NY Coastlines—New York Sea Grant (NYSG)'s flagship publication—and its news archive, Currents, highlight news, events and other activities from our coastal program's various research, extension and education endeavors throughout New York's marine and Great Lakes waters.

Fall 2017
NY Coastlines / Currents; Vol. 45, No. 1 & 2 / Vol. 5, No. 1


Feature: How Sea Grant Benefits You


"Sea Grant has been working with a wide assemblage of partners to support New York's coastal communities, businesses and residents for five decades now," said New York Sea Grant Director William Wise. "Thousands of New Yorkers have benefited over the years from Sea Grant programming in such areas as fisheries, aquatic invasive species, coastal tourism and coastal community resilience."

"Sea Grant has served and continues to serve a wide variety of coastal stakeholders," said Suzanne "Suky" Cannon, a U.S. Coast Guard 100GT Master Mariner Captain. "New York Sea Grant conducts workshops and trainings vital for over 114,000 boaters, recreational fishing-related businesses, and anglers annually."

Learn more about how Sea Grant is a smart investment in our nation's coastal economy from the stakeholders we serve and the organizations we partner with.

This feature story includes links to many "Sea Grant: By The Numbers" fact sheets and Web resources as well as stream-able audio and video clips that help to illustrate why for over 50 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program has been putting science to work for America's coastal communities. More >>


What's Trending: Surveying Lake Ontario Basin Communities About Springtime Flooding


(At left) Land and yard features lost to erosion in Hamlin, NY (Monroe County). (At right) Waves driven onto yard in Rochester, NY (Monroe County). Image credit: 2017 Coastal Flooding Survey Project. Cornell University and New York Sea Grant

This past spring brought historic water levels that many communities have seen along the Lake Ontario shore—throughout Jefferson and Niagara Counties. Flooding has impacted public lands, private land owners, the rental market and marinas and other recreational businesses that bring millions in revenue to the region.

Throughout the spring and summer 2017 Cornell University investigators leading a NYSG-funded study surveyed property owners in an attempt to identify areas that are most vulnerable to high water levels and inform future community flood risk planning.

"The information gained from these surveys will help New York's Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River communities strengthen their capacity for future resiliency," said NYSG Associate Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth.

Here's the latest, including a mid-summer photo series More >>

And for more on this on-going project, visit www.nyseagrant.org/waterlevel2017.


What's Trending: Are You Prepared for the Next Hurricane?


Five years post-Sandy, NYSG's Jamaica Bay Coastal Resilience Specialist Helen Cheng (above) says the superstorm "still looms in the memories of our stakeholders, but I'm looking forward to working with groups to help them prepare for coastal hazards and to be resilient for the next big storm." Her most recent opportunity was during the fourth in a series of Climate Forums hosted by NYSG and the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRIatJB).

During the event—held in late September at the Sandy-impacted New York Aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn—New York State Senator Martin Golden from Senate District 22 offered some remarks, saying in part, "Houston, Florida, Louisiana and Puerto Rico are now dealing with disastrous effects of violent storms. We can relate to this because five years ago Sandy devastated us ... and five years later we are still recovering." More >>

This fall, Cheng and her SRIatJB colleagues will further explore the preparedness discussion with "New York City's Coastal Future: What Can Jamaica Bay Be?," a three-part series that began on October 10th and continues October 17th and 24th. To RSVP and for more on the discussions—to be held at The Lighthouse Auditorium at Brooklyn's Kingsborough Community College—visit bit.do/resilienceseries.

Upcoming Events:

Webinar Series: Watercraft Inspection (October 12 - November 10, 2017) More >>
This new webinar series offers watercraft inspection program leaders and those interested in developing a program the opportunity to learn about exciting, recent advances in aquatic invasive science. Register at http://ow.ly/ZO7930fuJXw.

Pitch In: 14th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (October 28, 2017) More >>
Twice a year New York residents can take their unused pharmaceuticals back to collection sites statewide. Why they should do so is highlighted in NYSG's 'Undo the Environmental Chemical Brew: Keep Unwanted Medications and Chemicals Out of the Great Lakes' guide.
    
Movie Screening: Ocean Frontiers III (November 8, 2017)
New York's ocean use is growing rapidly, with massive new ships, soaring demand for offshore sand mining, and proposed wind energy development offshore. Our busy waters are also home to endangered whales and sea turtles, and support thriving fishing and recreation industries. It's more important than ever that we plan ahead for responsible ocean growth.

