until two days after it passed, when it was discovered leaving earth’s path by a telescope in South Africa. 

There are a couple of other asteroids that we need to be aware of. In 2029, another city-killer, asteroid Apopohis, will pass earth even closer than some of our satellites, but for now, it has zero chance of crashing into the earth. 

Astronomers are also closely watching the asteroid Bennu (.5 kilometers). This asteroid was the target of the 2023 OSIRIS-REx mission, which proved that a spacecraft could retrieve samples of space rock and return them to Earth. There is currently a 1-in-2,700 chance that Bennu will crash into Earth in 2082, pretty low odds.

There is a system for reporting asteroids and keeping track of them. Scientists and amateur astronomers search the skies each night for tiny dots of moving light. Most of these observations are generally made with ground-based telescopes like the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona or the Infrared Telescope Facility atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano. The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) is an array of telescopes designed to spot asteroids several days to weeks before any potential impact. 

When someone observes an asteroid or a comet, they report it to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Minor Planet Center, which compiles all of the observations. From there, scientists at other observatories and NASA can make more measurements to determine the object’s precise orbit and whether it may threaten Earth. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is a non-governmental organization that is responsible for, among other things, naming celestial objects and defining types of objects like planets and dwarf planets. (They are the ones that determined that Pluto was a dwarf planet.)

So, what happens if there is an asteroid heading for earth? Is there something that we can do? 

NASA scientists believe that the best method to address this threat is to alter the asteroid’s orbital path. They have studied several ways or doing this. One method is called a gravity tractor, in which a spacecraft would orbit an asteroid and tug it off course. The most feasible strategy involves launching a spacecraft that would deliberately collide with the asteroid to knock it off course. In 2022, NASA provided a proof of concept by altering the course of the space rock Dimorphos by 32 minutes. Unfortunately, this method requires years of careful planning and a precise knowledge of the asteroid’s orbit.

While all of this seems daunting, scientists currently believe that the earth will be safe from extinction-inducing asteroids for the next thousand years. Let’s hope that the earth is safe from us by that time, too.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

It’s hard to say something nice about viruses, but Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez can. Dr. Martínez Martínez is a new aquatic virus ecologist at Horn Point who studies how viruses interact with acceptable host cells (typically each virus targets only a single host cell type). He studies how those interactions are influenced by environmental conditions and correspondingly, how these interactions impact the environment.

When we think of viruses, we think of COVID 19, HIV, influenza, Herpes, Shingles, Measles and a suite of viruses that cause discomfort and loss of life. But there are more to viruses than human infections. For one, viruses are the most abundant life forms on Earth, able to live in all environments. They have the ability to remain dormant for long periods until they find a host to infect. Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the oceans, lakes, soil, and shallow sediments, far exceeding the number of bacteria. 

There are so many viruses that the majority of viruses remain unidentified. This is due to their microscopic size and their complexity. However, advancements in omics—techniques that analyze genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples—have revolutionized the field. Omic tools enable scientists to discover new viruses without having to culture them in a lab.

The evolutionary history of viruses is not known, but there are theories. One theory is that viruses, or their precursors, may have evolved before other forms of life. This hypothesis suggests that viruses could have played a crucial role in the development of cellular life. The simplicity of their structure, combined with their ability to transfer genetic material, implies that viruses may have been integral to the evolution of complex organisms.

We know viruses as causes of diseases, but they are also active participants in the evolutionary process of their hosts. Through a mechanism known as horizontal gene transfer, viruses can transfer genes into the host, contributing to genetic diversity and evolution. Some of the genes that viruses have inserted into our DNA millions of years ago are now essential for cellular functions. Other viruses help by maintaining the balance of bad bacteria, even in our gut. Viruses exist in the ecosystem, in plants, animals, humans and because of their specificity they help the organisms that carry them by infecting and killing pathogens.

Gene transfer can also occur when the virus gets DNA from the host cell. Viruses can carry key genes from the host even if the host shuts down the infection, then virus can beat the host cell because it is carrying some host’s DNA.

