Texas Sea Grant Facilitates Coastal Resilience Index Showing Improved Resilience in Aransas County

May 4, 2022

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 flooding and hurricanes until they occur. Failing to take adequate steps to prepare for such events can significantly impact communities and businesses and cause economic hardship for residents and business owners.

In 2016, Texas Sea Grant facilitated a team of 12 community leaders in conducting a third Coastal Resilience Index (CRI) in the community to help Aransas County gauge their progress toward becoming more resilient to coastal hazards. Aransas County’s CRI score improved over its previous self-assessments using the tool, suggesting that the community has increased its ability to cope with, recover from, and regain operation after a disaster. The assessment also helped to direct future actions and secure a grant to join the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System.

Group of people removing ghost nets from a beach.

Alabama

Biden-Harris administration invests $27 million to support community-driven marine debris solutions through Investing in America agenda

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $27 million in funding for projects to prevent and remove marine debris in coastal and Great Lakes communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This funding will support innovative research and foster local coalitions to address urgent marine debris issues by using NOAA Sea Grant’s partnered approach to bring science together with communities for solutions that work.

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Community members and city leaders gathered during a listening session to identify key climate readiness needs in Erie, Pennsylvania during June of 2023. (Photo by

Biden-Harris Administration invests $60 million to build a climate-ready workforce through Investing in America agenda

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $60 million in funding to help train and place people in jobs that advance a climate-ready workforce for coastal and Great Lakes states, Tribes and Territories as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda under the Inflation Reduction Act. To date, awards like these from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda have created more than 270,000 jobs across the country.

The funding will support nine projects around the nation, with $50 million going directly to the projects and $10 million for technical assistance to support the grantees.