For this reason, NYSG is a co-sponsor of a special screening of and panel discussion for Ocean Frontiers III at Farmingdale State College's Little Theater at Roosevelt Hall. RSVP at bit.ly/OF3-Farmingdale.
    
Workshop: Great Lakes Resiliency (November 17, 2017) More >>
Attendees of this training in Batavia, NY will participate in interactive scenario-building and decision-making exercises and develop response strategies to better prepare for impacts on natural and built environments during extreme weather events and other community challenges. Pre-register by November 7.


Research Spotlight:
On YouTube, On Air: State of the Bays: Communities Respond to Colorful Tides that Could Signal Harm


"2017 has been one of the worst years for brown and red tides," said Dr. Christopher Gobler (above, at far left, alongside, l-r, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone). "Conversely, blue-green algal blooms have been mild thus far," added Gobler, a Associate Dean for Research and a professor at Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

In late summer, a Harmful Algal Blooms Action Plan for Suffolk County was released, capping a year-plus-long effort with assistance from, among others, NYSG Director William Wise. More >>

More NYSG Research News



With Satellite Tags, Researchers Track, Protect Lake Ontario King Salmon (September 2017) More >>
  
NYSDEC and NY Sea Grant Announce $199,575 in Grants for Great Lakes Basin Projects (September 2017) More >>
 
Invasive Species a Worry for Scallop Fisheries (September 2017) More >>
   
Model Reproduces Recent Changes in Ocean Climate around New York City and the Mid-Atlantic (September 2017) More >>
   
In Photos: Changes in the Ocean Affect Economically Important Shellfish (August 2017) More >>

On YouTube, On Air, In Photos: State Invests $2M in NYSG to Advance Cutting Edge Brown Tide Research (June 2017) More >>
  
Sea Grant Awards Over $676K to a Total of Three Long Island Sound Study Research Grants (April 2017) More >>

Effects of a Superstorm Linger Years after Superstorm Sandy (January 2017) More >>
How was Long Island's Great South Bay ecosystem affected when Sandy tore a breach in the barrier island that protects it?


NOAA and Sea Grant Fund $800K in Ocean Acidification Research (September 2016) More >>
 
New York Sea Grant Awards Buffalo State Researchers Nearly $12K to study water at Gallagher Pier (August 2016) More >>


Extension Spotlight:
NYSG Names Two New Coastal Hazards Specialists and an Outreach Educator


In their new positions, these Sea Grant extension specialists—(above, l-r) Kathleen Fallon, Roy Widrig and Anna Weshner-Dunning—will look after New York coastlines, work with local communities and conduct outreach regarding hazards (Fallon and Widrig) and stewardship opportunities (Weshner-Dunning). More >>

More NYSG Extension News


It's Fall. Here Are Eight Cooler Weather Water Safety Tips (October 2017) More >>

On Air: NY Sea Grant Posts Twenty 60-second "Info Bursts" on Great Lakes Issues (October 2017) More >>
Topics include protecting pets from algal bloom, Great Lakes rip currents, lakefront landscaping, the Erie Canal, invasive species, microbeads and coastal education.

On YouTube: Lake Ontario Sand Dunes Slowly Return (September 2017) More >>

In Photos: Sea Grant SUBMERGE-S Into Clean & Safe Boating, Severe Storm Safety at NYC Festival (September 2017) More >>

Resources: Proceedings (More >>) from and video/in-depth analysis (More >>) of Great Lakes Oil Transport Symposium (June/September 2017)

On YouTube, In Photos: 2017 NYS Fair - Sea Grant's Boating, Shipwreck Displays & Demonstrations (August / September 2017) More >>

On Air: Podcast—"Fringing Habitats," the fourth discussion a series offering perspectives of people living or working in Jamaica Bay (August 2017) More >>

Sea Grant Makes Impacts in NY's Great Lakes, Marine Waters (March 2017) More >>
Including efforts in: Seafood safety education; Promoting resiliency in coastal communities; Engaging minority youths in hands-on science; and Improving universal access to waterfront recreation.

