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Below, you'll find information on some of NYSG's recently highlighted research, extension and education projects, activities and initiatives ...

Wear It! Cold Weather On-Water Safety Tips from New York Sea Grant: Law Restarts November 1 More>>


Seafood Eat Food Workshop: Sea Grant’s Response to a Rise in Consumer Engagement More>>

• Brochure: Seafood and You (pdf) pdf
  
  
• Postcard Series: Seafood Nutrition More>>
  
  
• Postcard Series: ID-ing, Handling and Preparing Seafood More>>

New York Sea Grant's Jamaica Bay Specialist Launches NYC-based Climate Forum Series More>>


Help Protect New York's Waterways on Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 22nd and Everyday More>>


Hurricane Awareness & Preparedness

• NOAA Predicts Near-normal 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season; Sea Grant Produces Video on Coastal Storm Awareness More>>
  
  
• NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Storm Awareness Program Comes Ashore: Programs release short documentary and trailer to accompany final report More>>
  
  
• On Blog: Atlantic Hurricane Season is Here: Be Aware, Be Strong, Be Prepared More>>

NOAA and Sea Grant Fund $800K in Ocean Acidification Research More>>
Studies from Maine to New York will help investigators gain a better understanding of effects of ocean changes on iconic Northeast marine life

• SBU Researchers Receive Funding to Study Effects of Ocean Changes on Marine Life More>>

New York Sea Grant Awards Buffalo State Researchers Nearly $12K to study water at Gallagher Pier More>>

• On Air: NYSG-funded Scientists study DNA to find pollution source in Great Lakes More>>

Lake Erie: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow More>>
Sea Grant Specialist at Lake Erie Seaway Trail Center September 21


In Photos: New York Sea Grant Paddles Ashore at 2016 Great New York State Fair More>>

• On YouTube: NYSG Exhibits 'The Water is Great in New York State' at Great NY State Fair More>>

Sea Grant Pacific Region Coastal Experiences Valuable for New York’s Water Resources More>>


On YouTube: Fifth Annual Seafood Throwdown at "Celebrate Grown on Long Island Day" More>>

• Newsday: "Grown on Long Island" Seafood Throwdown to Feature Young Reality TV Chefs More>>

Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Projects Announced, Monies Available for New Projects More>>


Social Media Review: NYSG's monthly blog series

• 2016 Year In Review More>>


• 2015 Year In Review More>>
  
  

On Blog: #SeaGrant50

This online series, which began in April 2016 and will run through April 2017, celebrates the National Sea Grant College Program's 50th Anniversary. Below are some of the first entries. Additional ones can be found throughout this time frame at www.nyseagrant.org/blog.

• Sustainable Coastal Tourism More>>


• Community Resilience: Sea Grant Helps Communities Plan, Adapt and Recover More>>
  Zeroing in on preparing for severe storms, educating on rip currents and many points in-between.


• NOAA Launches New Site, Celebrates Sea Grant's 50th Anniversary More>>
  New Web Sea Grant feature on NOAA.gov focuses on Coastal Storm Awareness, Harmful Algal Blooms and more.


• By The Numbers—Four Decades of Knauss Fellows More>>


• Remembering John A. Knauss More>>


• By The Numbers—Impacts on Coastlines in New York and Throughout the Country More>>


• On YouTube: Video Illustrates Sea Grant's 50 Years of Science Serving America's Coast More>>


• The Dazzling Dr. Spilhaus More>>


• Sea Grant Announces 50th Anniversary More>>

The Late Spring/Summer 2016 issue of Currents is available to read and download (individual articles/web extras) (design version - Constant Contact)

Feature stories (with any Web Extras) from this issue include:

From the Director More>>
If you were the sitting Director of New York Sea Grant, where would you focus the program’s energies, and why? Offer up your suggestions through the end of July 2016.


Spotlight: Opportunities & Upcoming Events


Event: Second Annual Ferry 2 Two Roads Event to Benefit NYSG's Long Island Sound Outreach Efforts More>>
This summertime celebratory event is slated for a 10:15 AM start at the Port Jeff- Bridgeport Ferry Terminal in Port Jefferson, NY on Saturday, July 9, 2016.


Event: “Should I stay or should I go?”: Communicating Risk when the Storm Comes More>>
A new video by Sea Grant summarizing research from 10 NOAA-funded social science projects will be screened during the day and evening on Thursday, July 14th at the Long Beach Library on Long Island, NY.


Funding: New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program - 2016 Request for Proposals
Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded for projects that: conserve and restore native fish and wildlife biodiversity and habitats or enhance community resiliency and ecosystem integrity. Proposals will be due by September 23, 2016. Grants will be announced the week of October 31, 2016. See www.nyseagrant.org/proposals for the full request for proposals and application guidelines.

Related:

• NYSDEC and NY Sea Grant Announce $89K in Grants for Great Lakes Basin Projects (January 2015) More>>

Training Courses: Seafood Safety
Registration is available for several food safety training courses through New York Sea Grant's newly-revised Seafood and Technology Web site, www.nyseagrant.org/seafood. Offerings include online courses on U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)-required Good Manufacturing Practices and Seafood HACCP. In addition to the HACCP (Segment One) online course, NYSG will now be offering a quarterly in-person Seafood HACCP Segment Two class, the next of which is slated for July 21, 2016. You can register online here.


Newsletter Feature Stories


NYSG’s Knauss Fellow Spreads Ocean Optimism Internationally More>>
Our current Knauss Fellow Erin Eastwood is bringing her international experience to NOAA's Climate Program Office.

On Blog:

• By The Numbers - Four Decades of Knauss Fellows More>>
  
  
• Remembering John A. Knauss More>>

New York Sea Grant Announces New Omnibus Research Projects More>
Mitigating the impacts of climate change and human activities on coastal community resilience, water quality and fisheries restoration are themes that connect our newly funded 2016-2017 Omnibus research projects funded through the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.


What’s New in Extension? More>
New York Sea Grant's extension program welcomed four new specialists in the last year, two each focusing on the state's Great Lakes and marine waters.

Related:

• New York Sea Grant posts impact statements for Great Lakes and Marine District projects More>>
  
  
• NY Sea Grant Partners with NYSDEC, Launches www.nyseagrant.org/nygreatlakes, a Web Portal for New York's Great Lakes More>>
  
  
• Web Resources: Watercraft Inspection—www.nyseagrant.org/watercraftinspection
  
  
• Web Resources: Nature-based Shorelines—www.nyseagrant.org/naturebasedshorelines
  
  
• NY Sea Grant Adds Coastal Processes, Watercraft Inspection Training Staff More>
  Two new positions housed at Wayne County Cooperative Extension, Newark, NY
  
  
• Publication Spotlight: Coastal Processes and Causes of Shoreline Erosion and Accretion More>>
  
  
• Publication Spotlight: Effects of Erosion and Accretion on Coastal Landforms More>>
  
  
• New York Sea Grant Welcomes Helen Cheng as Jamaica Bay Coastal Resilience Specialist More>>
  
  
• Sea Grant Supports Brooklyn's "It's My Estuary" Day: Photo Gallery More>>
  
  
• New York Sea Grant Catches a New Seafood Safety and Technology Specialist More>>

The Hudson is His Oyster: Matt Hare looks at restoring oysters in the Hudson More>>
Oysters were once so plentiful in New York City that oyster shuckers worked nearly ‘round the clock, feeding rich and poor alike, discarding mountains of shells. NYSG-funded Cornell University researcher Matthew Hare examines why that isn't the case now.


Sound Scholars and Stewards More>>
Summertime brings many greener views and bluer skies, but it also presents environmental challenges, like low-oxygen water conditions, which pose threats to the organisms that live in those waters. NYSG has funded many research studies on hypoxia, especially in Long Island Sound, where we also engage students and teachers in the process of examining the estuary's water quality.

