By: Eleanor Pierel. Upon entering the Knauss Fellowship, I was not sure where I would fall on the optimism scale by the end. You see, as the Climate Policy Fellow, my days revolve around climate change policy and action from the local to international scale. Yet, many of the conversations, meetings and trips throughout my fellowship had a theme of optimism and motivation in the face of climate change…
Thoughts on Climate Optimism Read More>
By: Michelle Nguyen. I stand there in the Hawk’s Nest launch viewing area right outside of Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, CA, watching as NOAA’s JPSS-2 satellite, atop an Atlas V rocket, successfully joins its Joint Polar Satellite System comrades in orbit. While my eyes are trained on the ascending rocket, I can’t help but think “How did I, an invertebrate physiologist by training, end up at a satellite launch?!”
The Sky’s the Limit Read More>
Contaminants of emerging concern, like pharmaceuticals, cleaning products and microfibers, pose risks to the Nation’s drinking waters and aquatic life, but they are often excluded from monitoring programs and published water quality standards. Two new projects recently funded by Sea Grant aim to enhance research and monitoring efforts for this class of chemicals and materials while strengthening strategies to reduce their presence in aquatic environments.
Sea Grant advances investigation of contaminants of emerging concern Read More>
NOAA is developing a Programmatic Environmental Assessment to analyze the potential impacts on the natural and human environment from aquaculture research and development projects funded by federal financial assistance awards. A public comment period for the draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment is open now through December 18, 2022.
Sea Grant announces $1.2 million in support of Sea Grant’s American Lobster Research Program to continue addressing emergent needs and priorities associated with this important fishery. Pursuant to congressional direction, this year’s funded projects shift focus on operational needs, specifically related to gear technology implementation, research and adoption.
Sea Grant announces $1.2 million in support of 2022 American Lobster Research Program Read More>
Four Connecticut cities have joined a pilot project to boost community participation in climate change planning. Community activities in Bridgeport, New Haven, New London and Norwich are being led by Connecticut Sea Grant with support from NOAA, and will focus on climate risk communication and planning for community resilience.
Community climate planning projects underway in 4 Connecticut cities Read More>
NOAA Sea Grant today announced approximately $14 million in federal funding across four strategic areas for improving U.S. aquaculture. The competitively selected projects will advance early stage propagation strategies for various aquaculture species, marine finfish juvenile production technologies, aquaculture collaboratives and establishment of an aquaculture information exchange.
NOAA Sea Grant announces $14 million in investments to strengthen U.S. aquaculture Read More>
As part of the Knauss Fellowship, fellows have the opportunity to engage in professional development and travel related to their placements. This summer, a group of fellows traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, for the United Nations Ocean Conference. Continue reading to learn about their unique experiences.
Snapshots from the UN Ocean Conference Read More>
Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries are pleased to announce the 2022 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship recipients. Seven population and ecosystem dynamics fellowships and one marine resource economics fellowship will be awarded through this national program. Since 1999, the NMFS-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship program has trained the next generation of specialized experts in fisheries management.
Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries Announce 2022 Joint Fellowship Program Awardees Read More>
NOAA and Sea Grant are pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 class of the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. The 2023 class represents the largest in recent years with 86 finalists. The 2023 finalists describe themselves in a map of the universities that they hail from, celebrating their different paths to the fellowship.
NOAA and Sea Grant are pleased to announce that Guam Sea Grant has achieved status as a Sea Grant Institutional Program, a designation of growth from the program’s previous Coherent Area Program status. As an Institutional Program, Guam Sea Grant will be able to increase its contributions to the national Sea Grant network and enhance the practical use and conservation of Guam’s marine and coastal resources.
Guam Sea Grant becomes an Institutional Sea Grant Program Read More>
By: Kate Shlepr. Change invites uncertainty and therefore risk. I feel the weight and exhilaration of this reality as I sit to reflect on events from the past six months, both in my personal life and in our world. For one, it strikes me that I am (now) an openly queer person writing from my desk in a Congressional office two generations after the Stonewall riots; if those aren’t evidence of change, what is?
Hurricanes. Flood events. Oil spills. When disaster strikes, communities come together to respond. NOAA Sea Grant and NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program are partnering to help communities respond to and recover from these occurrences through three projects that strengthen local preparedness measures.
