Oswego, NY, November 16, 2011 - New York Sea Grant Sea Grant is celebrating its 40th anniversary. As seen in this clip from Watertown, NY-based WWNY TV 7, Sea Grant's Dave White talks about the organization and what it has accomplished over the past four decades.

"Sea Grant is the sister program to Land Grant," says White. "The U.S. Congress realized that our coastal resources were not getting the same attention as our land resources, so they created the Sea Grant College Program. Each state was then offered the opportunity to participate. In New York, it's a partnership of SUNY and Cornell University. We fund about $1 million in research on coastal issues each year and then my and my extension colleague's job is to take that information out to those who live, work and play along the coast."

In the video clip, White also reflects on some of the changes and challenges the program has gone through and faced over the last 40 years. He also gives details on on in a series of anniversary talks, this one to be given by NYSG's  Associate Director Dr. Kathy Bunting-Howarth on Wednesday, November 30 at SUNY Oswego as part of the Science Today Lecture Series on women in science, technology, environment and math. Admission is free to the presentation, which will held be at 4 p.m.

For information, call 315-312-3042 or check out NYSG's 40th Anniversary resources section (click here).

New York Sea Grant is one of 32 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a cooperative program of the State University of New York and Cornell University. The National Sea Grant College Program utilizes this network of the nation's premier universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to encourage science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.