Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science say rising sea levels are steadily overtaking farmland across the Mid-Atlantic, with the Gloucester-Mathews area ranking among the region’s most vulnerable locations. A newly published study found about 25,000 acres of farmland have been converted to marshland since the 1980s. Researchers say saltwater intrusion is affecting farmland nearly twice as fast as forested land, particularly in low-lying areas such as Guinea and Diggs. Efforts including ditch banks and soil treatments have slowed the damage, but researchers say the long-term loss of farmland is expected to continue as sea levels rise.
ED HISTED
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.