New York, NY, April 22, 2020 - As we celebrate 50 years of Earth Day, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), its federal parent agency, to examine some of its education programs that are making a measurable difference for the environment.

Below is a sampling of examples that our program has supported in recent years to assist a variety of New York's coastal communities. For a larger perspective, also see NOAA Education's feature, "Earth Day at 50: A look at the past, present, and future."

MARINE DEBRIS



In the last few years, reducing intentional balloon debris, one of the most prevalent and damaging “acceptable” forms of coastal littering, has been a uniting factor between NYSG and its Mid-Atlantic partners.

Here are some recent stories related to these partner efforts ...

NYSG & Mid-Atlantic Partners: Preventing Balloon Debris (March 2020)

On YouTube, In Photos: Cleaning Up and Surveying Balloon Debris on Jones Beach (November 2019)


EDUCATORS / STEWARDSHIP

Providing classroom teachers with tools to educate about Long Island Sound, the Hudson River and other metro New York waterways subjects is key to NYSG's support of professional development opportunities.

On Long Island ...



Here are some recent stories related to these partner efforts ...

Long Island Sound Study: 2019 Mentor-Teacher Workshops (March 2020)

In Photos, On YouTube: NYSG and the Long Island Sound Study prepare teachers to "Be in the KNOW" (November 2018)

On YouTube: Estuary Day Collaborative a Success for Long Island (March 2019)

In New York City ...



Here are some recent stories related to these partner efforts ...

On YouTube: Students Present Resiliency Guidelines at Final Resilient Schools Consortium Summit (October 2019)

On YouTube: Sharing Climate Resilience with NYC Teachers (March 2019)

In New York's Great Lakes region ...



NYSG programming extends science and research education to thousands of adults, teachers, and youth to increase coastal and ocean literacy.

Here are some recent stories related to these partner efforts ...

On YouTube: Utilizing Education to Develop the Next Generations of Great Lakes Stakeholders (March 2019)

On Air: NYSG's Great Lakes Educator Receives Award, Standing Ovation at National Conference (November 2018)

On Air: Community Matters – Water Politics: Saving the Great Lakes (March 2018)

In Photos, On YouTube: Sea Grant Extends A-Z GLEEE Education on Lake Ontario (August 2018)

In Photos: Sea Grant Brings GLEEE to A-Z Summer Education Workshop on Lake Ontario (July 2017)

Just Throw Out Your Unwanted Meds? Sea Grant Programs Weigh In (June 2012)

Related resources:

Microplastics in New York's Waters

Sea Grant's Return Unwanted Medicines & Personal Care Products Education


LOCAL COMMUNITIES



Since 2015, More than $1 million has been provided via a partnership between NYSG and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The pair have since been managing "Great Lakes Basin Small Grants," a program that encourages community- and stakeholder-driven ecosystem-based management applications.



Last year, that success grew into a small grants program focusing on New York's marine waters. One of the projects in this partnership is helping anglers with special needs, thanks to the installation of the first ADA-compliant bait station in East Harlem, NYC.

Here are some other recent stories related to these partner efforts ...
 
On YouTube: Great Lakes Basin Small Grants: Revitalizing New York's Great Lakes Region (March 2019)



Also, Jamaica Bay has been the focus of "Flood Watch," a successful citizen-community science program launched by NYSG and the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay. The project helps to document coastal flooding in the face of rising sea levels and changing climate conditions.
Here are some recent stories related to these partner efforts ...

On YouTube: CUNY TV's Simply Science Spotlights Jamaica Bay Flood Watch (November 2019)

In Photos: Professionals and Citizens Help Build Community Resilience at Flood Forum (June 2019)

On YouTube: Jamaica Bay Community Flood Watch Project (January 2019)


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, 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.

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.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.