Community planners and decision makers now have an application guide to help them plan for the significant sea level rise the United States is expected to see in the next 30 years. The guide is a response to the 2022 Interagency Sea Level Rise report, which projected about a foot of higher waters, on average, along U.S. coastlines by 2050.
Gary Graham shows shrimp fisherman how to inspect the TED on his trawl net. Photo credit: Texas Sea Grant Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are required
The Northeast Sea Grant Consortium—in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office and Water Power Technologies Office, and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center—today announced six projects to advance social science and technology research on offshore renewable energy in the Northeast United States. This funding opportunity, which awarded over $1.1 million in federal funds, seeks to catalyze research for the coexistence of marine energy—including wind, current, tidal, and wave energies—with Northeast fishing and coastal communities.
Flooding in a coastal town after Superstorm Sandy. Photo credit: New Jersey Sea Grant Many communities do not consider their vulnerability to coastal hazards like
Wind turbine as part of the nation’s first offshore wind farm off of Block Island. Photo credit: Rhode Island Sea Grant A growing global market
Beachgoers walk along small portion of uncovered beach during a King Tide. Photo credit: Hawaii Sea Grant Hawai`i Sea Grant partnered with the City and
Hawai`i Sea Grant Helps Secure $1M Grant to Improve Resilience Read More>
Kayaker enjoys the Broad Creek waterfront from the water. Photo credit: Christopher Katalinas, National Sea Grant Office A new kayak launch installed by the Nanticoke
Delaware Sea Grant brings new kayak launch to Laurel, DE Read More>
Virtual reality installation, nicknamed “Owl,” on the Santa Monica Pier. Photo credit: USC Sea Grant Planning for the impacts of sea level rise are a
Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs developed innovative ways to recycle and reuse dredge material. Photo credit: Chris J. Benson Over 100,000 cubic yards of
Minnesota Sea Grant Helps Sustain Commercial Operations in Major Great Lakes Port Read More>
Ninety one percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, and half of that is from aquaculture. With environmental concerns and a growing population,
Managing coastal resources to balance human use with environmental health requires citizens who understand the complexities of coastal environments. Informal education is a highly effective
New Jersey Sea Grant and its partners worked together to compile a dune manual that combines information on beach and dune processes with current research findings
Since 2010, Maine Sea Grant and UMaine Cooperative Extension have worked with state and regional partners to develop and coordinate Signs of the Seasons, a
Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs team up to implement an annual mentor-mentee extended workshop called “Science, Sailing, and Shipwrecks” to increase participants’ abilities to improve the
Since 2007, Alaska Sea Grant has convened six statewide Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summits (AYFS). More than 400 new fishery entrants have attended, and nearly 100
Scientists say there’s a 30 percent chance of a massive earthquake and tsunami striking the Pacific Northwest in the next 50 years. Photo credit: Tiffany
As the Gulf Coast population increases, so does the risk of exposure to floods, hurricanes and other storm-related events. Photo credit: Vanda Lewis | North
rainings help improve the knowledge of municipal staff that are responsible for enforcing the regulatory provisions of the National Flood Insurance Program. Photo credit: Louisiana
Established in 2007 by the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, The Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit (AYFS) is a three-day networking and skill-building conference for new entrants
Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit Read More>
Kauai’s shorelines are vulnerable to a variety of natural hazards including erosion, wave inundation, flooding, and wind. Inadequate planning and haphazard responses to coastal hazards,
Even in a small state like Delaware agencies with planning, response, and data needs often lack the time and support to collaborate effectively and leverage
Wisconsin has a rich tradition of recreational fishing and Friday night fish fries. It’s commercial fishing fleet, numbering 70 license-holders, harvests from lakes Michigan and
Eat Wisconsin Fish raises awareness and sales Read More>
Charleston, S.C., has seen a 409% increase in the number of nuisance flooding days since the 1960s. The city is now making a concerted effort
Herring is a species critical to commercial lobstermen and recreational fishermen for bait. Despite the long standing requirement that social impact assessments (SIAs) be done
MIT Sea Grant helps managers consider social impact of fishing regulations Read More>
Small harbor communities along Michigan coasts face a combination of fluctuating water levels, changing economic conditions, and changes to funding for harbor infrastructure, all of
The members of the Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant oil spill science outreach program have built relationships with the oil spill response community as well
A Connecticut and Rhode Island Sea Grant partnership offers annual US Food and Drug Association-mandated training in the application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Dave Burrage, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium‘s Mississippi Extension Leader and Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension professor of marine resources at the Coastal Research and Extension Center,
National Seafood Month: Sea Grant Boat Safety Training Helps Save Two Fishermen Read More>
Washington Sea Grant helps Washington fishermen reduce risks with port-based, U.S. Coast Guard-certified training in emergency preparedness, fire response, cold-water rescue, first aid and other safety measures,
Washington Sea Grant Marine Safety and First Aid Training Read More>
The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant hosts a number of fisheries workshops in the spring and fall, outside of popular fishing times and at venues convenient for anglers in
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Fisheries Workshops Read More>
Thirty-six commercial fishermen and state agency personnel took part in a daylong safety and survival training course sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant, Fishing Partnership Support Services, the U.S.