To understand viruses, it is important to understand that viruses very selectively target host cells; generally speaking, each virus can only infect a single type of host cell (e.g., a certain virus can only attack a certain bacteria). Viruses are not alive until they enter a host cell and hijack the host cell metabolism and nutrients to reproduce. Often, the virus kills the host cell through a process called lysis where the host cell “bursts” spewing out its contents into the system (e.g., aquatic system, our bloodstream).

Other times, viruses can co-exist for extended times with the host without killing it, for example inserting their genetic material into the host cell’s genetic material. When the host cell makes copies, the virus DNA is duplicated. This viral DNA often remains dormant in the cell, until it becomes activated. An example that we are familiar with is the HIV virus, which remains dormant in the cells until it expresses itself as full blown AIDS.

Viruses play a vital role in regulating the ecosystems of our rivers and seas. The largest type of aquatic viruses are bacteriophages, which attack bacteria. Viruses can control bacterial populations and algae blooms. In marine environments, viruses are responsible for the lysis (breaking down) of a significant fraction of the bacterial population each day, releasing nutrients back into the ecosystem and supporting the food web. When a cell breaks down in lysis, the contents of the cell (including nutrients) are injected into the environment. This is called nutrient cycling, and it helps maintain ecological equilibrium.

Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez has been studying red tide algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, which can have devastating consequences. The algae produce toxins that can kill fish, marine mammals, birds, and other marine life. Red tide algae blooms can lead to massive die-offs and disrupt the ecosystem. 

Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez and other scientists are studying the microbes (e.g., viruses, bacteria, algae), nutrients, temperature, currents, tides, and microbial interactions to determine the causes and preconditions for these blooms. Scientists need to determine which viruses and bacteria can be helpful in prevention and control. The current goal is to be able to forecast the conditions when a red tide algae bloom will occur and provide an early warning. Eventually, they hope to be able to use viruses and bacteria in the ecosystem to regulate these devastating red tide algae blooms. In his new position at Horn Point Laboratory, he is hoping to translate what he and his colleagues are learning from this study to harmful blooms around the Chesapeake Bay.

When hosts are virally infected, they become a virtually different organism. For example, due to chemical changes induced by the infection, one phytoplankton species becomes more nutritional when infected with a certain virus. This extra nutrition enables other organisms to grow faster when feeding on this infected phytoplankton. Other phytoplankton species can take more CO2 from the environment when infected with their specific viruses. Scientists are studying such phenomena under natural conditions so that they can assess its impact and determine how to maintain the balance that is currently in nature. Is it scalable? Research is investigating this because it has a potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere or improve feed production for aquaculture.  

Horn Point has recognized the potential of viruses in the ecosystem for its research in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez’s intends to create partnerships and collaborate with scientist that study aquatic vegetation and oyster populations. He has currently proposed a study of marshes on Poplar Island. Marshes are critical to the shoreline and ecosystem, yet sometimes they die suddenly, and scientists need to know why and what are the roles of microbes in these deaths. 

So, despite our negative perception of viruses, Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez wants us to know that viruses are not necessarily the bad guys. Viruses, in fact, create balance, especially against bacteria that are detrimental to us and the environment. Viruses can be helpful in medicine. Since they are mostly specific to a host, they may become an alternative to antibiotics. Additionally, viruses are used as markers in gene therapy to deliver therapeutic genes to target cells. Oncolytic viruses, which selectively infect and kill cancer cells, are offering new hope in cancer treatment. Environmental viruses may serve as innocuous surrogates to safely deliver those treatments to humans.

The viruses that we hate are the tiniest, tiniest fraction of the viruses in the world…maybe it’s time we cast them as players in the environment rather than demons.

Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez will be discussing his research on February 27th at 5:30 at the Dorchester Center for the Arts, 321 High Street, Cambridge. Check the Horn Point Laboratory website, www.umces.edu/hpl or their social media for more information about registration.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Meg Daley Olmert makes us think about dogs differently. She published a book, Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond. She was recently interviewed by Val Cavalheri in the Talbot Spy (https://talbotspy.org/author-meg-daley-olmert-makes-the-case-that-man-and-dog-is-made-for-each-other/). The Spy article described Olmert’s groundbreaking book about the bond between dogs and humans. After 15 years of research she discovered that the bond between dogs and humans is, in fact, a brain chemistry-based (oxytocin) bond. What has come to be common knowledge, was revolutionary when she published it in 2009.

