<< back to NYSG Success Stories introduction page
NYSG Posts Impact Statements for Research, Extension Projects in NY's Great Lakes, Hudson and Marine Waters
A sampling of results and impacts from recently completed New York Sea Grant's research, extension and education initiatives.
Stony Brook, NY, February 12, 2026 - NYSG has managed a portfolio of $222.4M for research and extension since 1971; supports approximately $17M in funding for 2025-26; and has leveraged 5.5x of its core NOAA award.
In the Winter 2026 issue of New York Coastlines, we share our annual review of impactful NYSG programming and research.
Included are over 30 summaries of select work conducted by our program's extension specialists and supported investigators to develop and provide stakeholder-driven, science-based information, tools, and other resources to support local communities, businesses, and individuals achieve objectives related to coastal community, environmental, and economic resilience and sustainability.
The new profiles posted below provide a summary of how NYSG's extension specialists and funded researchers addressed a variety of marine, Hudson and Great Lakes concerns and opportunities in 2025, including the partners involved and any additional funding sources.
Also, check out our visually-driven story map version of this past year’s successes … www.nyseagrant.org/highlights2025.
For project profiles filed in previous years, complete with partners and funding sources, visit www.nyseagrant.org/highlights.
And for NYSG resource sites related to these and other topics below, see www.nyseagrant.org/sitemap.
We also offer a "What is New York Sea Grant" one-pager, which was updated in February.
On the national front ...
For over 50 years, the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) has supported coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education.
In 2024, a federal investment in Sea Grant of $94 million led to $81.59 billion in economic benefits, which represents nearly a 12:1 impact per federal dollar.
As a result of Sea Grant's work in 2024, 2,000 businesses and 21,000 jobs were created or supported. Additionally, 789 graduates were hired in the field and 2.4 million people were reached via educational programs.
This nationwide federal-university partnership program brings science together with communities for solutions that work.
Learn about the impacts of Sea Grant’s research, education and extension efforts at seagrant.noaa.gov/our-story/impacts. You can also download a two-page fact sheet (pdf) or view a 30-second video short on Sea Grant via NYSG's YouTube channel.
NYSG Research
Since 1971, NYSG has been supporting university-based research related to a variety of marine, Hudson estuary, and Great Lakes topics and issues.
Ongoing Research Projects | PDF
Completed Research Projects | PDF
NYSG Extension
Statewide
Sharing Knowledge About Natural and Nature-Based Features in New York | PDF
New York Sea Grant proposes ways to advance the use of natural and nature-based features to build resilient shoreline practices across New York State.
New York Sea Grant Engages Students in Unique Hands-on Summer Learning Experiences | PDF
New York Sea Grant programs provide undergraduate and law students with hands-on opportunities to address coastal issues.
New York Sea Grant Leads Development of National Guidance on Seaweed Food Safety | PDF
To support the growth of emerging seaweed businesses across the U.S., it is essential that producers and processors understand how to identify and control key food safety hazards.
Great Lakes Waters
Engaging Rochester Youth and Residents on Stormwater Marine Debris Reduction | PDF
New York Sea Grant connects residents, youth, and local partners to stormwater science to strengthen knowledge and long-term watershed stewardship.
Bringing Microplastic-Collecting Robot to Classrooms in NY | PDF
New York Sea Grant collaborated with Cornell researchers to engage teachers, educators and communities in a unique way to protect local waterways.
Building Community Understanding and Capacity for Sustainable Dune Management | PDF
New York Sea Grant applied technical expertise and meaningful community engagement to advance shoreline resilience in a Lake Ontario community.
AdaptTable: Enhancing Land Use Decision-Making | PDF
New York Sea Grant has created a hands-on learning experience that helps local leaders and stakeholders to better communicate with one another, build consensus, and solve complex problems through land-use decisions.
Seiche and Sandy Shorelines Workshop in Sunset Bay | PDF
New York Sea Grant and partners respond to stakeholders’ request for education on how to manage shoreline erosion and flooding along eastern Lake Erie.
Small Grants Strengthen Community Stewardship Across New York’s Great Lakes Basin | PDF
Local partners, residents, and youth are addressing priority environmental issues across the Great Lakes region of New York.
New York Sea Grant Expands Safe Boating Outreach | PDF
Developing and distributing new safety materials to thousands of boaters helps reduce preventable boating accidents on New York’s waterways.
Fisheries Biology for Anglers Workshop | PDF
New York Sea Grant provides unique learning experiences to increase stakeholders’ knowledge about and support of science-based decision-making for the management of New York’s economically important fisheries.
Marine Waters
Navigating Marine Aquaculture Permitting with Workshop and Guide | PDF
New York Sea Grant helps participants with the process of acquiring marine aquaculture permits and learning how to submit a well-developed application.
Building Awareness of Microplastic Pollution from Textiles | PDF
Equipping the next generation of students, educators, and community members to reduce microplastic pollution helps protect New York’s waters.
Risk and Crisis Communications for Flood Readiness Training for Local Officials | PDF
New York Sea Grant facilitated training to enhance municipalities’ ability to communicate flood readiness and risk messages.
Community Flood Forum Highlights New York City Residents’ Flood Stories and Solutions | PDF
New York Sea Grant hosted a second public event providing opportunities for local community members to share flooding stories, solutions, and resources.
Building Resilience in Suffolk and Nassau Long Island Sound Communities | PDF
New York Sea Grant developed workshops to empower Suffolk and Nassau Counties’ communities to take steps to increase their resilience.
Land Use Leadership Training Rekindles Intermunicipal Cooperation in Westchester County | PDF
New York Sea Grant provides critical support to help foster collaboration among watershed communities facing regional flooding challenges.
Sustainable and Resilient Communities Program Expands to New York City | PDF
Needs assessment by New York Sea Grant identifies gaps in resilience planning and barriers to implementing resilience projects in Bronx/Queens communities.
Assistance Programs Empower Long Island Sound Communities to Take Resilience Steps | PDF
New York Sea Grant Assistance Programs for planning and grant writing continue to build critical support for advancing community resilience.
Increasing Volunteer Participation in River Herring Monitoring | PDF
New York Sea Grant outreach is increasing the number of volunteers monitoring the population of river herring, a fish vital to coastal food webs and the economy.
Celebrating 40 Years of Long Island Sound Partnership with Public Access, Belonging and New Vision | PDF
Public access is an important gateway to learning about, valuing and caring for the Sound.
New York Sea Grant Bay Scallop Mortality Research Sustains New York Fishery | PDF
New York Sea Grant co-funded research used to identify drivers that cause bay scallop mass die-off and to provide a solution to build long-term resiliency in the fishery.
More Info: New York Sea Grant
Established in 1966, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Sea Grant College Program promotes the informed stewardship of coastal resources in 34 joint federal/state university-based programs in every U.S. coastal state (marine and Great Lakes) and Puerto Rico. The Sea Grant model has also inspired similar projects in the Pacific region, Korea and Indonesia.
Since 1971, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
NYSG historically leverages on average a 5.5-fold return on each invested federal dollar, annually. We benefit from this, as these resources are invested in Sea Grant staff and their work in communities right here in New York.
Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.
New York Sea Grant, one of the largest of the state Sea Grant programs, is a cooperative program of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Cornell University. The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Oswego, the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark, and in Watertown. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County on Long Island, in Queens, at Brooklyn College, with Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC, in Bronx, with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County in Kingston, and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County in Elmsford.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and YouTube). NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which it publishes 2-3 times a year.