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2019

How climate change is changing the way we do science

August 29th, 2005 is a day that I will never forget. My mother and I had evacuated our New Orleans home several days earlier, and we sat glued to the television, transfixed by the images of Hurricane Katrina inundating our city. In the months that followed, we scoured Google Maps, simply to see if our house still stood. When we finally returned home ten months later, I saw how easily entire ecosystems can be disrupted and destroyed by natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina left a legacy of destruction in its wake, but watching my city recover from the devastation gave me an intimate perspective on the issues associated with living in a coastal environment and compelled me to pursue a career in coastal resiliency. 

How climate change is changing the way we do science Read More>

Researchers Find Offshore Aquaculture has a Low Nutrient Footprint

Large-scale offshore aquaculture may have much less environmental impact from nutrient pollution than people suspect, according to a recent study funded by Florida Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries.
Offshore aquaculture is poised to grow in the coming years to help offset the U.S. seafood trade deficit, but concerns have been raised about the potential for fish waste to pollute surrounding waters by introducing unnaturally high nutrient levels. In this new study, researchers found little evidence of nutrient pollution from a commercial cobia aquaculture farm located offshore the Republic of Panama. 

Researchers Find Offshore Aquaculture has a Low Nutrient Footprint Read More>

Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an International Activities Fellow

By Bianca Prohaska. Going into my fellowship position, I knew I would travel a lot, lead our collaborations with India, and  provide support for our work with China. What I didn’t realize is how quickly I would get to start my work and get traveling! Read about my experiences in India, Ireland, Hawai’i, France, Malaysia, and more!

Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an International Activities Fellow Read More>

National Academies’ Gulf Research Program and Sea Grant release reports from collaborative workshop series on improving regional oil spill preparedness

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Program and the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a series of workshops around the country – in Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Virginia – designed to bring regional priorities to the fore in community oil spill preparation and resiliency planning. Five regional workshop reports and one summary report are now available online.

National Academies’ Gulf Research Program and Sea Grant release reports from collaborative workshop series on improving regional oil spill preparedness Read More>

Knauss Fellowship alum Catalina Martinez receives prestigious award for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion

Catalina Martinez, a 2002 Knauss Fellow through Rhode Island Sea Grant, was one of six NOAA experts  recognized at the 2019 annual Women of Color in STEM conference. Martinez explains how the Knauss Fellowship paved the way for her 18-year career at NOAA.

Knauss Fellowship alum Catalina Martinez receives prestigious award for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion Read More>

Wade into CERF with Sea Grant at the upcoming 25th biennial conference

Some 1700 people are expected to descend upon Mobile, Alabama on November 3rd-7th for the 25th Biennial Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Conference. In addition to the Sea Grant scholarship that will be on display through presentations and posters, here is a quick guide to ways in which the National Sea Grant College Program will be present and advancing the conference theme, Responsive | Relevant | Ready.

Wade into CERF with Sea Grant at the upcoming 25th biennial conference Read More>

Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international fisheries policy

By Madi Harris
Speed-walking down 5th Avenue in my suit while fighting early Manhattan summer humidity was not the morning I had planned for myself. Expecting the early Amtrak train from D.C. to New York to be on schedule may have been my own naivety, but I now found myself tempting a late arrival for my very first meeting at the United Nations (UN). 

Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international fisheries policy Read More>

Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a first generation immigrant

By Lisa Kim
I never expected my Knauss Fellowship to land me in South Korea. Yet, there I was, full of anxious excitement on a bumpy car ride in the narrow streets of the country I was born in. I looked in the rear view mirror to make sure my hair was neat and my button down shirt was straight. I got out of the car, and saw an old woman, tears in her eyes. “My grandbaby!” she cried. My grandmother stumbled over with her cane to hold me in a warm and familiar embrace. The last time I saw her, 26 years ago, she had black tightly permed hair and a little more fat on her skin. 

Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a first generation immigrant Read More>

Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship

My position as the Knauss Policy Fellow working on the GEO Blue Planet Initiative has required organization, flexibility, creativity, teamwork, and comfort with (lots) of learning on the job. The thing above all that has helped me to navigate these challenges is my role as a Dungeon Master (abbreviated as DM) in Dungeons and Dragons. I thought it would be fun to share with current and future fellows five different ways in which being a DM has helped me in my role as a Knauss Fellow and as a member of GEO Blue Planet. 

Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship Read More>

Great Lakes Resurgence

Revitalization breaks through in this photo essay from National Geographic photographer Peter Essick, in collaboration with the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, demonstrating the renewed majesty of the Great Lakes.

 Take a visual tour of the restoration and resurgence of Great Lakes tributaries that were designated as Areas of Concern under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. These tributaries were pinpointed due to significant pollution and habitat problems, but with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Areas of Concern are getting cleaned up and habitat is being restored.