But Olmert’s book was only scratching the surface of our relationship with dogs. Dogs do more than provide love and comfort. Dogs serve us in many other ways:

Therapy or Facility dogs: A therapy dog provides comfort, emotional support, and affection to people in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, or disaster areas. It has been demonstrated that these visits reduce stress, anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve breathing, and reduce loneliness.

Mobility assistance dogs: These trained dogs assist people with physical disabilities in navigating their environment (e.g., open doors).

Guide dogs: Guide dogs are well known and have been working since 1780 (in Paris) and in the general population since the 1930’s. These dogs assist blind and low vision people navigate their environment.

Wheelchair assistance dogs: These dogs are trained to pull wheelchairs or retrieve items for wheelchair users. 

Psychiatric and mental health support service dogs: Trained dogs provide emotional and physical support for people with mental health challenges such as PTSD, night terrors, flashbacks, love, security, and purpose.

Autism service dogs: Dogs have been trained to help people with autism in social settings. Talking and reading to their dogs enables people on the spectrum to improve their communication skills. 

Emotional support: This has been misused so often that I dislike including this category, but there are many legitimate sufferers of PTSD, anxiety, and other disorders that dogs can remediate.

Hearing dogs: These dogs are trained to alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Seizure alert dogs: Seizure alert dogs are trained to anticipate seizures and alert their person. 

Diabetic alert dogs: Trained dogs can alert diabetics when their blood sugar levels are dangerously high or low. 

Allergy alert dogs: These dogs are able to alert people to food and environmental allergens. A close friend of mine is highly allergic to bee stings and had her dog trained to alert her to the presence of bees, wasps, or other stinging insects. 

Deep pressure therapy dogs: Trained dogs can provide deep-pressure therapy for people experiencing PTSD flashbacks, overstimulation, or acute anxiety. In this therapy, the dog leans on or lies down on its handler and the dog’s weight provides pressure that calms and soothes. Even chihuahuas have been trained as deep pressure therapy dogs, they have been trained to walk on their sufferer’s back.

Search/Rescue and Cadaver Dogs are bred and trained to provide assistance in finding criminals or victims of natural disasters or crimes.

Illegal substance detection. We frequently see dogs with the police who utilize their sense of smell to detect illegal objects such as drugs, firearms, and explosive devices.

But that’s not all, and when I spoke to Olmert, I was very excited about the work that she has been researching. Working with the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) in Boyds, Maryland, Olmert has researched and demonstrated that even the act of training a dog to become a service dog can reduce PTSD and other psychiatric symptoms. 

The WCC program enables veterans who are suffering from war trauma such as PTSD, anxiety and other psychological injuries to take part in the training of service dogs. Participating veterans are responsible for teaching the dogs that the world is a safe place. By training these dogs, sufferers must evoke confidence in a situation that they are often fearful of. 

Positive reinforcement techniques are used, veterans are taught to praise and provide treats to their dogs when they experience a startling event, such as hearing a car backfire or a novel place. 

Training service dogs helps veterans move past their own trauma. Many veterans suffering from PTSD are emotionally numb, yet dog training requires them to demonstrate positive emotions to successfully teach their dogs. Veterans feel good that they are helping another veteran receive a trained service dog. 

In the WCC model, a single training of a service dog, which typically takes two years, can assist 60 people who are helping training and socializing the dog. 

But it is important to test if this theory works. In the study that Olmert directed, the veterans were given six 1-hour sessions working with a dog trainer. The researchers found that those who did service dog training had fewer emotional issues than the control group.

In other studies, veterans are allowed more time to train service dogs. Olmert provided me with two case studies of veterans suffering from PTSD and other psychological disorders who participated in a program of training service dogs.