Related:

• A Report Card for Long Island Sound More>>
  
  
• $843,424 Awarded for Long Island Sound Research (April 2015) More>>

Currents—News Archive


Hurricane / Severe Storm Awareness & Preparedness

• On YouTube: NOAA Predicts Near-normal 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season; Sea Grant Produces Video on Coastal Storm Awareness More>>
  
  
• NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Storm Awareness Program Comes Ashore: Programs release short documentary and trailer to accompany final report More>>
  
  
• On Blog: 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season is Here: Be Aware, Be Strong, Be Prepared More>>
  
  
• On Air, On YouTube: NYC Installs New Signs to Raise Awareness at Start of 2016's Atlantic Hurricane Season More>>
  
  
• On Air, On YouTube: Sea Grant Shows How We Can Best Prepare For the Next Severe Storm More>>
  
  
• Tracking ‘Great Lakes Nor’easters,’ New Eastern Lake Ontario Project More>>
  
  
  • On YouTube: NYSG Specialists, Investigators Track & Monitor Storms in Central New York More>>


• Living with Ever-Changing Lake Ontario Dunes Public Workshop (June 2015) More>>
  
  
  • Storm Stories of Eastern Lake Ontario, North Sandy Pond Needed More>>

Activities, Awards, Seasonal & Recent Events

Historic Round Boat Highlights Clean and Safe Boating Tips for 2016 Boating Season More>>
Is it a spaceship? An amusement park ride? No, it is an historic 7-foot round boat and it is the New York Sea Grant Discover Clean and Safe Boating educational vessel for 2016.

• New York State Legislature Applauds Sea Grant’s David White More>>
  
  
• Great Shipwrecks of NY’s ‘Great’ Lakes Exhibit Visits Albany More>>
  
  
• On YouTube: NYSG Offers Young Boater Safety Course, ROV Demos and More at 2016 Central NY Boat Show More>>
  
  
• On Air, On YouTube: Sea Grant At State Fair More>>
  
  
• NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo Visits With Sea Grant at 2015 Great NY State Fair Lakes More>>

More on Clean and Safe Boating (2016) ...

On YouTube: NYSG Offers Young Boater Safety Course, ROV Demos and More at 2016 Central NY Boat Show More>>

Diving deeper into the 2016 Central New York Boat Show ...

• Register for February 20th Young Boater Safety Training More>>
• Round Boat is Centerpiece of Boating Information Center More>>
• In-Water Boating Safety Programs Add Hands-On ROV Demos More>>

More on Great Lakes Shipwrecks (2015-2016) ...

Great Shipwrecks of NY’s ‘Great’ Lakes Exhibit to Visit Albany May 4-27 More>>

• NYSG Partners with PA Sea Grant on Traveling Lake Erie Shipwrecks Exhibit More>>
• Lake Erie Seaway Trail Center Hosts Great Shipwrecks Traveling Exhibit More>>
• On YouTube: Great Shipwrecks Traveling Exhibit at SUNY Oswego Through January 22, 2015 More>
  
  
  • Watertown Daily Times Spotlights NYSG's Great Lakes Shipwrecks Exhibit More>

Get On The Water with NYC's City of Water Day in Mid-July More>>
The Waterfront Alliance once again emphasizes the importance of public access to New York City and New Jersey's waterways via its City of Water Day celebration on Saturday, July 16, 2016.

• On YouTube: TWA's Annual NYC Conference - Defining and Delivering Equity at the Waterfront More>>

NY Sea Grant Educator Helen Domske Receives Distinguished Scientist Award More>>
"Being recognized by other scientists is extremely rewarding and following in the footsteps of acclaimed scientists is a true honor,“ says NYSG Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske.

• Sea Grant Reminds You to "Take Back" Your Unwanted Medicines More>>
  
  
• Great Lakes Learning: From Algae to Zooplankton More>>
  
  
• NYSG Offers Green Tips for Coastal Living More>>

Seasonal & Recent Publications


Fact Sheet/Brochure: Dogs and HABs—Harmful Algal Blooms: NY Sea Grant Shares Risk Reminder for Pet Owners More>>
As air and water temperatures warm, New York Sea Grant reminds people with dogs that enjoy waterfront areas about the health risk posed by harmful algal blooms.

• On YouTube: Sometimes Beaches and Lakes Aren't Completely Safe for Your Pets More>>
  
  
• SUNY ESF Investigators Monitor NY Waters of Sodus Bay, Helping to Predict Toxic Algal Blooms More>
  
  
• Feature Article: To HAB or Not to HAB: Harmful Algae Are Blooming in NY's Waters More>>

Booklet: Sea Grant's Colorful Guide Helps Home Gardeners Be More Water-Wise More>>
This recently-revised 20-page guide, which marks its 15 year anniversary in 2016, reviews everyday practices that can help reduce threats to water quality.


Fact Sheet: Coastal Processes and Causes of Shoreline Erosion and Accretion More>>
The processes and causes of erosion and accretion (build up of sediment) affecting New York’s shorelines are the focus of this New York Sea Grant four-page fact sheet.


Fact Sheet: Effects of Erosion and Accretion on Coastal Landforms More>>
Coastal landforms found along New York’s Great Lakes shorelines are the focus of this NYSG six-page fact sheet, which features colorful diagrams of how different ecosystems—including wetlands, bluffs and dunes, beaches and off-shore bars—can be impacted by erosion and accretion.


Brochure: Invasive Herring More>>
Examined in this brochure from New York Sea Grant are several Great Lakes invasive fish species, including Skipjack and blueback herring.


Fact Sheet: Will These Fish Invade North America? More>>
A team of investigators at Buffalo State College worked with NYSG's Fisheries Specialist to determine what we know about nearly a dozen potentially invasive Great Lakes fish species.


Fact Sheet: Classroom Plants and Animals More>>
Although useful as teaching tools, living plants and animals that are no longer wanted, have outgrown their tanks or enclosures, or become a burden to care for, can become invasive species if released into the wild.

• Bad News for Aquatic Invasive Species in the Great Lakes Region More>>

Booklets: New York State Prohibited and Regulated Invasive Plants & Animals More>>
Two revised full-color publications - produced by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation with assistance from NYSG, among others - list all the State's banned and regulated plants and animals.


Poster: Great Lakes Basin More>>
This comprehensive publication takes a look at The Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario — which contain 20% of the world’s fresh surface water. Examined is the Lakes' geology, early and modern history and stressors, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms and more.


Workshops & Related Resources


Great Lakes Regional Seafood Workshop More>>
Sea Grant-ers and industry specialists attended this Wisconsin-based in early May 2016


Second Annual Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Workshop More>>
Watercraft inspection engages boaters in learning how they can help slow and stop the spread of aquatic invasive species by checking their boats and trailers for debris that may contain AIS.


Workshops Address Future Lake Ontario Weather Extremes in NY More>>
Public stakeholders in the region invited to share thoughts on actions needed through lake and watershed planning to prepare for possible future extreme climate conditions and population changes.


Workshop Resources: Old Inlet Barrier Island Breach More>>
This NYSG-hosted workshop focused on the changes and responses of selected resources associated with the barrier island breach in the Fire Island Seashore's Wilderness Area caused by "Superstorm" Sandy.


Workshop Resources: Living Shorelines for Coastal Erosion Protection in a Changing World More>>
Attendees of this NYSG workshop were provided with practical information on the use of living shorelines as an erosion control alternative, focusing on smaller scale projects that have erosion protection as the primary objective.