An ecological investment is bringing life back to the aquatic environment. Tourism, recreation, and development are returning to the basin’s rivers, harbors, and lakes.

Great Lakes Resurgence Read More>

Learning to Swim with the Big “Fish” (Marine Mammals)

By Roxanne J Carini

In graduate school, I would quip that I studied everything about the ocean, except what lived there! So, imagine my surprise when I wound up at the Marine Mammal Commission for my year-long Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. 

Falling in love with the world of marine mammals didn’t take long! But, not for the reasons you may think.

 

Learning to Swim with the Big “Fish” (Marine Mammals) Read More>

From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean

By Katharine Egan
A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the wet lab on the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster watching a video feed from the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that I helped to deploy. The pilot guided the ROV into shallower waters, and I was quick to identify the corals as these depths. I thought about what I was doing this time last year: sitting in front of my laptop using math to find coral reefs just like these for my Master’s thesis research. More specifically, I was using spatial predictive modeling to produce maps showing the potential location of star corals, which can help researchers identify where important reef habitat is located. This year, I didn’t have to predict where the star corals were located, instead I was identifying them as they came across the video feed from the ROV.

From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean Read More>

NOAA Sea Grant and Fisheries announce 2019 Ecosystem and Population Dynamics Fellows

Sea Grant and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Fisheries) are pleased to announce the 2019 Fisheries-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship recipients. Eight population and ecosystem dynamics fellowships were awarded through a competitive selection process. The Fisheries-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship program supports students pursuing doctoral degrees in population and ecosystem dynamics as well as marine resources economics. The program is a focused workforce development effort to train highly qualified professionals in areas of critical need for NOAA’s science-based approach to fisheries management.

NOAA Sea Grant and Fisheries announce 2019 Ecosystem and Population Dynamics Fellows Read More>

Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat Restoration benefit Wildlife and People.

By: Alicia Wilson
While spending my first field season of graduate school on the coastal barrier islands of Georgia, I thought I was lucky to witness a record number of loggerhead sea turtle nests for the state. Three years later, as I watch from my fellowship in D.C., I am even more amazed. Loggerhead sea turtle ladies are kicking butt in Georgia. They are poised to break all nesting records in the state, with an anticipated final nest count of over 4,000! Just 15 years ago, the count hovered around 400 nests total for the entire state.

Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat Restoration benefit Wildlife and People. Read More>

Teaching Teachers

By Christina Dierkes.

Ohio Sea Grant educators provide a wide range of professional learning experiences for teachers, from developing curriculum and teaching Stone Lab workshops to accompanying teachers from across the Great Lakes region in shipboard science workshops aboard the U.S. EPA’s Lake Guardian research vessel. Educators Lyndsey Manzo and Angela Greene have found new ways to help educators take what they learn back to the classroom, and that’s really the end goal of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab’s professional learning efforts. Every time just a few people pick up those lessons and run with them, those efforts reach so many more students than concentrated work by just Sea Grant staff ever could.

Teaching Teachers Read More>

Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch Butterfly

By Liz Berg

As a Congressional and Legislative Affairs Fellow with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), I act as a liaison between the FWS and Congress. One of the issue areas I work on is the conservation of pollinators, including the monarch butterfly. I have responded to inquiries from staff who work for Senators, House Representatives, and Congressional committees, including the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and House Natural Resources Committees. I have also prepared outreach materials, and helped coordinate a Congressional briefing – all concerning the monarch butterfly.

Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch Butterfly Read More>

Pennsylvania Sea Grant Educates and Inspires Students and Adults through the Connect with Your Environment Newspaper Page

Pennsylvania Sea Grant, in partnership with the Erie Times News, produces a weekly environmental newspaper page, as part of the national program Newspapers in Education. Stories about local, regional, and global environmental issues, research and educational programs reach students in classrooms throughout the Erie, PA school district each Tuesday during the school year.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant Educates and Inspires Students and Adults through the Connect with Your Environment Newspaper Page Read More>

Sea Grant Announces 2020 Finalists for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program

The 2020 finalists for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program will become the 41th class of one of the most prestigious marine policy fellowships in the U.S. The 69 finalists represent 28 of the 34 Sea Grant programs. Since 1979, Sea Grant has provided one-year Knauss fellowships to early career professionals to work in federal government offices in Washington, D.C. to over 1,300 early professionals.

Sea Grant Announces 2020 Finalists for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program Read More>

Me in the field.

From No to Ph.D: a journey from imposter to scientist

By Zac Cannizzo

“Not for you. You just don’t have the mind for science.” The words of my 8th grade science teacher when I asked to be placed in Biology for my freshman year. It hurt. I always liked science, and I loved biology. Some of my earliest memories are watching Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures. From a young age, I wanted to be a biologist. But, I guess it wasn’t for me. I guess I’m not smart enough. I guess maybe I need to do something else. I just don’t have the mind for science.