Participant 1 (John) was a man who had been deployed in combat zones 11 times. He was married with five children, but after these deployments he suffered from PTSD. In the beginning, he was skeptical and didn’t see how assisting training a dog would help his condition. But it did. 

John reported. “On the fourth session, it suddenly dawned on me that the dog training demanded the same brain skills as the computer games—except in real life/ time. This training was helping me, I was helping Lundy [the dog he was training] become a service dog, and we were both working toward helping a Veteran in need. That’s when I started to take the program seriously.” 

He found that when exposing the dog to situations that made him anxious, he had to pretend not to be, so that the dog would follow necessary commands. He also learned about positive reinforcement training that is used in training service dogs. It didn’t take long for him to realize that by being calm for the dog, he was learning how to be calm for himself. His stuttering and speech anxiety improved dramatically. 

“…just having [the dog] at my side gave me a sense of confidence and pride. My speech really improved as I worked with Lundy and I found it was getting easier to talk to strangers. That was a real confidence builder for me.”

John reported that his reading and his sleeping improved when the dog stayed over (he was an inpatient) at the facility.

“I was also having a lot of trouble reading… I quickly found that I could read much more smoothly reading to Lundy.”

John experienced a substantial reduction in headaches, dizziness, migraines and depression. He also realized the benefit of positive reinforcement for his own children. 

“…the lessons learned from teaching Lundy translated back to my home and personal life. I am able to talk and laugh. My kids have their Dad back and my wife and I are doing much better. When my teenage daughter challenges me, I am able to think it through more logically and not just lose it. The OT, Speech, and other therapies were also good, but in the end, it was the dog training that helped me.”

The second case study, Bob, had a history of deployment-related PTSD accompanied by depression, risky behavior, suicidal ideation, and alcohol and drug addiction. 

Bob reported. “I have always loved and owned dogs and so was very happy to ‘get a dog fix.’ I like the idea of helping to train dogs for amputees and guys who need them. I felt the benefit of working with the dogs immediately. The positive energy generated during that first hour left me feeling much better.”

Despite challenges in the beginning, the positive reinforcement training given to dogs helped him change behavior.

“[We were taught] how to use positive and nurturing encouragement and praise to teach the dogs. It was not easy for me since I was depressed, but the SDI instructed us to fake the high-pitched, happy voice for the dog’s sake. I had used harsher, heavy-handed training methods on my own dogs. However, seeing how well these young dogs responded to our supportive friendly efforts and enthusiastic praise was very impressive. So, this has been a very refreshing and new way to learn how to train dogs.” 

As time went on, during his training sessions, he noticed that: “I was no longer faking my positive feelings when encouraging the dog’s efforts. I had begun to get through my weeks, just looking forward to these sessions. The ‘dog time’ was carrying me through my weekend too.”

Bob reported that learning positive reinforcement while training his dog: “… has helped me to experience empathy for my wife, my sons, others, and myself. Family members comment on how much more affectionate and present I am now. The way that I used to parent was harsh, focusing on the negative consequences of behavior…Now, I engage my children in conversation and try to identify with their issues; helping them visualize what they can work towards. It’s motivating—just like with the dogs. I am more connected with my family than I’ve ever been. My boys see the change and they are forgiving me for not being there for them in the past.”

“Of the programs offered to me, some were good and others were a waste of time. The service dog training program was the best. Training a service dog for a veteran is a huge service to provide. It gives me a tremendous sense of purpose and accomplishment.”

Training his service dog (who was also Lundy) has helped him with his addictions and his depression.

“I have just completed my first year of sobriety. My depression has lifted, and I feel connected to my family. I still struggle with pain and fatigue, but I feel much more positive. I am able to pace myself better and allow myself to take the time to rest and regain my emotional and physical strength. I am much more aware of what will trigger my arousal response and find that I can cope better when unexpected stressors occur. My frustration tolerance has significantly improved. My empathy and patience levels have also improved. I am better at setting healthy social boundaries and prioritizing time for my family. I’m really enjoying and committed to sharing my story and the healing lessons I’ve learned from the WCC with other wounded warriors. I am looking into pursuing a career as a Service Dog Instructor.”