Related:

• Long Island Coastal Resiliency Summit Held at Touro Law (April 2015) More>>

On Blog: January - December 2015 (Blog Post)
In a year when we didn't produce our flagship e-newsletter, this blog post serves as a thorough newsletter-like compilation of news you may have missed from New York Sea Grant and other NOAA line offices in 2015.

Some additional trending 2015 stories include:

First Ever Long Island Youth Ocean Conservation Summit Comes to Stony Brook University More>>


NY Sea Grant Specialist Dave White Honored as NASBLA Northern States Boating Educator of the Year More>>


Great New York State Fair (Late August - Early September 2015)
NYSG partners with the Great Lakes Research Consortium to bring the new "Lakes of NY: Over, Under, Around and Through, 21st Century Technologies" Exhibit ...

• On YouTube: 2015 Great New York State Fair to Host Lakes of NY: 21st Century Water Technologies Exhibit More>>


• CNY Schools Participating in ROV Demo Days at Great NY State Fair More>>


• NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo Visits With Sea Grant; Student Remote-Operated Vehicle Demos Continue More>>


• On Air, YouTube: Sea Grant At State Fair More>>

Living with Ever-Changing Lake Ontario Dunes Public Workshop June 18 More>


Are We Ready For The Next Hurricane? More>
A late April 2015 symposium featuring local experts on Superstorm Sandy and Preparedness


Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Leaders Workshop Set for May 1 More>


$843,424 Awarded for Long Island Sound Research More>
Sea Grant Programs and US EPA Long Island Sound Study To Fund Two-Year Water Quality Studies


Clean and Safe Boating (2015) ...

NY Sea Grant Offers Clean and Safe Boating Tips for 2015 More>
May 16-22, 2015 is National Safe Boating Week

On YouTube: Time To Think About Getting The Boat Out, Believe It Or Not More>

2015 Central New York Boat Show

• Register Now for Young Boater Safety Training More>
  
  
• Suddenly-In-Command Learning Drill for Public Aboard Vessel Added More>
  
  
• Upstate Boating Group Receives Marine Industry Award More>

On YouTube: Local High School Scholars to Compete in the Bay Scallop Bowl More>

• A Perennial Powerhouse Takes Local High School Science Bowl, Advances to Nationals More>

NYSG Partners for Workshop Series Examining NYSDEC Great Lakes Action Agenda More>

• NYSDEC and NY Sea Grant Announce $89K in Grants for Great Lakes Basin Projects More>

The Late Fall/Early Winter 2014 issue of Currents is available to read and download (individual articles/web extras) (design version - Constant Contact)

Feature stories (with any Web Extras) from this issue include:

Spotlight: Severe Storms


Sandy: Science Behind the Storm, Two Years Later More>
Late October 2014 marked the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy’s landfall in the Metro NY region. Since then, there have been many positions taken by researchers and decision-makers alike on which management response route New York should take: one of resistance (precaution and prevention), resilience (bringing our communities back to their pre-storm state) or re-alignment (evolve and reconfigure what, how and when to rebuild).

"I cannot tell you when the next big one will be, but it will come," says NYSG-funded Stony Brook University storm surge expert Dr. Malcolm Bowman. "It's inevitable in the long term. And the sooner we come to that realization, the better."

Coastal Storms Awareness Program
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s $1.4M "Coastal Storm Awareness Program" (CSAP) is a multi-year partnership with Sea Grant programs in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that is intended to raise awareness of how severe weather is communicated to and within communities. Below are updates on several of the 10 funded projects, several of which are administered by each of the three Sea Grant programs. Additional information on CSAP can be found at www.nyseagrant.org/csap.

• New York:
  
  On Blog: Evaluating Pre-Sandy Evacuation Decision-Making Processes Among Long Beach Residents (Hofstra University) More>
  As one might expect, this social science project has much to do with the culture, language, and attitude of people making the profound and often emotional decision about whether or not to evacuate their home before a storm hits.
  
  
• Connecticut:
  
  Storm Warning: Why Do So Many People Ignore Evacuation Orders? (Yale University) More>
  When dangerous storms batter coastal communities, not all residents heed safety advisories. A new study by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication explores what factors shape these choices.
  
  Tweeting in the Tempest: What We're Learning From #Sandy (Mississippi State University) More>
  So far, investigators who have been identifying and linking up some 12 million tweets sent during Hurricane Sandy—cataloging them by frequency of use of term—have yielded some interesting insights for everyday people and emergency managers alike.
  
  
• New Jersey:
  
  On YouTube: Severe Storm Focus Group Study on Flood Risk and Uncertainty (Nature Nurture Center) More>
  Participants in several New Jersey counties are being accepted into focus groups and surveyed about their use of the various flood warning tools and products made available by the U.S. National Weather Service.
  
  Coastal Storm Risk Communication Study Led by Rutgers Faculty (Rutgers University) More>
  Rutgers professor Rachel Schwom is conducting interviews with emergency managers of coastal towns as part of this NOAA-Sea Grant risk communication study.

WWWhat's Trending: Be Weather-Ready, Year-Round More>
Whether the weather calls for rain, snow, strong winds or something else severe, one thing is for sure: Winging it is not an option. Here's what you need to know about these and other seasonal concerns from NOAA, Sea Grant, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and others.


Social Science & Severe Weather: Evaluating NOAA's Impact-based Warning Tool More>
As featured on the National Sea Grant Office's Web site, NYSG's Associate Director Dr. Kathy Bunting-Howarth is one of four social scientists from the Great Lakes Social Science Network who evaluated the effectiveness of some warnings put out by the National Weather Service. “Understanding how to best communicate about severe weather is imperative," says Bunting-Howarth.


Sea Grant Extension Exchange Offers Insights into Storm Recovery More>
More than two years after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the northeast, the Sea Grant programs in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are still dealing with storm recovery issues. Louisiana Sea Grant—whose specialists helped their communities in the aftermath of severe storms including Katrina and Rita—lend a helping hand.


Spotlight: Harmful Algal Blooms

Sea Grant Alerts Millions of U.S. Pet Owners of Potentially Lethal Toxins in NY Waters More>
After news of NYSG's "Harmful Algal Blooms and Dogs" publications was announced by the Associated Press in mid-September 2014, dozens of U.S. media outlets – daily papers, blogs magazines – followed suit, which extended the total potential reach to some 4 million people. And, thanks to reposts on Facebook and Twitter by NOAA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Cornell Cooperative Extension, over 350,000 social media users received the news in their various feeds. “It all goes back to our culture,” says author Dave MacNeill, a NYSG Fisheries Specialist from the State University of New York at Oswego. “Americans are devoted pet owners.”

Related Media:

• Toxic Algae Blooms Cause Illness, Death in Dogs (Cornell Chronicle, November 4, 2014) More>
  
  
• Dogs and Harmful Algal Blooms (Ducks Unlimited, November-December 2014) (pdf)

Spotlight: Education - Climate Change, Lake Learning

Covering Climate in the Classroom More>
"Understanding the relationship between weather and climate are important first steps to understanding larger-scale global climate change," says NYSG Hudson Estuary Specialist Nordica Holochuck, who tested this and other lesson plan concepts with educators during a mid-November workshop on climate change and its impacts. Holochuck has been working with partners from Cornell University and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Hudson River Estuary Program on this new series of teaching curricula designed to help middle school students understand climate and weather basics and explore climate change-related issues close to home in the Hudson River Valley. The teaching curricula fit into Learning Standards for New York State, Next Generation Learning Standards and the Common Core.


WWWhat's Trending: On YouTube—NOAA and Sea Grant on Being "Climate Resilient" More>
It's been quite a packed second-half of 2014 for discussions on the topic of climate change—from NOAA's monthly, quarterly and seasonal climate reports via its social media channels to the release of its new online Climate Resilience Toolkit to the Administration's assistance compiling an annual snapshot of major climate findings. NYSG also provides both an archive of its climate stories as well as a regular review of related content via its Facebook and Twitter platforms.


