Research Activities on the VIMS Pier, Beach, or Immediately Offshore of Campus
PPD-0110
In order to assure that the resources of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) are appropriately allocated and in order to keep track of who is responsible for specific activities, any use of the piers, the beach, or the waters or bottom of the York River immediately offshore of the Institute’s Gloucester Point campus must be approved by the Associate Dean of Research and Advisory Services (ADRAS). The process of obtaining prior approval for such activities should limit the likelihood of conflicting uses and should assist in the management of multiple, potentially competing requests for the use of limited resources.
The ADRAS will maintain an up-to-date file listing the programs/principal investigators authorized to deploy equipment or otherwise use the Institute’s piers, the duration of that authorization, the locations along the piers where materials that will be stored or hung, and the nature and purpose of the work. The ADRAS also will maintain an up-to-date list of the programs/principal investigators authorized to place materials on the VIMS beach or in the waters immediately offshore, the duration of that authorization, the specifics of where those materials will be placed, and the nature of the work. The ADRAS will send copies of these files to the Director of Facilities Management and to the Director of Safety and Environmental Programs. This will enable the staffs of Facilities Management and of Safety and Environmental Programs to determine whether or not persons working on the pier or shore are authorized to do so and to enable staff in Facilities Management, including Security, and in Safety and Environmental programs to contact the appropriate Principal Investigator or Laboratory Manager should there be a concern or problem related to specific materials.
Persons desiring to place materials in the water or on the river bottom below the level of Mean Higher High Water are responsible for securing any permits or authorizations required by the Virginia Marine Resource Commission or any other agency. Applications for such permits must be coordinated through the ADRAS.
In so far as possible, any materials should be labeled with basic contact information for the research program or for one or two individuals who could respond to problems with the materials. Investigators should remember that it is impossible to stop unauthorized access to the pier from the water (the ladders are mandatory safety equipment) and should secure and label their materials accordingly.
Persons involved in activities on the pier that involve working with overboard equipment should be aware of the general requirement to wear an appropriate Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and of the general requirement to abide by the “2-person rule.” If in doubt, contact the Office of Safety and Environmental Programs.
Recreational fishing and crabbing from piers are prohibited. Fishing and crabbing from the piers as part of scientific projects are allowed with written permission from the Associate Dean of Research and Advisory Services. See Policy and Procedure Document 0401.