The presence of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat seafood products is a major cause of costly food recalls in the seafood industry. Although typically found in low numbers and infrequently causing illness, Listeria can multiply to levels that can lead to human disease during refrigerated storage of many ready-to-eat food products, including cold smoked salmon.

New York Sea Grant has funded several projects led by food safety researcher Dr. Martin Wiedmann at Cornell University since 2000 that have examined various aspects of L. monocytogenes growth and control. Based on the results from Dr. Wiedmann’s research, along with research supported by the National Food Safety Initiative by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service of USDA, the researchers developed an online manual titled “Control of Listeria in Ready to Eat (RTE) Seafoods: Control Strategies for Listeria monocytogenes in Food Processing Environments.” In addition, three specific training programs were developed to help processing plants establish and implement improved science-based L. monocytogenes control programs, and were designed in collaboration with the University of Delaware and Cornell University, New York Sea Grant, Maryland Sea Grant, Virginia Tech, Louisiana State University, the National Food Processors Association and the National Fisheries Institute.

New York’s Lake Ontario region saw unprecedented high water levels in 2017. New York Sea Grant responded to stakeholder requests for a standardized means of reporting impact on waterfront properties by collaborating with experts at Cornell University to build a tool for reporting high water impact on Lake Ontario. The high water impact survey by New York Sea Grant has collected data on nearshore damage and inundation, damage to shoreline protection, secondary structures and utilities, and on loss of land. Cornell University faculty are analyzing the data to validate a flood risk management tool for identifying the most vulnerable areas to assist coastal stakeholder resiliency building. Additionally, New York Sea Grant was invited to participate in two Public Hearings on the historic flooding hosted by the New York State Senate and Assembly.

Concern over flooding from severe storms has increased since the Super Storm Sandy struck the New York City region and coastal communities of New Jersey and Connecticut. New York Sea Grant research into the prediction of 21st century coastal storm surges nets the research team a $337,772 NOAA-CSTAR grant and a $80k ORISE Fellowship for a student on the project.

The storm surge regression model developed from the initial project provides real-time ensemble predictions for New York City. This is the only ensemble surge system available for New York City with more than a few members, and it used by the National Weather Service, in conjunction with models from other groups, to help their predictions during storm surges.