Hands-On Teacher Workshops a “Re-Sounding” Success More>
In Fall 2014, formal and informal educators from all along New York’s Long Island Sound coastline learned about the Sound's topics of marine debris, geology, and climate change through hands-on teacher workshops. Built into each event to engage teachers was a field trip component as well as a follow-up activity that can be linked to New York State Science Learning Standards.

• Also ... Q & A With Dr. K: How has the Sound Changed? More>
  At a recent New York Sea Grant-sponsored climate change teacher workshop, Dr. K. (the NOAA liaison to the EPA Long Island Sound Office) was asked a really interesting question about human caused changes in Long Island Sound.
  

On YouTube: Making a "Splash" With Great Lakes Education More>
This year, 109 teachers took part in five workshops that focused on Great Lakes watersheds, the Buffalo River, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.  Those teachers agreed to conduct stewardship activities with over 11,325 students from 4th grade through high school. "By using the 'Teach-the-Teacher' approach, we engage teachers in experiential learning and provide them with information and classroom-tested curriculum developed by Sea Grant and NOAA," says NYSG's Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske.


Spotlight: Aquatic Invasive Species

NYSG Aquatic Invasive Species Education: By The Numbers More>
In 2014, aquatic invasive species (AIS) educators reached over 335,000 in New York via the "Clean and Safe Boat campaign," workshops and stewardship efforts and engaged audiences in the removal of invasives on 335 acres throughout New York State. New York Sea Grant's social media channels helped to deliver the AIS message to the masses.


Launch Stewards Serve Up Another Season of Educating Boaters on Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention More>
For a period of about 16 weeks beginning around Memorial Day, eight New York college students interested in environmental science careers worked with our program's Launch Steward initiative to demonstrate watercraft inspection at various sites along Lake Ontario's eastern shoreline. "The stewards provide this voluntary service for operators of motorized and non-motorized boats and share information on the easy-to-implement Clean, Drain, Dry method that boaters can use to help slow the spread of numerous aquatic invasive species," said New York Sea Grant Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary Penney, who serves as the Launch Steward Program Coordinator.

• Related News:
  
  New York State Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Handbook More>
  
  Background on this Handbook More>

On YouTube, On Air: Great Lakes Shipwreck Display Enhances Boating Education Program More>
Now in its eighth season, the New York Sea Grant-initiated "Discover Clean & Safe Boating" was recently named a top notch safety program by Great Lakes Boating magazine. The exhibit has now been seen by more than half-a-million boaters and potential boaters and counting at over 50 events in all of New York state's coastal regions, including this year's Empire Farm Days and even the New York State Fair. Included are a series of the program's informative 2014 television and radio clips and boating safety tips.


Long Island Pitches in for NY’s First Invasive Species Week More>
As reported by Newsday, The Long Island Press and other local media, volunteers at Long Island's Caumsett State Park stuffed two dozen bags with invasive plants in two days this past July during New York State's first-ever "Invasive Species Awareness Week." But pitching in is something you can do any day in your own backyard. Learn more on "What You Can Do" via The Long Island Sound Study and the New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.


Spotlight: Outreach & Education

On YouTube: Two NY Sea Grant Educators Receive Awards at Great Lakes Network Meeting More>
New York Sea Grant's Coastal Community Development Specialist, Mary Penney, and Coastal Education Specialist, Helen Domske, are recipients of awards voted on by Sea Grant-ers from programs in the nine Great Lakes states. Also shared at this June 2014 Sea Grant conference was the latest regional news on invasive species partnerships as well as impacts from the harmful algae blooms that have been cropping up around the Great Lakes. 


When To Dredge in NY's Marine Waters? Workshop Summary Sheds Light More>
A recently-released NYSG publication summarizes the findings of a workshop focusing on the use of dredging “windows” for permitting navigation dredging projects in the inlets and bays of Long Island's south shore, the New York / New Jersey Harbor and Lower Hudson River. Windows refer to the optimal time frame in which dredging might be done while causing the least interference with the life cycle of commercially important marine species, notably fish.


Third Annual Seafood Throwdown Celebrates in a Red, Hot and Blue Style More>
Once their mystery ingredients were revealed for New York Sea Grant’s Third Annual Seafood Throwdown at “Celebrate Grown on Long Island Day" late this past summer, the chefs had a little time (and cash) for a mad dash to the onsite farmers market to buy other grown-on-Long Island ingredients to round out the on-the-spot dishes. “Fishermen have much in common with small farmers. We are working with fishing businesses to help establish Community Supported Fisheries programs similar to the more familiar Community Supported Agriculture," said New York Sea Grant's Fisheries Specialist Antoinette Clemetson.


Marine Science Experts Discuss Eel Aquaculture Partnership More>
Over 30 marine science experts, eel fishermen and marketing specialists from three countries and more than 10 research universities gathered in Maine this past October talk about the American Eel, a population seemingly in decline throughout its range from Greenland to South America. Restoring free-flowing rivers and unrestricted access to watersheds is key. "The idea is to begin forming a strategic partnership that would work together to better understand eel biology, fisheries, and to take steps to develop eel aquaculture," said NYSG's Fisheries Specialist Dave MacNeill.


WWWhat's Trending

Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's City of Water Day: Making Urban Waterways Accessible to All More>
NYSG was on-hand at some of the sites in the New York Metro area this past summer during MWA's seventh annual "City of Water Day," a celebration of recreation on New York City's waterways and waterfronts. "City of Water Day is all about fun and recognizing the potential of the untapped resource that is our harbor," said MWA President and CEO Roland Lewis. Check out a photo gallery from July's festivities. There's also a regularly-updated interactive map of locations where free kayaking and canoeing will be offered around New York City next summer as well as a preview of what's to come for Spring 2015's MWA Annual Waterfront Conference.


Sea Grant Communications Network Devise Best Management Practices for Effective Use of Social Media More>
NYSG's Web Content Manager Paul C. Focazio moderated and presented sessions on "The Effective Use of Social Media" at Sea Grant Week in September 2014. Also during the once-every-two-years gathering of employees from the 33 coastal science programs throughout this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration network, Sea Grant communications specialists took part in a citizen science project, "The Great Bay Scallop Search."


Making the Grade: Biennial Report to U.S. Congress Details 'The State of Sea Grant 2014' More>
In the last two years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Sea Grant College Programs across the country have created or sustained over 17,500 jobs and 6,500 businesses, trained 1,050 coastal communities on hazard resiliency, supported nearly 1,670 undergraduate and graduate students to develop a diverse, highly qualified workforce. Submitted to Congress every two years by the National Sea Grant Advisory Board (NSGAB), this report features detailed information about each program's education, research, and outreach achievements, as well as short- and long-term goals for future action. 


Currents—News Archive

On YouTube: USGS's Oswego unveiling of its new research vessel, R/V Kaho More>
Several New York Sea Grant staffers were on-hand for an August 2014 ceremony at the Lake Ontario Event Center to celebrate the U.S. Geological Survey's newest research vessel, The R/V Kaho.


On Air: Local Waters Not At Risk More>
NYSG's Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske spoke with WBEN 930 AM Radio in early August about recent water quality concerns for Lake Erie residents on both ends—in New York and Ohio.


On Air: Fish Stocking Program Boosting Lake Ontario's Viability More>
"As improvements in water quality occurred, a sea lamprey control program began and stocking of trout and salmon really took hold, creating a multimillion dollar industry and perhaps the best of any of the fisheries in the Great Lakes," said NYSG's Fisheries Specialist Dave MacNeill during a March 2014 WRVO Radio segment.