Two years. I believed her for two years.

From No to Ph.D: a journey from imposter to scientist Read More>

Look for the Helpers: Conservation-Focused Research amidst Environmental Crises

By: Andie Chan. I pressed my SCUBA mask to my face as I back rolled off a small catamaran into the warm tropical waters of the Florida Keys. It was my first time SCUBA diving for my Ph.D. research, and I was eager to prove myself. I was starting a project on increasing our understanding of the reproduction and population sizes of pillar corals using genetic techniques, so I needed to collect small pieces of tissue from multiple colonies to bring back to the lab at Penn State. Fortunately, pillar corals at this dive site in Key Largo were conspicuous and prevalent. I swam along a 60 meter stretch of upward-reaching colonies that looked almost furry with their tentacles moving in the current. With great care, I took a small amount of tissue from several colonies to minimize wounding these animals – many of which were likely hundreds of years old.

Look for the Helpers: Conservation-Focused Research amidst Environmental Crises Read More>

NOAA, partners release harmful algal bloom forecast for western Lake Erie

The Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Seasonal Forecast, produced by NOAA and released with Ohio Sea Grant, gives coastal managers, lake users, and drinking water facility operators a general sense of the potential severity of the upcoming bloom season. NOAA is forecasting a large bloom for 2019, with a severity index greater than 7. The index is based on the bloom’s biomass – the amount of harmful or toxic algae – over a sustained period.  Last year’s bloom had a severity of 3.6 and the 2017 bloom had a severity of 8.

NOAA, partners release harmful algal bloom forecast for western Lake Erie Read More>

Switching Up Your Communication Style

In the academic world, communication comes in the form of peer-reviewed papers, theses or dissertations, seminar talks, conference talks, and posters. All long format and so deep into the science that you’re no longer certain what language they’re speaking. So, what do you do when you’ve been trained in those styles of communication for the past five years and you begin a communications position in the federal government as part of the Knauss fellowship program for a climate modeling program?

Switching Up Your Communication Style Read More>

Transitioning from Academia to Federal Government as a Sea Grant Fellow

I hit Submit. I felt anxious. I felt nervous. But, I also felt excited.

I had just taken a leap from my comfort zone to a world of unknown.

Four months later, I found myself in tears as I read “Good News! You have been selected as a Finalist for a 2019 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.” I was going to transition from academia to the world of policy in Washington, DC.

And I was terrified.

Transitioning from Academia to Federal Government as a Sea Grant Fellow Read More>

New Jersey Sea Grant to Host Workshop on Fisheries Population and Ecosystem Dynamics

NOAA recently awarded New Jersey Sea Grant funding to plan and host an event focused on workforce development for the field of fisheries population and ecosystem dynamics. The program is a partnership effort supported by Sea Grant, NOAA’s Office of Education and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) aimed at engaging undergraduate students in the specialized field of population and ecosystem dynamics, which combines science with mathematics for science-based management of U.S. fisheries.

New Jersey Sea Grant to Host Workshop on Fisheries Population and Ecosystem Dynamics Read More>

Sun, Sand and Science: My Path to NOAA

Growing up as an army kid, home was just wherever the military decided to stick my family, never a place I lived. But, as I was walking home from my third day as a Hollings Scholar at NOAA’s Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) in Pearl Harbor, HI, it hit me that this strange new place actually “felt” like home, it was something deep in my bones. Now, I am not typically one for signs from the heavens or one to put much stock in ‘feelings’, but I can tell you that this moment was life altering and set me on a path to one day make it back there.

Sun, Sand and Science: My Path to NOAA Read More>

Creating a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Coastal and Ocean Science Workforce

During Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) 2019, Sea Grant and the Women’s Aquatic Network collaborated to host a brown bag lunch session on Increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Coastal, Marine and Ocean Science Workforce. Four panelists, including those from government and non-government sectors, offered inspiring, specific and candid remarks during the packed session, which had standing room only.

Creating a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Coastal and Ocean Science Workforce Read More>

Sea Grant Celebrates National Fishing and Boating Week

The sun is shining and the water is calm: what better way to spend a warm summer day than dropping anchor, kicking back and casting a line? Every year, tens of millions of people flock to U.S. coasts to enjoy recreational fishing and boating. Sea Grant supports the recreational fishing and boating enthusiasts and industries by providing resources that teach people learn how to fish and boat, help boaters and anglers determine when and where to go on the water, how to get the most out of their excursions while staying safe, and how to protect the environment so future generations can enjoy the same experiences.

Sea Grant Celebrates National Fishing and Boating Week Read More>

From the dock to the bridge: a shift in perspective on maritime navigation

For the past five years, my typical field day was spent waist deep in marsh mud wielding the tools I needed for success: sunscreen, bug spray (lots of it), and a GPS.  My work day as an environmental scientist and salt marsh ecologist is a very different world from the one I recently jumped into as a Knauss Fellow in NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, the nation’s nautical chart makers.