Thank you, Meg, for giving me these stories. Animals can help us in so many ways, when we take time to listen.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

We need oysters in our Bay and rivers. We don’t have enough. But one of the major impediments to restoring oysters is the availability of substrates. Substrates are what oyster larvae latch onto while they are mobile (e.g., other oyster shells, piers).

Oysters begin their lives as free-swimming larvae. Oyster parents release eggs and sperm into the water, and once the eggs are fertilized they become larvae. The larvae are mobile for two to three weeks before they attach onto a substrate (this attachment is called settlement), become immobile, and metamorphose into juvenile oysters which are referred to as spat.

If the larvae are unable to attach to a substrate they will not survive. So, finding the right substrate and enough of it is crucial to the success of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. 

Oysters are essential to the health of the Bay because they can filter up to 50 gallons of water daily, cleaning the water and increasing the oxygen levels. Oysters clean the water by consuming micro algae and suspended particles, and they can also mediate nitrogen and carbon by removing and depositing any excess nutrients. Oyster reefs also serve as homes to fish and other filter feeders like mussels and barnacles. 

Oyster larvae need a hard surface (e.g., shells and stones) to latch onto so that they can grow. In the wild, oyster larvae naturally attach to other oyster shells, which is why oyster shells are a preferred substrate. However, the availability of shells is limited and adding it is expensive due to decades of harvesting without shell replacement. There are attempts to recycle as many shells as possible, for example, the Oyster Recovery Partnership has a collection program for oyster shells. 

Another way to get oyster shells is to dredge old oyster reefs buried in the silt. There are also fossilized shells that are available from the West Coast where there are literally mountains of shells that were discarded by shucking houses. 

The demand for substrates will only increase as fisheries and aquaculture grow. Commercial fishermen, aquaculture lease holders, and oyster restoration partners are also interested in using alternative substrates, both to put out directly on the Bay bottom to catch wild larvae or to use in an oyster hatchery that produce “spat on shell” (which is larvae that are attached to oyster shells.) 

Shells are limited and expensive, so more substrate is needed to expand the oyster industry. So, scientists have been evaluating alternatives to oyster shells for use in Maryland

Scientists must find other substrates that are as effective as shells that don’t leach dangerous chemicals into the water. 

Potential substrates that have been used for oysters in this region and in other states can be grouped into three categories:

• Biogenic: oyster shell (fossilized, fresh, dredged), other species’ shells (whelk, clamshell)
• Geologic: granite, stone (river rock), amphibolite (used for paving or crushed stones), limestone marl
• Anthropogenic (human produced): concrete and recycled concrete.

In Havre de Grace, amphibolite rock is quarried, and restoration efforts have used the rock to build oyster reefs in sanctuaries (e.g., Harris Creek).

Other states also use alternative materials for oyster substrate. In Texas, limestone marl, river rock, and crushed concrete are common. North Carolina uses limestone marl, a state resource. Virginia uses granite chips in addition to fresh and dredged Eastern oyster shell. Often larger stones are used in sanctuaries and restoration sites, but smaller is better for harvest sites.

Engineered reefs are structures formed from molded concrete, such as reef balls, reef castles, or fish havens. These structures can be placed on the bottom of the river or bay to allow spat to settle naturally or can be placed in tanks at hatcheries to be settled with hatchery-reared oyster larvae. The composition of the concrete can be tailored to improve settlement (larvae attaching to the substrate) by adding calcium or pieces of shell to the mix. The majority of engineered reefs placed in our Bay are in oyster sanctuaries or on MARI (Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative) sites. The use of engineered reefs is not effective for harvesting because oysters can only be harvested by divers.  

Large scale construction demolition projects can provide appropriate concrete materials. Crushed, recycled concrete is recovered from demolition sites and its toxic elements (e.g., rebar) removed.

The need for substrates is getting more attention. The DNR (Department of Natural Resources) submitted a permit to USACE (US Army Core of Engineers) and MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment) to plant hatchery reared spat on substrate other than shell. 