On Air:  New Survey Hopes to Boost Oswego County Tourism Industry More>
In early 2014, New York Sea Grant, SUNY Oswego's Office of Business and Community Relations and several other Oswego County groups launched a comprehensive survey pilot program to better understand the area's recreation and tourism industry.

The Late Spring/Summer 2014 issue of Currents is available to read and download (individual articles/web extras) (design version - Constant Contact)

Feature stories (with any Web Extras) from this issue include:

Sprouting Up: New Research

NYSG to Receive Nearly $2.4 M for Coastal Research and Outreach More>
This collection of new research and outreach - powered by nearly $2.4 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - addresses storm hazards, climate change, fisheries health, hypoxia and harmful algal blooms.

And here are some stories related to this new suite of research ...

• Investigating Hard Clam Resistance Against QPX Infection More>
  Since the 1990s, several North American Northeast states have suffered severe losses in hard clam stocks due to a fatal disease caused by a microscopic parasite called Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX). New York Sea Grant has funded numerous research projects conducted at Stony Brook University's Marine Animal Disease Lab to identify the QPX organism and its effects on the hard clam. Most recently, NYSG produced a colorful postcard series to highlight some of the the lab's studies and findings.
  
  
• Understanding Impacts of Climate Change on Summer Flounder More>
  Any changes that investigators find in fishing effort or shifts in flounder distribution will help to inform stock assessments and fishery management as well as provide insight on how to evaluate fish stocks under new climate situations. 
  
  
• Studying the Impact of VHSV on a Key St. Lawrence River Sportfishery More>
  Project results of this NYSG-funded investigation will help managers and policymakers protect the $1.2 billion/year freshwater sportfisheries of New York.
  
  Also: On Air: Muskies Recovering on the St. Lawrence River More>
  As heard in this report from North Country Public Radio, while muskellunge, or muskies, are popular with anglers for their size and their ability to put up a fight, they are vulnerable to a disease called Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, or VHS.

Spotlight: Extension Success Stories

NYSG Extension Success Stories More>
Our program's impact statement series for recently-completed projects—made possible by collaborating with national, state, regional, and local partners—shows how Sea Grant’s depth of programming can benefit NY’s shoreline regions and have a profound impact on its coastal communities and economies. Outreach successes include, among others, Helping coastal property owners and communities evaluate living shorelines as an erosion control option; Offering more Americans with disabilities access Hudson River waterfront areas; Teaching students about the environment and having them conduct hands-on stewardship projects; Connecting diverse stakeholders with Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) science experts via several workshops to help mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of related outbreaks.

Spotlight: Research Success Stories

Long Island Sound Still Suffers from Hypoxia More>
Hypoxia, a condition where the loss of oxygen at the water's bottom affects fish and other living communities, is a concern for researchers studying Long Island Sound. This is an indication that other factors are at play, an issue that Sea Grant scholar Elizabeth Suter pursued with NYSG-funded SBU SoMAS co-investigators whose research was published in a February 2014 issue of the Marine Ecology Progress Series Journal.

• New Book Synthesizes Decades of Long Island Sound Research More>
  Long Island Sound: Prospects for the Urban Sea is a synthesis of nearly 1,500 research papers on what is known about the historic and recent trends of the ecological health of this water body on Long Island's North Shore.
  
  
• Long Island Sound Stewardship in New York More>
  In Spring 2014, Long Island Sound Study partners with the Town of Brookhaven for field trips to several Long Island Sound Stewardship Sites. Opportunities including nature hikes provide teachers and student with opportunities to learn more about the wonders of the Sound in a hands-on format.

On YouTube: Sea Grant Research Helps Develop a Biological Control for Invasive Mussels More>
As reported in The New York Times, New York Sea Grant research has helped develop a safe, effective, patented biocontrol agent for zebra and quagga mussels that is cheaper than traditional control methods.


Lake Ontario Resident Anglers: Motivations, Constraints, and Facilitators More>
As part of its goal to promote robust coastal business development, NYSG funded a study of Lake Ontario resident anglers, a large and fairly stable angler group whose travel within the Lake Ontario region is less affected by high fuel costs and the state of the economy than non-resident anglers.

Spotlight: Severe Storm Awareness & Preparedness

• Communications is Key to Hurricane Preparedness More>
  Atlantic Hurricane Season began June 1 and, as documented by National Sea Grant Office 2014 Knauss Fellow Elizabeth Bevand, Sea Grant is helping communities throughout the U.S. prepare for hurricanes for the short and long term. Also, NYSG's Web Content Manager Paul C. Focazio is profiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program about what everyone needs to know about preparing for a hurricane as well as how he got hooked on science communications and how others in or considering the field might sharpen their skills.
  
  
  
• NOAA and Sea Grant Issue 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook in NYC  More>
  What was the outlook for the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season? That was the topic of discussion at a news conference held at the New York City Office of Emergency Management in Brooklyn on Thursday, May 22. Also, New York Sea Grant joins other Great Lakes Sea Grant programs in a social science study to help evaluate more effective weather warnings.
  
  
  
• Be Aware On and Beyond NOAA Sea Grant's National Rip Current Awareness Week and Beach Safety Week More>
  NOAA, Sea Grant and their partners want you to be aware of the dangers of rip currents so that you can enjoy a summer of fun in the sun at the shore.
  
  
  
• Researchers Convene in NYC to Discuss Improving Community Awareness on Coastal Storms More>
  The Cornell Chronicle, Syracuse's Post Standard and a string of newspapers, including New York's Newsday, are just some of the media outlets giving attention to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s $1.4M "Coastal Storm Awareness Program" (CSAP). This multi-year effort—a partnership between NOAA and Sea Grant programs in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut—is intended to raise awareness of how severe weather is communicated to and within communities.
  
  Related News: ESF social scientists improving storm-warning communications - Syracuse Post Standard More>
  
  
  
• Sandy's Harsh Legacy: NYSG Helps New Yorkers Understand and Mitigate Its Impacts More>
  In Sandy’s wake, New York Sea Grant surveyed 250 marinas feeling $85 million in economic impacts, tracked the fate of nitrogen inputs to salt marsh ecosystem following sewage treatment failure, and monitored the growth of Fire Island breach.

NYSG Responds with Research and Outreach More>

• Weathering the Next Big Storm More>
  This Stony Brook Magazine feature examines the efforts of the often-New York Sea Grant-funded Stony Brook's Storm Surge Research Group, whose members offer a bold plan to protect New York City.
  
  
  
• Stony Brook University Researcher Malcolm Bowman vs. The Storms More>
  As declared by The Village Times Herald, a weekly newspaper published on Long Island's north shore, Bowman was named a "Man of the Year" for raising awareness of coastal storm dangers. A summary of other topical media discussions with the likes of NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, the BBC, and journalist Dan Rather is also included.

Spotlight: Earth Day, Every Day

Here are some of NYSG's 'green' stories making headlines this season.
And for more on the topic, see NYSG's related resources site, www.nyseagrant.org/greentips.

Municipal Officials Conference: Managing Cesspools and Septic Systems to Protect Long Island's Waters More>
 Approximately 130 coastal managers, septic and cesspool company business owners, researchers, water quality professionals, elected officials, engineers and concerned citizens gathered for a March 2014 conference to hear experts deliver much needed information about the state of Long Island's cesspools and septic systems and where we go from here.

• On Blog: Where Does It All Go? More>
  What it is like to have a group of professionals inspect your home septic system? When the criteria for candidate homes for inspections was discussed by the organizers of March 2014's  Cesspool and Septic conference, Eric Swenson realized that his home in Oyster Bay, fairly close to Long Island Sound, seemed like a good candidate.