Safety Training Helps Fishermen Survive in a Dangerous Job Read More>
Despite the downsizing of California commercial fisheries, fishing still provides a viable career for young people, especially given a renewed interest in emerging fisheries and a local food
California Commercial Fishing Apprenticeship Program Read More>
Aquaculture fish tank. Photo credit: Christopher Katalinas, National Sea Grant Office Demand for salmon, and the price it commands, is on the rise. Wisconsin Sea Grant
Wisconsin Sea Grant Helps Launch Innovative Salmon-Raising Business Read More>
Julie Davis prepares a batch of oyster seed to provide a budding South Carolina oyster farmer. Photo credit: Christopher Katalinas, National Sea Grant Office South
Oyster farmer tends to his lines in Alabama. Photo credit: Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium The Gulf Coast oyster industry has suffered a number of setbacks, both natural
Sea Grant Integrated Program Expands Oyster Farming Industry in Alabama Read More>
American eels are held at the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research. Photo credit: Christopher Katalinas, National Sea Grant Office Maine hosts a
Maine Sea Grant Works to Advance American eel Aquaculture in the U.S. Read More>
NOAA offshore aquaculture pens. Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries With grant support from NOAA Fisheries, California Sea Grant convened a series of workshops where state resource
New Report Identifies Next Steps for Offshore Aquaculture in Southern California Read More>
Sea Grant aids the growth of shrimp aquaculture in Indiana. Photo credit: Louisiana Sea Grant Indiana aquaculture producers compete for customers with much more affordable imported
Accurate regional climate projections are vital for coastal planners, engineers, and communities which face an onslaught of impacts from climate change, including sea-level rise, changing
In 2018, Oregon Sea Grant-supported researchers continued to investigate the factors affecting blue carbon burial in Oregon tidal wetlands. Carbon accumulation was found to be primarily
Some 40 percent of the nation’s coastal marshes reside in Louisiana. These wetland habitats are vital to the state’s economy, ecology and resilience. Their importance
Understanding carbon cycling in coastal habitats is critical for understanding global carbon budgets and opportunities for climate change mitigation. At the interface between oceanic and
MIT Sea Grant Develops New Water Quality Monitoring Technology Read More>
MIT Sea Grant collaborated with local, state and federal partners to restore 600 acres of coastal wetlands. Working in partnership with the EPA, MIT Sea Grant
MIT Sea Grant Informs and Improves 600-acre Coastal Wetland Restoration Read More>
Sea level rates in the Chesapeake and coastal bays are rising at about twice the national average. Climate change is making storms more intense. This
Wetlands are important in mediating the effects of global climate change by sequestering CO2 in recalcitrant plant biomass or anoxic soils. Alternatively, these ecosystems may
With funding from Washington Sea Grant, researchers conducted one of the first-ever studies on sediment carbon stock and carbon sequestration rates for restored and natural
Kaety Jacobson, Oregon Sea Grant Extension marine fisheries faculty member leading a Shop at the Dock tour in Newport. Photo credit: Oregon Sea Grant Oregon
Oregon Sea Grant’s “Shop on the Dock” Connects Seafood Buyers with Fishermen Read More>
Michael Ciaramella works with New York’s seafood industry, regulatory agencies and food and nutrition professionals on issues related to seafood safety, quality and marketing. Photo
New York Sea Grant Advances the Control of a Foodborne Pathogen on Cold Smoked Salmon Read More>
Fishing vessels in the Boston Harbor. Photo credit: MIT Sea Grant MIT Sea Grant developed a systematic approach to analyzing public comments on fishing regulations that helps managers inform
MIT Sea Grant Helps Managers Consider Social Impact of Fishing Regulations Read More>
In addition to offering habitat to fish, artificial reefs improve fishing opportunities and create new scuba diving destinations. Photo credit: Florida Sea Grant Florida Sea
The Gulf of Mexico Conference (GoMCon) merges the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) All Hands Meeting, the annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystems Science (GoMOSES) Conference, and the triannual State of the Gulf Summit. It provides a forum to address issues identified by the five Gulf states as priorities for regional action.