Recently, the public fishery has expressed interest in utilizing alternative substrates on its bars. A permit was obtained from MDE and USACE to plant alternative substrates on a public fishery bar in Pocomoke Sound (Somerset County) and another site in Broad Creek (Talbot County). The Broad Creek site was just approved in late 2023 and will soon begin planting crushed, recycled concrete.

In July 2023, Governor Moore created a Shell and Substrate Task Force. The principal functions of the task force were to: 

• Identify strategies and solutions to retain shell, increase its abundance and use more substrate across the Chesapeake Bay.
• Evaluate strategies to meet the demand from public fishery, aquaculture, and restoration.
• Evaluate the economic impacts of substrate and develop recommendations.

But it is important to know which substrates perform most effectively. Drs. Elizabeth North, Matt Gray, and Monica Fabra at University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) are evaluating the efficacy of 9 different substrates. They are scientists with expertise in marine biology and experience with research on oysters. 

The HPL team is evaluating the effectiveness of different substrates on (a) settlement (larvae latching onto the substrate and growing), (b) toxic leaching (verifying that there are no toxic chemicals leaching from the substrate), and (c) biofilm formation (determining the microorganisms that grow on the substrate that are important for larval settlement). It is part of a grant from the state of MD and is legislatively mandated by the 2023 senate bill SB830.

The 9 substrates are: (1) dredged Eastern oyster shells, (2) weathered Pacific oyster shells, (3) clam shell pieces, (4) whelk shells,(5) recycled concrete, (6) limestone marl, (7) granite, (8) river rocks, and (9) amphibolite. Fresh Eastern oyster shell (our Maryland oyster) was also used in the study.

To conduct the laboratory study, Dr. Fabra released oyster larvae into beakers and waited six weeks to count the number of spat that had latched onto each substrate. While results are preliminary and are from the laboratory only, the team found that spat successfully settled and grew on all of tested substrates. 

Preliminary results suggest that, overall, shells did better slightly than rocks. By a small margin, the highest spats per beaker were dredged Eastern oyster shell and weathered Pacific oyster shell. Fresh Eastern oyster shell, whelk shell, concrete, and amphibolite also performed well.

She and her team are also evaluating these substrates to verify that they do not leach heavy metals. Another evaluation will be related to the formation of biofilms that are important for larval settlement on substrate. 

In the late spring of 2025, the HPL team will test these substrates in our rivers using cages and trays at wild sites.

In evaluating the overall value of a substrate, it is important to consider the cost, weight, size, transportation costs, ease of handling as well as settlement and toxicity. Fresh oyster shells are expensive and the ability to find substrates that are local and cost-effective can be a leap for commercial fisheries, aquaculture and oyster restoration. 

This is an exciting study, done right in our backyard, with benefits that will last for generations.

Dr. North will be discussing the HPL team’s research on Tuesday, March 4 at 5:30 at the Talbot Community Center. Check the Horn Point Laboratory website, www.umces.edu/hpl or their social media for more information about registration.

 

 

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

The recent snowstorm on the Eastern Shore is just the beginning of freezing temperatures due to the polar vortex. These temperatures from the Arctic are forecast to hit a large portion of the United States. The Arctic blast is being driven by large-scale pressure changes and an expansion of the polar vortex. 

Temperatures could be 30 degrees Fahrenheit below average temperatures as far south as Florida. In Key West, we need to look out for falling iguanas, not a weather condition that is experienced in most of America. Iguanas go into a temporary state of paralysis when they get cold, and they can’t hold onto tree branches. That thud we hear is another loathsome creature hitting the pavement (but unfortunately surviving).

While it’s too early for precise temperature forecasts, the weather websites warned that this could be the coldest January in more than a decade. The expansion of the polar vortex is expected to last at least until the middle of January and possibly for the entire month.

