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

And For Additional Stories, Press Releases, Events and More ...


Current and Upcoming Opportunities

2027 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship | Click Here
Closes at: 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 


Input Welcome: What Does NYSG Mean To You?

We'd love to hear from you on your thoughts on past and/or present experiences as well as any ideas on vision for the future: www.nyseagrant.org/WhatDoesNYSGMeanToYou

- Maybe you’d like to recount some favorite moments or experiences with NYSG?

- Perhaps a program or training that you participated in that made a lasting impact?

- Or was there a staff member that made a positive impression?

- It could be a partnership effort we've done together or research that you conducted through NYSG's funding opportunities?

- Were you a NYSG Scholar or Fellow that furthered your career goals or a teacher who gained new insights to share with the next generation of coastal stewards?

Whatever the experience, we want to know!

As we capture these testimonials we may want to share them with others. So be sure you are comfortable with that prior to submission.


As seen in our Summer 2026 NY Coastlines ...
(Vol. 54, No. 2)

In the Spotlight

Feature

Marine Debris:
Resources for #PlasticFreeJuly and Beyond

NYSG is partnering with Columbia University to build a robotic boat that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and remove plastic from water. To train the AI system, we need real-world photos of human-made litter (like plastic) taken from above with surrounding water.  More info →

Photos can be submitted to MyCoast.org/NY/LitterWatch, via the MyCoast app, or to Catherine Prunella at cip275@cornell.edu. 

More on NYSG's marine debris efforts…

How Microfibers Enter the Environment More info →
Microfibers are a major contributor to marine debris. How do they get into waterways in the first place? Resources compiled by NYSG fellows and specialists reveal how this pollutant enters the environment and efforts to mitigate it.

NYSG and Rozalia Project Partner for SUNY FIT Microfibers Workshop More info →
Catherine Prunella (NYSG) and Rachael Zoe Miller (The Rozalia Project) presented a joint microfiber workshop to students, staff, and designers at the Fashion Institute of Technology in April 2026. 

Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan More info →
A bi-state collaborative team created this plan to address a growing marine debris problem. The team will work to facilitate the plan and record its progress over five years (2023-2027).

MOLLUSCA Project More info →
The MOLLUSCA Project is a three-year program that will create a microplastic collecting robot. Educators and teachers are invited to participate in creating curriculum and robots to incorporate into classrooms.

Plastic Pollution and You More info →
This 15-lesson curriculum created through a partnership between multiple Sea Grant programs, DEC, NOAA, and a Suffolk County legislator helps educators introduce K-12 students to the dangers of plastic pollution.


NYSG Currents

Save the Date

Read about upcoming events and deadlines throughout the NY Sea Grant network ...

• Project Privthi Beach Cleanup: Interested volunteers are encouraged to pre-register and bring a bottle of water. Cleaning materials will be provided. Registration required. 6/20. East Kayak Launch at North Channel Bridge, NY.  More info →

• Shoreline Erosion Workshop: Property owners, learn about nature-based shoreline management options, state permitting and coastal consistency review programs. 6/23. Chaumont, NY. More info →

• Summer 2026 Educator Workshop Series: Lake Ontario Ships Past & Present. 7/9-10 (10 am - 4 pm; 9 am - 3 pm). Oswego, NY. Recommended Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle, High. Subjects: Social Studies, STEM, Earth Science. More info →

• Office Hours Series: NYSG's 2026 seafood and aquaculture-focused webinars continue, with the next virtual event scheduled for 7/16. More info → 

• Microplastics Clean-Up and Workshop: Join NYSG and NYC Parks for coastal cleaning and a microplastics workshop in Soundview Park. Space is limited and registration is required. 7/18. Bronx, NY. More info → 

• Summer 2026 Educator Workshop Series: Community Action for Stormwater Clean-Up and Debris Elimination (CASCADE) Curriculum. 7/22 (10 am - 4 pm). Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. Recommended Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle, High. Subjects: Living Environment, Biology, Environmental Science, STEM. More info →

• Summer 2026 Educator Workshop Series: NY’s Great Lakes Species in a Changing Environment: Crayfish. 7/23 (9 am - 4 pm).  Rice Creek Field Station, Oswego, NY. Recommended Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle, High. Subjects: Living Environment, Biology, Environmental Science. More info → 

• Summer 2026 Educator Workshop Series: NY’s Great Lakes Species in a Changing Environment: Crayfish. 7/24 (9 am - 4 pm).  Buffalo State University Great Lakes Center, Buffalo, NY. Recommended Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle, High. Subjects: Living Environment, Biology, Environmental Science. More info →

• Summer 2026 Educator Workshop Series: Mollusca Robot Curriculum. 7/29 (9 am - 4 pm). Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Recommended Grade Levels: Middle, High. Subjects: STEM, Technology, Living Environment, Biology, Environmental Science. More info → 

• Summer 2026 Educator Workshop Series: Mollusca Robot Curriculum. 7/31  (9 am - 4 pm). Newton Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Visitor Center, Brooklyn, NY.  Recommended Grade Levels: Middle, High. Subjects: STEM, Technology, Living Environment, Biology, Environmental Science. More info → 

• 2026 Seafood HACCP Trainings: 8/11 (Stony Brook Innovation and Discovery Center, Stony Brook, NY); 12/8 (Virtual). Registration required. More info →

What's Trending
Read a sampling of stories that have made waves recently in the media, on our social channels, and with our partners.