Catch Sea Grant at the Gulf of Mexico Conference (GoMCon) 2022 Read More>
In collaboration with North Carolina Sea Grant, Georgia Sea Grant used Vulnerability Consequences Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS), GIS-based cost-benefit evaluations, and elevation data for flood
One of the primary pathways for the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is the movement of trailered watercraft. Inconsistency, overlaps, and gaps between neighboring
Advance warning of harmful algal blooms is vital when it comes to safe drinking water. Two new integrated monitoring networks for Lake Erie’s western basin
Researchers develop an early warning system for Lake Erie algal blooms Read More>
A North Carolina Sea Grant-funded scientist and a commercial fisherman, who met while collaborating on Sea Grant-funded research, started the Sandbar Oyster Company. They are
Taurine is a nutrient required in the diet of many fish species. Although taurine has traditionally been supplied to the fish via fishmeal, scrutiny over
A major challenge facing the seafood industry is confirming the identity of fish sold in restaurants, seafood markets, and by wholesalers. In 2010, Florida Sea Grant
Handheld sensor technology is revolutionizing fake seafood detection Read More>
As part of the Coastal Storm Awareness Program, the New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut Sea Grant Programs supported social science research that evaluated NOAA
Six years of research in four high-priority tributaries of the Russian River allowed California Sea Grant biologists to document insufficient over-summer streamflow as the definitive
Abandoned vessels can have devastating impacts on their environment as they can leak oil and waste and add chemicals to waterways. Virginia Sea Grant extension
Virginia Sea Grant extension helps address local abandoned and derelict vessels Read More>
In collaboration with other Great Lakes Sea Grant programs, Wisconsin Sea Grant created a marine debris teaching tool: Trash Trunk. This all-ages resource describes marine debris,
A Community Engaged Intern with USC Sea Grant examined marine debris release through data collection and comparison of marine debris type, location, abundance and size. The intern
USC Sea Grant shares sources of marine debris through an interactive StoryMap Read More>
Bringing together almost four dozen local, state, academic and community partner groups, Connecticut Sea Grant and New York Sea Grant released a 38-page plan aimed at reducing
Connecticut and New York Sea Grant release Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan Read More>
Across the country, coastal and Great Lakes Sea Grant programs have committed to cleaning their local beaches and shores of marine debris. Guam Sea Grant
Sea Grant’s commitment to cleaning local beaches and shores Read More>
Several Sea Grant programs are committed to the removal of abandoned, lost or derelict crab pots, which can hurt commercially valuable organisms and seagrass communities
Gulf Sea Grant programs remove abandoned crab traps from the environment Read More>
North Carolina’s oyster aquaculture industry is growing to serve local businesses. Photo credit: Vanda Lewis The North Carolina oyster industry is a major economic resource for the
Expanding Oyster Aquaculture Benefits North Carolina’s Economy and Environment Read More>
Coastal Washington experiences erosion, flooding, severe storms and tsunamis—the impacts of which will intensify with sea level rise. Washington Sea Grant (WSG) leads the Coastal Hazards Resilience
With the direction of staff from NOAA and Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program, Virginia Sea Grant extension partners at the Virginia Coastal Policy Center (VCPC) drafted updated
Virginia Sea Grant extension facilitates streamlining of environmental policies Read More>
Rhode Island’s commercial seafood industry was hit hard during the COVID-19 public health crisis when restaurants shut down, prices dropped, and in some cases, wholesalers
New York Sea Grant (NYSG) received two Legal Capacity Building grants from the National Sea Grant Law Center to explore the creation of a New
New York Coastal Resilience Law and Policy Fellows assemble resources to help communities Read More>
The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services initiated an effort in 2018 to audit and revise its 2008 Invasive Plants Strategy. The audit included a legal
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program (MASGLP) studied how limitations in the Clean Water Act as well as elevated costs for septic in marshy coastal
The Louisiana Legislature directed Louisiana Sea Grant to study and make recommendations for the creation of a voluntary public recreation servitude of use of coastal
Created in 2015, the Georgia Sea Grant Legal Program advances informed decision-making by providing objective legal and policy analysis of coastal, environmental and land use
In 2011, the Florida Sea Grant Coastal Planning Program began working with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council and City of Satellite Beach. This
In partnership with the University of Florida Conservation Clinic, an experiential learning program for students in the Levin College of Law, Florida Sea Grant established
In honor of Women’s History Month, get to know one of the many Women of Sea Grant, Renee Collini. Renee is a Coastal Climate Resilience Specialist with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Florida Sea Grant and Mississippi State University.