What is the polar vortex? While it is an ominous sounding phenomenon, in fact it is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the North and South poles. The vortex strengthens in winter, which is why we are typically not impacted by it in the summer. The term “vortex” refers to the counterclockwise flow of air at wind speeds of 155 mph that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. It is not uncommon for the polar vortex to expand in winter, sending cold air southward with the jet stream. Major polar vortex disruptions occurred in 2014, 1977, 1982, 1985 and 1989. The most recent polar vortex event in 2019 sent a massive cold front across the Midwest.

Polar vortexes are not new, it is just the term that has been popularized. Weather forecasters study the polar vortex by looking at conditions tens of thousands of feet up in the atmosphere. And cold air due to a polar vortex is not confined to the United States, portions of Europe and Asia experience similar cold surges. 

Polar vortexes occasionally reverse, but not this year. 

So bundle up, this will be with us for a while. Enjoy the snow, while I step over gross, paralyzed iguanas on my deck.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Well, it is time for New Year’s resolutions. While I am not particularly good at keeping them, I am skilled at making them.

I am not alone in my lack of commitment. Eighty to ninety-one percent of New Year’s resolutions don’t last more than six months. Twenty-three percent of those who make New Year’s resolutions quit them by the end of the first week and 43% quit by the end of January.

So, I count myself in the majority.

This year I made my usual resolution to lose weight. I am consistent about making this resolution…and some year I hope to keep it. Twenty percent of New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight. It is no surprise that commercials about weight loss programs are ubiquitous. But this year I notice a change. Most of the commercials are about GLP prescription solutions. Even traditional diet or behavior-based programs are offering this option. Let’s face it, most diets and willpower solutions don’t work.

My second resolution is to become more technologically savvy. My phone is my lifeblood and my nemesis. There is an app for everything, and I am expected to use all of them. My phone contains apps for my bed, my oven, my vacuums, my heating and cooling systems, my Wi-Fi’s, my refrigerator, transit trains, flights, hotels, UBER, LYFT, money, banking, email, calendar, music, calculator, flashlight, credit cards, Starbucks, Walmart, eBay, weight loss, Target, Instacart, grocery stores, messenger services, games, social websites, Internet phone, Internet services, texting, cable, television, streaming services…and more. I cringe every time I hear the phrase, “you need you to download our app.” But this is the world that we live in and ignoring it will not make it go away, no matter how hard I try. So, I am resolved to use my phone instead of my computer and to purchase most tickets on the phone. I suspect that this will be my hardest New Years’ resolution, even harder than my weight loss resolution.

And finally, I am resolving to be more active on social media. I am an intensely private person and have no social Internet presence. But I need to add social media apps so that I can enjoy the postings of others.

I know that I will not be successful unless I develop a plan. I need to set milestones and ways to measure incremental success. Experts say not to rely on will power. But let’s face it, if New Year’s resolutions did not require will power, we wouldn’t need to set them. 

Another way to be successful is to set a routine or schedule. For example, one of my plans is to access social apps for an hour three times a week. 

Another tactic to increase chance of success is to use groups. Classes also offer both expertise and group support. 

Of course, resolutions are a marathon and not a sprint; and because of that, I have to be willing to accept setbacks. I can accept the slip, but not to use it as permission to quit. 

And finally, there is SHAME. 

Which is why I put my resolutions in a column every year to hold myself accountable. Clearly, a desperate attempt.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

I have retreated to the warm sunshine of Key West. I know that the weather has been unpleasant at times up North, with cold temperatures and torrential rain. I am fortunate enough to live in Key West, where this time of year chilly days are in the high sixties; and most days are in the 70s. In Key West, the palm trees sway to the tune of the trade winds that gently surround the island. 

To many, Key West is paradise. I found 283 novels that were set in Key West on Amazon, and 516 nonfiction books about it. There are duplicates in this list, but it shows you how intriguing Key West can be. Writers have tried different devices to capture Key West. One used street names, another treated Key West as his companion; still another tried to use a traditional history. Each time they fell short. 