On Air: Microplastics in Our Waters Takes Center Stage at 2014 State of Lake Erie Meeting More>
"For years people have worried about the environmental impacts from plastics left behind in the oceans and Great Lakes," writes NYSG Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske in a recently-produced two-page "Microbeads" fact sheet. "Some plastic particles result from the breakdown of larger plastic items, but others are small plastic spheres known as microbeads." In April, Domske hosted the 21st State of Lake Erie meeting, which focused on the sources and impacts of microplastics via featured speaker Dr. Sherri A. Mason, who also recently discussed the topic on National Public Radio and will, in late May, will address teachers and students through a New York State Marine Education Association-hosted webinar. Additionally, recent anti-microplastics legislation in New York State is highlighted.

• Fact Sheet: Plastic Microbeads in the Great Lakes (pdf)

Sea Grant Brings "A Dose of Reality" to USDEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days More>
Since the inception of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network's "Dose of Reality" campaign,  more than 2 million pills have been collected at drug drop-off events in the five states. The National Take Back Days have removed a combined 3.4 million pounds of medication from circulation. The primary reason for collection days and education on proper disposal is because unwanted prescription drugs can pollute local waterways, posing a threat to public health, wildlife, and our natural environment.


On YouTube, On Air: Sea Grant Partners to Discover a Bigger, Better Boating Education Program More>
Currently in it's seventh season, the New York Sea Grant-initiated "Discover Clean & Safe Boating" project has become a model industry-partnered educational effort that has expanded from Great Lakes' venues to sites statewide. The exhibit has now been seen by more than 500,000 boaters and potential boaters ... and counting in all of New York state's coastal regions. Here-replete with a series of informative television and radio clips and boating safety tips-we offer a snapshot of where the campaign has been since its inception in 2008 and where it's headed in 2014.

Here are some of the "Discover Better Boating" and other related videos and content that were filmed/released in the last few years ...

On YouTube: "Discover Better Boating" series (2012-13)

• October 20, 2012 - Preparing for Winter: Storing Your Boat More>
  
  
• May 15, 2013 - Boating in 2013: There’s An App for That! More>
  
  
• June 22, 2013 - Ethanol Use in Boats More>
  
  
• July 19, 2013 - Boating Fun ... The Things We Can Do With Our Boats More>
  
  
• August 17, 2013 - Journey Along the Erie Canal More>
  
  
• September 18, 2013 -"Made in NY" Boating More>
  
  
• October 19, 2013 - Boating Event Questionnaires  More>

On YouTube: Other Boating News (2012-14)

• October 9, 2012 - Sea Grant Offers Advice on Fall Tourism More>
  
  
• March 22, 2013 - Experts Fear Low Water Levels Again This Year More>
  
  
• May 15, 2013 - Safe Boating Week Reminds Us To Be Careful More>
  
  
• June 18, 2013 - Beware Invasive Species More>
  
  
• July 1, 2013 - Invasive Species More>
  
  
• July 8, 2013 - Practice Environmentally Friendly Boating More>
  
  
• October 23, 2013 - Now's a Good Time to Take a Boating Course More>
  
  
• June 2, 2014 - Boating Season Underway, More Risk of Invasive Species Being Spread More>

Safe Boating (2014)

• May 14, 2014 - NYSG Offers Clean & Safe Boating Tips with 2014 ‘Water Mouse’ Exhibit More>
  
  On YouTube:
  
  
• May 13, 2014 - 2014 National Safe Boating Week More>
  
  
• May 16, 2014 - Quick Tip of the Month: Boater Safety Kit More>
  
  
• May 17, 2014 - How To Get Your Boat Trailer Ready For the Season More>
  
  
• May 20, 2014 - It's National Safe Boating Week. Are You Set For a Safe Season? More>

Program Updates & Publications

Connecting in with New York's Coastal Communities
Launched in 2011, New York Sea Grant's Coastal Community Development Program currently drives forward with its efforts under a single commonality: New York Great Lakes coastal communities depend on healthy ecosystems for their economic vitality. "Things like changing weather patterns, invasives species, population growth and recreational pressure are potential threats to natural resources, which often drive regional economics," says NYSG's Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary Penney. "With a number of stakeholder interests such as local governments, businesses, planners, resource managers, an understanding of Great Lakes ecosystems can be complicated but vital in decision-making processes."

NYSG extension and education efforts under this program can be found via the links below, as well as in the related resource Web site's archive, which is located under the "News/Topics" link in the left-hand sidebar at www.nyseagrant.org/ccd ...

• NYSG and SUNY Oswego Launch Business Retention and Expansion Pilot Program in Oswego County More>
  As announced earlier this year, nearly 600 recreation and tourism businesses in Oswego County have an opportunity to help local and county leaders and residents better understand the issues facing locally-owned businesses in today’s economy. In mid-May, it was announced that the deadline was extended through the end of the month to return surveys related to this pilot program.
  
  
• On YouTube: Sea Grant's Launch Stewards and Related Programs Help Prevent Invasive Species' Spread More>
  We're just getting underway with 2014's Launch Stewards program. As in previous years, this year's student-stewards will provide watercraft inspection training and public outreach to boaters at select launch ramps along Lake Ontario between Henderson Harbor and Sodus Bay and on Oneida Lake. For more, check out some of last year's steward-written publications on reducing the spread of aquatic invasive species. You can find these stories under "NYSG 2013 Launch Stewards Program News" at www.nyseagrant.org/ccdstewards.
  
  
• On YouTube: NYSG's Watercraft Inspection How-To Video More>
  In this nearly 7 minute video, NYSG's launch stewards illustrate how you can prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species while enjoying your recreational time on New York's waters.

Lang Selected for Knauss Fellowship Class of 2014 More>
The competitive fellowship recruits students from 33 Sea Grant programs nationwide to complete a one-year paid fellowship in either the legislative or executive branch of the U.S. government in Washington D.C.


How Nesting Birds Avoid Predators More>
In this colorful fact sheet, NYSG teamed up with birding experts to describe some of the strategies birds use to protect themselves from their natural predators.


Fundamentals of Sea Grant Extension: Revision of a Popular Handbook More>
Intended for new Sea Grant Extension (SGE) professionals, this 2013 revision of “Fundamentals,” first published in 2000, offers a philosophical and historic context for the National Sea Grant College Program’s structure, planning, evaluation, networks, partnerships, and relationship to Sea Grant research.

Events & Activities

On YouTube, On Blog: NYSG Harmful Algal Bloom Workshops a Model for Helping Great Lakes Stakeholders More>
New York Sea Grant-organized Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) workshops connect diverse stakeholders with HAB science experts to help mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of related outbreaks. Also featured: video footage from one of the workshops as well as pictures and blog entries from NYSG-funded researchers extending their HABs studies to the general public through teacher trainings and informal on-the-water hands-on workshops.


Partnership Puts Accessibility for All at Boat Launches and Waterfront Parks Within Reach More>
Through a partnership with with the Northeast Americans with Disabilities Act Center at Cornell’s school of Industrial and Labor Relations and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's  Hudson Estuary Program, New York Sea Grant evaluated a series of boat launches and adjacent beach areas located along a 100 mile stretch of shoreline on both sides of the Hudson River. Why? To increase recreational access to New York’s waterfront resources for people with disabilities.


On YouTube: Geospatial Literacy: Examining Coastal Change Over Time With New York City Teachers More>
Since 2008, New York Sea Grant and Cornell University's Institute for Resource Information Sciences Geospatial Program and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have been guiding educators—65 in the last two years alone—in a series of mapping exercises drawn from a Web-based mapping project on how coastlines change over time along more than 500 miles of New York's urban coastal and estuarine environments. 