Increasing local resilience to climate effects with Renee Collini Read More>
On April 21, 2022 at 3 p.m. ET, the National Sea Grant Law Center will present a Continuing Legal Education webinar entitled “Per-and Polyfluorinated Substances Legal and Regulatory Update.”
National Sea Grant Law Center to present Continuing Legal Education webinar on PFAS Read More>
Sea Grant is developing its 2024-2027 national strategic plan. The national office is hosting a series of web-based listening sessions ahead of writing the plan. Members of the public may also provide written comment via a virtual comment card.
National Sea Grant College Program Seeks Input on its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan Read More>
Sea run fish – fish that migrate between fresh and saltwater – hold meaning to many New England communities as food, as income, as history and as a key part of a functioning ecosystem. But many unknowns about these fish remain. Across New England, Sea Grant researchers are working to understand how these populations are changing, what habitats are most important to them and how to restore once vibrant runs of sea run fish.
Downriver and Out to Sea Read More>
The world’s largest source of fresh water, the Great Lakes, provides drinking water to more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada. In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering, funded by Wisconsin Sea Grant, have demonstrated that tributary rivers feeding Lake Michigan play an important role in bringing the human-made group of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Great Lakes system.
Questions poured in by the dozen after the morning session of the 2015 Adapt CT legal workshop—six pages worth, in fact. The workshop was part of a series on climate adaptation hosted by Connecticut Sea Grant and the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research, known as CLEAR, through their joint organization Adapt CT. Legal issues had starkly emerged as another area being reshaped by the broad sweep of the changing climate, as effects are felt across fisheries, agriculture, health, infrastructure, wildlife and economies.
In this episode of On My Coast, we’re joined by Beth Lenz (Assistant Director for Diversity and Community Engagement at Hawai’i Sea Grant), Keith Ellenbogen (Associate Professor of Photography at SUNY the Fashion Institute of Technology & Visiting Artist at MIT Sea Grant), and Syma Ebbin (Research Coordinator at Connecticut Sea Grant & Associate Professor in Residence at the University of Connecticut) for a roundtable-style conversation about art and science.
Portions of this live conversation have been edited for clarity.
Episode 4: STEAMing Along Read More>
By: Nicholas Anderson. I work at the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation in support of one of the agency’s missions, to ensure our nation has sustainable fisheries and recover threatened and endangered species by promoting fish passage at hydropower dams. I visited two hydropower dams in May 2021 to see how at a local level our program provides guidance to the different parties involved in hydropower and fish passage planning.
Overcoming barriers: Navigating fish passage at hydroelectric dams Read More>
The National Sea Grant Office announced funding for the Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network (RAS-N) in 2019. While that three-year grant is now winding down, the collaborative network it helped build is not going away. Rather, it is entering an exciting new phase with $10 million in funding from a U.S. Department Agriculture program designed to enhance sustainability in agriculture.
Collaborative network for recirculating aquaculture moves into next phase Read More>
By: Michaela Margida. If you type the title of this article into a Google search, as I did nearly a year ago when I was first placed in U.S. Senator Cory Booker’s office as a Legislative Knauss Fellow, you’ll find that there are over 27 pages of results. I read the first 30 or so search results before realizing that confidence probably wasn’t something I’d get through an academic approach.
Building confidence in a new position Read More>
By: Shellby Johnson. When I received an unexpected invitation during my Knauss Fellowship to join an ocean exploration transit across the North Atlantic, stress definitely entered the room, but I chose to fight, and it was one of the best professional and personal experiences of my life. Learn about my experience in this interactive feature.