Inside One of North America’s Greatest Living Archives: Delaware’s Mollusk Collection
The mollusk collection at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science is the tenth largest in North America and is worldwide in scope with an emphasis on marine mollusks from the Indo-West Pacific and Florida.
The Delaware Microbiome: Mapping the Invisible Networks Beneath Our Feet and Shores
A new study from the University of Delaware, “The Delaware Microbiome Project,” takes a sweeping look at microbial life across the state’s soils, sediments, and waters.
When the Tide Creeps Inland: Rethinking Soil Salinity Testing on the Delmarva Peninsula
Rising tides are salting Delaware’s farmlands. New University of Delaware research shows the Mehlich-3 soil test—a common nutrient analysis—can also detect salinity, offering farmers a fast, affordable tool to track soil health and protect crops.
Balancing the Ground Beneath Our Feet: Managing Soil pH for Healthy Delaware Crops
The University of Delaware’s recent publication, Measurement and Management of Soil pH for Crop Production in Delaware (Shober, Gartley, & Sims, 2024), serves as a comprehensive update to a decades-long body of work on how local soils behave, buffer, and respond to liming or acidification.
Oysters, Bacteria, and Bay Waters: What a New Delaware Study Reveals
Researchers investigated seawater and oysters from Sally Cove in Rehoboth Bay, monitoring samples from July to October 2023.
Through the Bottle and Beyond: The Future of Beverage Testing at Delaware Analytical
A recent study from researchers in Australia and Mexico took this question literally. They used near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning to authenticate beers without ever opening the bottle.
PFAS in the Delaware River: What the Latest Research Means for Our Communities
PFAS may be “forever chemicals,” but that doesn’t mean they should remain forever unmeasured. By building capacity for PFAS detection and water quality analysis in Delaware, we can help communities, researchers, and regulators take informed action to reduce risk and protect our shared waters.
From Oysters to Ecosystems: Environmental Testing Projects at Delaware Analytical
With the arrival of fall, our 2025 summer research season has concluded. Over the past several months, we’ve been deeply involved in marine conservation research—specifically, studying how water quality impacts oyster development along the New Jersey shore. This project was supported by our colleagues at ReClam the Bay.
Microplastics in the Delaware Estuary: Tiny Troubles with Big Consequences
Julia Fontana’s research, Sources, Fate, and Biological Impacts of Microplastic Debris in the Delaware Estuary reads like a detective story for environmental scientists: Where is the plastic coming from?