Key West is known for its sunsets. Mallory Square takes on a carnival atmosphere at sunset. But I prefer its sunrises. The contrasting colors of the aqua, turquoise and jadeite ocean against the changing colors in the sky of warm pink, yellow, and pale blue are portraits in pastels. At sunrise, pelicans occupy the piers and sea gulls commence flight. Great blue herons perch motionless on the shoreline and the ibis stalk insects in the grass. On the pier, the observers are silent, appreciating the artistry that nature has created. 

What makes Key West a place that people consider paradise? It can be many things:

• The acceptance and quirkiness. There is no dress code.
• Living outdoors. Eight months out of the year the weather is wonderful; the other four months it is tolerable only to locals (called Conchs).
• Its raw beauty…The colors of the ocean and sky, sunrises, and sunsets have inspired many artists.
• The lifestyle…two wheels (or some similar representation of them) are the best way to get around the island.
• The sounds…the rustling of palm trees, roosters crowing; and at night, the bands and drunk patrons weaving through Duval Street.
• The tastes…thanks to the tourists and guests, its restaurants rival any large city in their diversity and quality.
• The animals…cats and chickens live on the streets in harmony, dogs have their own beach, gawky pelicans glide gracefully over the ocean, the ibis wanders through lawns, the eerie anhingas stretch out their wings to dry. 
• The architecture… There are a few graceful Victorian and Queen Anne homes, but many homes are eyebrow or simple Conch houses, structures that can easily be rebuilt after the hurricane sweeps them away.
• There is always something to do.

Key West has no clock; it recycles and reinvents itself. Boom and bust cycles, hurricanes, winds, fires & floods, full and part-time inhabitants, drugs, fishing. Somehow you get the impression that despite climate change, hurricanes, scoundrels, tourists, and politics, Key West will endure. 

But as magical as Key West can be, it is not paradise. 

The dictionary defines paradise as an ideal or idyllic place or state. To me, paradise is a what not a where. Paradise is a moment when I experience pure joy. 

Paradise is that moment that you snuggle with your child, the time you realize that you have met someone who completely understands you, and the holiday parties where you connect with close friends and family. So, while I am soaking up the warmth in Key West, those in the chilly weather have equal opportunity to experience paradise.

I wish that the holidays bring you paradise in the touch of a loved one, the beautiful holiday displays, the festive shops, and restaurants. And most of all, I hope that you can recognize your paradise when it appears. 

I want to thank all of my readers, knowing that you are reading my columns and getting feedback is my paradise. I wish for paradise-filled holidays to all.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

It is hard to be positive about the cold weather that is gripping a large part of the nation. It is unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst. It even affects us in Florida, although there are few sympathizers in the northeast. Key West is not built for cold temperatures. Most of our transportation is on bicycles and some of our homes don’t have heat. Of course, the cold is felt most acutely in the north. 

But I can think of one benefit of this cold weather. Soups and stews become a welcome addition to the home. My mother prepared many soups and stews. I remember the aroma of vegetable, chicken soups, and beef stews wafting through our home. Our home was filled with the scent of these wonderful meals. And since the soups and stews take a while to cook, the whole day promised a warm and comfortable meal.

Like my siblings, I have taken on the tradition of making soups and stews. In many cases following my mother’s recipes, in others adding my own twist.  

Not only do soups and stews evoke fond memories, but they are also very healthy. They contain vitamins and minerals, which are important for fighting diseases and viruses. Soups are an easy way to meet the daily vegetable quota and cooking vegetables in soups, stews, or curries helps them retain many of their vitamins. 

Soups have the advantage of being low in calories and are a healthy option for those of us who are watching our weight. 

Soups are satisfying and good for weight conscious people because they are mostly water, but we perceive them as food. It was found that eating the same number of calories in soup as in pretzels increased weight loss by fifty percent.

Let’s face it, soups and stews are the ultimate comfort food. 

Lentil soup is regarded as the healthiest soup, but all vegetable soups are healthy. The only soups that do not fit in this category are cream based soups, such as New England clam chowder and Vichyssoise (sorry).

Not only western culture prizes these foods. Chinese medicine utilizes soups and cooked vegetables for healing.

So, soups and stews are the silver lining to this miserable weather. A warm memory and savory, healthy food. Time to get out the crock pot.

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Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.