On YouTube: Don't Be Blind to Signs of Shoreline Bluff Erosion (July 2017) More >>

In Photos: For Helen Domske, the Hunt Goes On (June 2017) More >>

Great Lakes Buoys for Boaters Added to 10th NY Sea Grant Clean and Safe Boating Campaign (May 2017) More >>

On YouTube: NYSG's Traveling Great Shipwrecks of NY's 'Great' Lakes Display Makes a Splash in NYC (May 2017) More >>

New Climate Forum Series Bridges the Gap Between the Science and NYC Coastal Communities (May 2017) More >>

Publications: Postcards on Seafood Nutrition (More >>) and ID-ing, Handling & Preparing (More >>)

Seafood Eat Food Workshop: Sea Grant's Response to a Rise in Consumer Engagement (November 2016) More >>


Education Spotlight:
In Photos: Two from New York Named 2018 Knauss Fellowship Finalists


Emily Markowitz (above, at left) and Ashley Stilson (at right) will serve among the 61 nationwide in the 2018 round of finalists for this prestigious Knauss fellowship program. Both will be placed in either the executive or legislative branches of the federal government in November 2017.

Since 1979, Sea Grant has provided over 1,200 early career professionals with first hand experiences transferring science to policy and management through one year appointments with Federal government offices in Washington, D.C. Knauss alumni go on to have prospering careers in all sectors of society. More >>


More NYSG Education News


NYSG and and NYSDEC Launch NY Great Lakes Ecosystem Education Exchange Program (October 2017) More >>
New resources available for Great Lakes K-12 teachers and environmental educators

Get Out the Map—Sea Grant and Cornell Test Out NYS Learning Standards-Approved Exercises with Hudson Valley Teachers (September 2017) More >>

On YouTube: Sea Grant Harmful Algal Blooms Info at State Parks Alerts Dog Owners to Potential Risks (July / September 2017) More >>

Sea Grant Brings GLEEE to A-Z Summer Education Workshop on Lake Ontario (July 2017) More >>

In Photos: NYSG's Estuary Education & Underwater Exploration Highlight 10th Annual NYC City of Water (July 2017) More >>

NYSG Coastal Education Specialist Recognized for Western NY Contributions by Buffalo Audubon Society (June 2017) More >>

Sea Grant Provides Hurricane & Climate Resources at Waterfront Alliance's Annual NYC Conference (May 2017) More >>

On YouTube: Students Learn About Area's Fragile Dune System (May 2017) More >>

K to Gray Education: Resources From New York and Beyond (January 2017) More >>
Online story map features climate change curricula, safe boating, severe storm preparedness, coastal stewardship and "teach-the-teacher" education efforts.

Two from NY Become Coastal Storms Research Fellows (December 2016) More >>

Through a Sea Grant Fellowship, Shark-Obsessed Teen Becomes the Expert (December 2016) More >>


In Other News:
NYSG's Currents News Archives


Keep tabs on NYSG's news in between issues of NY Coastlines / Currents via our Web site and blog, on the latter of which you'll find, among other posts, "Sea Grant's Social Media Review," our quarterly collection of trending stories from NYSG, other Sea Grant programs and some key NOAA line offices.

Here's a sampling of other stories that have made waves this past year in on our social media platforms and via our site's News and topic-based News Archives sections ...

In Photos: NY Sea Grant Teaches Water Safety in the Pond at Empire Farm Days (June 2017) More >>

In Photos: NYSG's Jamaica Bay Specialist in Two Cornell-in-the-City Magazine Feature Stories (June 2017) More >>

On Blog—On Air, On YouTube: NOAA Predicts an Above-normal Atlantic hurricane season is most likely this year: Are You Prepared? (May 2017) More >>

On Blog—Coastal Storm Outreach and Education Comes Ashore Along NY's Hudson Estuary (November 2016) More >>

Lake Erie—Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (September 2016) More >>

On YouTube: Sea Grant Pacific Region Coastal Experiences Valuable for New York's Water Resources (August / September 2016) More >>

NYSDEC and NY Sea Grant Announce $192K in Grants for Great Lakes Basin Projects (July 2016) More >>

On YouTube: Fifth Annual Seafood Throwdown at "Celebrate Grown on Long Island Day" (July 2016) More >>

NY Sea Grant Partners with NYSDEC, Launches "New York's Great Lakes" Web Portal (June 2016) 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>>