MWA's Annual Conference: Rebuilding NYC's  Waterfront in the Wake of Severe Storms More>
The focus of this Spring 2014 conference was on grassroots, community-based waterfront plans developed before and after Superstorm Sandy. As panelists and the hundreds of attendees alike asked during the day-long discussion sessions, we've surely done great planning, but are we doing enough to get the job done?


Teachers Offer Each Other Activity Ideas at NYC Marine Science Workshop More>
This interactive "share-a-thon," the third of its kind in as many years, links teachers up with innovative curricula ideas related to marine science subjects and programs.


On Blog, On YouTube: Bay Scallop Bowl Winners Advance to Nationals More>
Winners of 2014's Bay Scallop Bowl, held at Stony Brook University in March 2014, were from Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY. "This event gets New York high school students excited about the marine sciences," says William Wise, Associate Director of SBU’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and NYSG's Interim Director. "For some, it's just a competition; for others, however, it is an entré into a lifelong avocation and, for a few, it's a career move."


Currents—News Archive
In case you missed any of NYSG's news that we've been posting on our Web site between issues of NY Coastlines / Currents, below is a sampling of some of those stories. You can come ashore anytime for the latest at www.nyseagrant.org/currents. And for even more Currents, check out the topics in the archives section of NYSG's Web site, www.nyseagrant.org/currentsarchive.


On YouTube: Life Beneath the Surface - Spring Outlook for NY's Great Lakes More>
NYSG Specialist Helen Domske talks on WGRZ-TV Buffalo about how the cold winter has impacted New York's Great Lakes - from ice cover, evaporation and lake levels to invasive species control.


On YouTube: Study Proposes Ways To Keep Asian Carp Out Of Great Lakes More>
NYSG's Dave White speaks with Watertown's WWNY-TV 7 News This Morning newscasters about a January 2014-released report outlining eight options for keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.


New York Sea Grant Joined NOAA and NWS in Support of 2014's National Severe Weather Preparedness Week More>
Highlighting NYSG's recent round of research and education to raise awareness of severe storms like Superstorm Sandy.


NOAA Provides Future Flood Zones for New York City More>
Since 2010, Stony Brook University (SBU) School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) oceanographer Malcolm Bowman, a long-time NYSG-funded researcher, has served on the New York Panel Climate Change and co-authored the recently released, related report.


On Air, On YouTube: All Eyes on NYSG-Assisted Web-Based Boaters' Forecast Tool More>
A new Web-based, real-time tool for recreational boaters extends Great Lakes global observing technology to the St. Lawrence River with some data specific to the river system.

The Late Fall/Early Winter 2013 issue of Currents is available to read and download (articles/web extras) (design version - Constant Contact)

Feature stories (with any Web Extras) from this issue include:

Superstorm Sandy: One Year Later - NOAA and Sea Grant Responds and Reflects More>
For seven days in the Fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy pounded the Caribbean and U.S. East Coast with punishing rain, wind, and waves. As the storm approached landfall, the National Hurricane Center renamed the hurricane "Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy." But to those whose lives were devastated -- it will always be remembered as Superstorm Sandy.

Note: All content on this topic can be found in NYSG's Superstorm Sandy archive, www.nyseagrant.org/superstormsandy. And there's more on the topic of hurricane education and severe storm preparedness at www.nyseagrant.org/hurricane.

• On Blog: Can Salt Marshes Handle Effluent From a Failed Sewage Treatment Plant? More>
  In early November 2013, New York Sea Grant's Communications Manager Barbara A. Branca visited with a few of the program's funded researchers who are trying to determine if the ecosystem can handle the additional sewage by increasing its capacity to serve as a “nutrient sink,” or, if instead, the enhanced nutrient loads will shift the ecosystem to an alternative state that perpetuates additional organic matter loading.
  
  
• On Blog, On YouTube: Long Island Breach More>
  In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy split Fire Island, New York into two islands, creating a new inlet to the bay behind it. As seen in a video clip from National Geographic and documented in a photo journal blog, New York Sea Grant-funded scientists explain why monitoring the breach is important, as its evolution will affect the tidal dynamics and the ecosystem of the Long Island's eastern Great South Bay.
  
  Also in the blog, Flagg discusses findings from a new report that reveals, in December 2013, that the size of the inlet has stabilized at around 400 square meters. He says it has remained relatively constant for nine months but may have the potential to get bigger.
  
  
• On YouTube: NOAA, Sea Grant Programs Post-Sandy: Press Briefing, Conference Educate on Coastal Storms More>
  At a November 2013 NOAA Coastal Storms Press Briefing in Washington, D.C., NYSG’s Coastal Processes Specialist Jay Tanski offered a perspective on how to implement NOAA-wide initiatives at the local level. As documented in several video clips from Portland, Maine's ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates, Tanski was also a speaker at mid-July 2013's Maine Sea Grant-hosted event Beaches Conference, where over 200+ attendees engaged in post-Superstorm Sandy discussions, among other topics. 
  
  
• On Air: NOAA Announces Sea Grant's Coastal Storm Awareness Program More>
  As discussed by Peyton Robertson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chair of Sandy Assessment Team via Federal News Radio, Sea Grant programs in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are administering a new $1.8M NOAA-funded Coastal Storm Awareness Program. The funded projects will examine how people react to storm warnings and how to best communicate this information to communities and its residents.
  
  
• NYSG Extension Surveys the Impacts of Sandy on Recreational Fisheries and Marinas More>
  As part of a "One Year Later" retrospective on Sandy's impact, NYSG's fisheries and coastal processes specialists report on their efforts to assist those in the recreational fisheries and marina industries hit hardest by the storm.
  
  
• National Geographic: Rising Seas More>
  In September 2013, National Geographic placed a spotlight on climate change in its extensive feature story, "Rising Seas," which focused on a central series of concepts: As the planet warms, the sea rises. Coastlines flood. What will we protect? What will we abandon? How will we face the danger of rising seas?
  
  
• On YouTube: Documentary - Superstorm Sandy More>
  The documentary short “Sandy’s Hidden Damage” shows how the storm has changed the city forever – and how experts' opinions on what will save New York clash while some New Yorkers affected by Sandy feel left behind.
  
  
• On Air: Burn - Rising Seas More>
  This radio and Web series examines the causes and consequences of sea level changes in south Florida, the Gulf Coast, New York City, and Greenland, where ice-melt is going to make the world a very different place.
  
  
• On YouTube: Protecting The East Coast From Future Storms More>
  In a November 2013 interview with MyLITV, Dr. Malcolm Bowman explains what U.S. East coast communities should do to prevent "Sandy-Like" damage.
  
  
• Stony Brook University Researcher Malcolm Bowman vs. The Storms More>
  As declared by The Village Times Herald, a weekly newspaper published on Long Island's north shore, this Stony Brook University researcher is a "Man of the Year" for raising awareness of dangers.
  
  Some other Sandy-related stories ...
  
  
• CBS News on "Preparing For The Perfect Storm" More>
  No one knew how bad it was going to be when Hurricane Irene barreled up the East Coast a year ago, flooding whole towns, destroying homes. Up and down the East Coast, Irene caused residents billions of dollars. Experts agree that weather is becoming more severe and they warn that we're not ready for it.
  
  
• Impacts of Barrier Island Breaches More>
  Superstorm Sandy caused a breach at Old Inlet, Fire Island. A New York Sea Grant publication (funded by the National Park Service) examines the impacts of barrier island breaches
  
  
• Publications Spotlight: Long Island’s Dynamic South Shore (2012 Reprint) More>
  
  
• Coastal Flooding Concerns in NYC Continues Discussion on Storm Surge Barriers More>

NYSG Specialists and Sea Grant Network Campaigns Lauded for Their Successes More>
From a Visionary Career Leadership Award to Two Top 100 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Success Stories, New York Sea Grant specialists were acknowledged this year for their work in maintaining seafood safety standards and keeping pharmaceuticals, personal care products and invasive species out of New York's waterways.

