Sea Grant’s 2005
4th Quarter Highlights

Tsunami signs, a concept developed by Sea Grant, go global
The signs have been adopted in other Pacific coastal states - Washington, California, Alaska and Hawaii - as part of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, a collaborative state-federal program to improve tsunami warning systems and public awareness. A Sea Grant scientist developed the tsunami sign concepts with state geologists and planners. The tsunami signs were posted on new warning signs along Thai beaches as part of Thailand's new National Disaster Warning Centre.

Hurricane Warning Systems: researchers gauge Hurricane Dennis' fury
A team of research engineers from three Florida universities deployed five mobile wind towers in Dennis' projected path, then monitored and recorded the hurricane's winds as it swept ashore. In the second project, researchers followed the hurricane's impact on University of Florida’s “hurricane house,” built to withstand winds exceeding 140 mph. The 3,000-square-foot house was all but undamaged. Both of these research projects began with Sea Grant funding.

Maine Sea Grant and partners are making significant progress in its efforts to monitor water quality at beaches, with 42 beaches now regularly monitoring for water quality. In 2001, only three Maine beaches performed monitoring.

In Pearl and Hermes Atoll and Maro Reef in the northwest islands, Coast Guard and NOAA divers pulled up more than 20,000 pounds of lethal debris--nets, line, buoy pieces and other marine junk--twisted in the muck and chunks of coral that had been smothered by the trash. NOAA recently received money from Congress for its marine debris efforts. The program, coordinated through NOS, is working with Sea Grant and other offices across NOAA lines to address this pressing problem throughout the Nation.

Delaware Sea Grant Researchers Analyze Katrina's Effect on Gulf Ports
Ports in Louisiana and Mississippi play a key role in the transport of products ranging from fuel oil to fresh fruit across the region and the nation, according to James Corbett, a Sea Grant marine transportation specialist. Corbett analyzed how the hurricane's damages to New Orleans and several other major Gulf ports will affect the movement and cost of consumer goods on regional to national scales, and provided the nation with early observations.

South Carolina Sea Grant and Partners Host Annual Beach Sweep
Volunteers from school groups, church groups, businesses and other groups collected more than 130 pounds of trash from the beach and waterways at Huntington Beach State Park Saturday during the 17th Annual South Carolina Beach Sweep and River Sweep, which is held in conjunction with The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.

Sea Grant Creates a 24/7 Sea Turtle Hotline
The program has trained a group of experienced people and enlisted a cadre of boats to respond to turtle entanglement calls. Launched this summer, the disentanglement program is run by the Rhode Island Sea Grant Sustainable Fisheries Extension Program in partnership with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the federal agency charged with protecting and recovering sea turtles.

Researchers are developing a means to predict the risk of dioxin in fish
Toxicologists supported by Sea Grant are revealing the intricate molecular mechanisms by which dioxin (and similar compounds like PCBs) derail normal processes in the cells of developing fish. With a detailed understanding of these mechanisms, toxicologists will have a way to predict the danger a given species faces from dioxin: conduct a relatively simple analysis of that species’ cellular biochemistry, and then describe how dioxin will corrupt it.

Texas Sea Grant Leads Nation in Clean Marina participation
Through the Clean Texas Marina Program, Sea Grant recently certified a record 51 marinas that are demonstrating their commitment to keeping Texas waterways clean. The program is helping marinas reduce pollutants and waste going into the water, including trash, sewage, detergents, oil and gasoline. Marina operators are using better management practices to reduce waste and pollution.

Sea Grant formulates diets to boost the feasibility of building an aquaculture system for sea urchins
Sea Grant formulated 44 different diets based on the knowledge of commercial diets for other invertebrates and sea urchin feeding ecology. Sea Grant laid the groundwork for boosting the feasibility of building land-based aquaculture system edible sea urchins, which are a major component of marine environments found throughout the world’s oceans. The promise of sea urchin farming would not only help to alleviate the over-fished sea urchin population and bolster the seafood industry, but has important biomedical applications and the ability for global economic impact.

A survey conducted by Sea Grant showed that Louisiana inshore shrimpers and fishermen are increasing their profits by marketing some of their catch as live bait to recreational anglers.
The survey was part of a national Sea Grant initiative to guide research and extension programming for the coastal bait industry in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Previously, no definitive survey of the Louisiana coastal bait industry had been conducted. The survey found shrimp, croakers and cocahoe minnows to be the most popular live baits with the state’s recreational fishermen. Survey respondents indicated they are willing to pay up to four times the market value of some baits – specifically croakers – in order to guarantee a successful fishing trip. The live bait sector in Louisiana is a $40 million business, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Louisiana Sea Grant continues to support the coastal bait industry with programs and publications geared to helping all aspects of the industry.

Researchers find hibiscus & hala trees help block destructive sea waves
Hawaii Sea Grant researchers found that pandanus (hala) trees and bushy plants between buildings helped lessen the waves' impact.

High-Tech Buoy Monitors Weather in Michigan
A solar-powered buoy bobbing on the surface of Grand Traverse Bay is providing boaters, forecasters and other interested people with up-to-date information about the Lake Michigan waterway's sometimes volatile weather. The floating device is being added to a developing network of Great Lakes buoys that could support research projects on topics ranging from global warming to oxygen depletion. Sea Grant assisted with the logistics and funded the earlier Lake St. Clair deployment.

Aquaculture Will Soon Be in Alaska Agriculture Plan
Thanks to nearly a decade of perseverance by Alaska Sea Grant aquaculture specialist Ray RaLonde to improve funding for research and development of Alaska shellfish and salmon enhancement, aquaculture will be included in the Alaska statewide agriculture plan. That will give Alaska aquaculture researchers access to much needed, higher levels of financial support.