• New Studies: $1.5+M for NYSG Research on NY’s Coastal Environment, Economies, and Communities More info → 

• Awards: NYSG specialists were celebrated for expertise and career success by? ?the Great Lakes Sea Grant network (Roy, Mary, Megan) and the Hudson River Watershed Alliance (Jess).

• Safe Boating: Here’s what you need to know when boating on New York Waters. More info →

• #BEachSAFEly: This award-winning campaign promotes safe beachgoing, from resources on escaping rip currents to avoiding common beach hazards. More info → 

• Help Document Flood Impacts: In early May, NYSG provided its seasonal reminder to residents in New York's Great Lakes and marine regions about information resources they can use to document flood impacts and to recover after a flood event. More info → 

• NOAA's 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook: On May 21st, forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service predicted a below-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin this year. More info →

• Marine Field Trip: Children ages 8-12 can connect with marine and coastal educational resources, seine to identify marine life, explore coastal habitat and more this summer at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center. More info → 

• Cornell Chronicle: CCE appoints environmental systems critical issue lead. Kathy Bunting-Howarth will continue to serve as an assistant director for CCE and as associate director of NYSG. More info → 

• 2026 Seafood Summit: View recordings and presentations from the downstate (3/27), midstate (4/8), and upstate (4/9) events; See an article from the downstate event More info →  

• Publication: 2025 New York Aquaculture Producer Report The latest edition of NYSG’s 2025 annual aquaculture industry survey was issued in March 2026. More info →


Program Highlights

Note: Read more NYSG research, extension, and education highlights via NYSG’s news archive→

Research

Farmed oysters may boost NY’s dwindling wild populations (Cornell Chronicle) More info →  

Related: $10.4+ Million in Funds for Over a Dozen LI Sound Research Studies (May ‘25) More info →
Extension

LI Sound Coastal Resilience Forum More info →

Publication: Why Do Alewife Die? More info →
Understanding mass die-offs in the Great Lakes

On YouTube: NY Aquaculture Webinars — Manna Seafood Blockchain More info →

Education

Hart’s Hatchery (SBU News) More info →

H. Lee White Maritime Museum (Oswego News) More info →

Great Lakes Fisheries; Microplastic Pollution (ESF News) More info →



NYSG's Currents News Archives (Vol. 14, No. 2)

Keep tabs on NYSG's news in between issues of NY Coastlines / Currents via our Web site (www.nyseagrant.org).

The items below represent a sampling of other stories that have made waves recently in the media, on our social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, X, BlueSky, Instagram, YouTube) and via our site's News (www.nyseagrant.org/currents) and topic-based News Archives (www.nyseagrant.org/currentsarchive) sections ...

NYSG Extension and Education > Marine Waters

NYSG and NYSDEC Announce $85K Available for Marine and Coastal Small Grants Projects
Applications from New York non-profit organizations for conservation, education, and research small grants were due May 19, 2026 More info →

NYSG Extension and Education > Great Lakes Waters

Great Lakes Shoreline Erosion Assistance
Are Natural, Nature-Based or Hard Structures Needed to Remediate Erosion Along New York’s Great Lakes Shoreline? Free Assistance from Sea Grant Helps Landowners Identify Options More info →

From Planning to Action: Municipal Training Series
A two-part Coastal Community Development 2026 webinar series, which begins on Tuesday, May 26th and ends on Tuesday, June 9th, for municipal leaders involved with land use management planning and implementation along New York's Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. More info →

Sea Grant Research Helps Inform Communities and Their Residents About PFAS Risks
NYSG supported a Pennsylvania Sea Grant-led project whose principal investigator, Pennsylvania State University agricultural economist Ruohao Zhang, oversaw an effort to develop an online risk assessment tool to help residents of Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania get a better understanding of their exposure to PFAS related to their location and personal choices. The team created the PFAS Exposure Risk Dashboard, which helps viewers create an individualized exposure risk. The assessment factors include a person’s zip code, in terms of nearby industry and the public water system; where they recreate and how often; and their typical diet. The dashboard is also full of general information to help users understand PFAS, exposure pathways, and actions to reduce exposure. More info →

New York's Great Lakes and River Charter Captains Workshops To Focus On Fisheries, Research, and Safety 
NYSG presents Spring 2026 Charter Captains workshops with a focus on Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River fisheries, research, and safety on April 29th in Oswego and May 7th in Clayton. More info →

Three Dozen Volunteers Join Salmon River Cleanup Day
New York Sea Grant and Oswego County Tourism partnered to host a Salmon River Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 11th. Nearly 40 volunteers gathered to collect trash and debris from the banks of the Salmon River and surrounding areas. More info → 

2026 Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival

• Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival Set For Oswego On June 6th
Special Features: WWII Historic D-Day Tugboat Activity For Kids, Ham Operators Talking With Museum Ships Worldwide. More info →

• Happy Pirates, Toy Boat Races & More Family Fun Announced
Costumes are encouraged! Under the big tent, children may create a maritime themed t-shirt (one per child). More info →

• Learn About Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary
Enjoy Underwater Videos, Maritime History Activities for Kids, Summer Camp Opportunity for Oswego County 4th and 5th Graders. More info →