• On Air: How PCBs Alter Bird Songs More>

On YouTube: Comment Sought By December 23 On Invasive Species Proposals More>

On YouTube: NYSG's Launch Stewards Educate on Aquatic Invasives in New York's Great Lakes Region More>

• On YouTube: Hydrilla Plants Invade Western NY; Invasive Species Found in North Tonawanda Waterways More>
  What has helped Hydrilla, an aquatic plant native to Asia, proliferate in Western New York's waterways? Banned in some parts of the U.S., this Federally-designated noxious weed is still popular with aquarium owners who use is it until it overgrows fish tanks. NYSG's Helen Domske shares her thoughts in this YNN spotlight story and video clip.
  
  
• On Air: Asian Carp Could Pose Real Threat to Great Lakes Ecosystem More>
  As NYSG specialists shared with WRVO Radio in November, big head and silver carp have been detected very close to the Great Lakes, so the risk of a flood introducing them into the lakes is always present. 
  
  
• NYSG Researcher Featured in Phragmites Webinar More>
  NYSG-funded reseacher Dr. Bernd Blossey from Cornell University is a guest speaker for a Webinar series lecture on Phragmites, the common reed that has invaded many wetlands throughout North America.
  
  
• On YouTube: Volunteers battle water chestnut growth in Oswego County More>
  As seen on YNN TV, a group of volunteers, including members of NYSG's Waterfront Launch Steward Program, gathered in Oswego County one Saturday morning in mid-July 2013 to help battle this invasive species that has taken over several bodies of water in that area.
  
  
• New Launch Stewards Blog Covers Waterfront from Sodus Bay to Oneida Lake More>
  
  
• NY Sea Grant Waterfront Launch Steward Program Expanding for 2013 More>
  The summer steward program coordinated by NYSG is expanding from Jefferson and Oswego counties to include waterfront sites in Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, and Wayne counties.

• Also, keep tabs on events and news throughout the season via the News section of NYSG's related resource site, www.nyseagrant.org/ccd

On YouTube, On Blog: Teachers Participate in Research on Great Lakes More>

• Teaching the Teachers Via NOAA BWET: Lake Ontario Lessons More>
  Just a few weeks after the R/V Lake Guardian docked back in Youngstown, NY and the educators wrapped up their week-long learning, another dozen science teachers, two special education teachers and one high school librarian from across New York State embarked on a separate NYSG-led week-long hands-on teaching on the ecology of Lake Ontario.
  
  
• Educators to Explore Lake Ontario from Land and Water During Two Workshops More>
  In July 2013, NYSG Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske will welcome teachers in New York and several other Great Lakes states on two separate experience-through-learning tours of Lake Ontario.

On YouTube: Discover Clean Boating Expands, is at City of Water Day in NYC More>

In the weeks leading up to the event, New York Sea Grant's involvement in the event received interest from New York's WBCS Radio, WNBC and WABC TV and a handful of Facebook posts reached some 2,400 people.

• NYSG Joins Some 600+ Attendees at Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's Annual NYC Conference More>
  As discussed on one of the panels during this day-long event, when Superstorm Sandy hit in late October 2012, Stony Brook University Oceanography professor and storm surge expert Malcolm Bowman, along with investigator Brian Colle and others from the Storm Surge Research Group, kept close tabs on the superstorm before, during and after landfall.
  
  
• Boating in 2013: There’s An App for That! More>
  The Discover Better Boating in New York television series of monthly tips resumes May 18.

National Estuary Day: 'Toast the Coast' More>

On YouTube: Living Shorelines Workshop  More>

On YouTube: A Day In The Life Of The Hudson River More>

Seafood Throwdown Returns to Grown on Long Island Day More>
August's Chef 'Seafood Throwdown,' the third of its kind in the last year that NYSG has partnered on in Metro NY and on Long Island, was as fun as it was educational. As captured in NYSG Communication Manager Barbara A. Branca's article for Edible East End, this community-driven activity highlighted the many health benefits of a seafood diet and the importance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) "community-supported fisheries" concept — supporting small family-owned and operated fishing businesses in feeding New Yorkers and helping to sustain our coastal economies.

• Sea Grant Partners on Chef 'Seafood Throwdown' at Third Annual Grown on Long Island Day More>
  2013's Grown on Long Island Day, slated for Friday, August 9 in Yaphank, will include a chef 'Seafood Throwdown' and a farm food challenge

On YouTube: Canada Geese Causing a Water Quality Issue? More>
New York Sea Grant Water Quality Specialist Eileen Keenan, Manager of the New York Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program, discusses the issue with Long Island Report. This past summer, Keenan was a moderator at the NYSG co-sponsored Second Annual Long Island Green Infrastructure Conference & Expo hosted at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

• NYSG a Sponsor of 2nd Annual LI Green Infrastructure Conf & Expo More>
  Mid-June '13 conference focusing on ‘How to Address Water and Energy Issues and Benefit by Going Green During Tough Economic Times’ will be hosted at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

On Air: Great Lakes Seaway Trail Blue Byway Seminar More>

• Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) Launching in Lake Ontario; Will Collect Five-Year Great Lakes Research Data More>
  Two AUVs launched on Lake Ontario mid-May 2013 at Sodus Point, Oswego, Rochester and Oak Orchard, NY. The high-tech, remote-controlled equipment will produce intensive data for analysis of nearshore-offshore interactions, fish productivity in Lake Ontario, changes to the lower food web, and algal abundance. The research will also focus on how the thermal bar – a seasonal/spring temperature barrier – impacts nutrients in nearshore aquatic environment.
  
  
  • AUV Journey on Lake Ontario: Photo Gallery More>
   
  
• On YouTube: Lake Ontario Most Stressed of all Great Lakes More>
  A study released earlier this year found Lake Ontario to be the most stressed of the Great Lakes. YNN's Sarah Blazonis talks with NYSG's Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White.
  
  
• Lake Ontario Ecosystem Public Forums in Rochester, Oswego More>
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Sea Grant host two public forums in August 2013 about environmental issues affecting Lake Ontario and the work being done under the Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) to address these issues.

New York Sea Grant went live with a new online look right before this past Memorial Day, followed by the reworking of the National Sea Grant College Program's virtual space just after Labor Day. Also in the second and third quarters of this year, NOAA unveiled #TweetAlerts and reached more milestones on both Twitter and Facebook.


WWWhat's Trending: Currents E-Newsletter to Feature Update on Coastal Change Education Materials for Metro NY Area More>
Statue of Liberty to reopen July 4, 2013 for the first time since Superstorm Sandy


Other news from more recent issues of New York Coastlines ...
Also see our archives news (www.nyseagrant.org/currentsarchives) as well as for our e-newsletter (www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines)

• The Summer 2013 issue of New York Coastlines is available to read and download (pdf- printable version) (pdf- design version) (articles/web extras)
  
  
  
• The Spring 2013 issue of Currents is available to read and download (articles/web extras) (design version - Constant Contact)
  
  
  
• The Fall 2012 issue of New York Coastlines is available to read and download (pdf- printable version) (pdf- design version) (articles/web extras)
  
  
  
• The Late Summer 2012 issue of Currents is available to read and download (articles/web extras)
  
  
  
• The Spring/Summer 2012 issue of New York Coastlines is available to read and download (pdf- printable version) (pdf- design version) (articles/web extras)
  
  
  
• Check out articles and NYSG@40-themed YouTube clips from the Winter 2012 issue of New York Coastlines (articles/web extras)