From the dock to the bridge: a shift in perspective on maritime navigation Read More>

How does shellfish aquaculture interact with Puget Sound’s marine life?

In Puget Sound, The Nature Conservancy in Washington wants to learn more about shellfish aquaculture structures and how they impact the marine environment for specific organisms or life stages. They partner with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Washington Sea Grant, as well as the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and shellfish farms, to study which fish and crab species use shellfish aquaculture habitats.

How does shellfish aquaculture interact with Puget Sound’s marine life? Read More>

Around the U.S. in Eight Hours

Annapolis. Honolulu. Oakland. Charleston. Minneapolis. St. Petersburg. Gloucester. My desk is in Silver Spring, but we also work in Saipan, Stennis, and Seattle. Working with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management means working with regions across the nation’s states and territories and sometimes changing my surroundings, virtually, every hour.

Around the U.S. in Eight Hours Read More>

In Puerto Rico, investing in lifeguards keeps beaches safe and sustains coastal tourism

Since the 1960s, surfers from the United States have been going to Rincón, Puerto Rico to catch the best waves of the winter season. The trend has been so consistent that the town has slowly built its economy along its approximate eight miles of beautiful coastline, now famous with tourists. Yet, as the surfing community continues to swell, the beaches get crowded, and the same waves that keep the local economy afloat also put tourists and locals at risk of losing their lives.

In Puerto Rico, investing in lifeguards keeps beaches safe and sustains coastal tourism Read More>

A Lasting Humatak Watershed Adventure

“Look! This is where we live?! I can’t believe we’re still on Guam! It’s so beautiful!” That was the genuine reaction of a middle schooler as our bus climbed a hill, revealing to us a breathtaking view of Sella Bay in southern Guam. We were en route to our first stop on the Humatak Watershed Adventure, which I was co-leading as a part of my extension project for my University of Guam Sea Grant Fellowship.

A Lasting Humatak Watershed Adventure Read More>

Hurricane Preparedness: Building Resilient Homes, Plans, and Effective Warning Systems

How do people prepare for hurricanes before the season begins? When a hurricane is looming, how do people receive warning, decide to take action, and prepare for the storm? As part of the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Preparedness Week, Sea Grant programs have been highlighting their work that aims to answer these questions. Resources developed by Sea Grant and partners can help communities and individuals prepare for storms well before hurricane season even approaches as well as when a storm is approaching.

Hurricane Preparedness: Building Resilient Homes, Plans, and Effective Warning Systems Read More>

Sea Grant Announces Funding Opportunity for Highly Migratory Species Research

Sea Grant is announcing a Federal Funding Opportunity focused on research of HMS species, including the interactions between yellow-fin tuna and oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, to address critical gaps in knowledge about HMS in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean regions. Letters of intent are due May 15, 2019, and full proposals are due June 19, 2019. 

Sea Grant Announces Funding Opportunity for Highly Migratory Species Research Read More>

Scientists discover new hazard to Great Lakes swimmers

The storm on Lake Michigan lasted only 15 minutes, but the conditions it put into motion took seven lives. The incidents came under scrutiny by Wisconsin Sea Grant scientists who study a storm-induced wave called a meteotsunami (a contraction of the term meteorological tsunami, which means a wave caused by weather). Their results were published on Feb. 14 in “Scientific Reports.” They found that the storm formed a moderate-height meteotsunami, which is what went on to cause the unexpected rip currents, a previously undocumented phenomenon.

Scientists discover new hazard to Great Lakes swimmers Read More>

Sea Grant Fellow Publishes Research on Impacts of Temperature Change on Global Fisheries

NMFS-Sea Grant Population and Ecosystem Dynamics Fellow Chris Free and colleagues published a study in the March 2019 edition of Science that “used historical ocean temperature and fisheries data to determine how ocean warming affects the amount of fish that can be harvested sustainably from wild-populations.” Free’s dissertation adviser, Olaf Jensen, says that the NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship was instrumental in allowing Free to pursue this groundbreaking work. “This fellowship gave him the freedom to really devote himself to this research rather than [teaching] or applying for small grants,” said Jensen.

Sea Grant Fellow Publishes Research on Impacts of Temperature Change on Global Fisheries Read More>

Wisconsin Sea Grant and National Weather Service Explore Influence of Severe Weather on the Economically Disadvantaged

A Wisconsin Sea Grant and National Weather Service collaborative project seeks to answer the question: Why are the economically disadvantaged more likely to be negatively affected by severe weather? It adds to the Weather Ready Nation initiative.

Wisconsin Sea Grant and National Weather Service Explore Influence of Severe Weather on the Economically Disadvantaged Read More>

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