Welcome to "Staying Connected" - New York Sea Grant (NYSG)'s web portal to online resources for a variety of our stakeholders, including educators and the seafood industry. We also feature links from some of our partners and have also included information on water levels and waterfront issues, as some Lake Ontario property/business owners are concerned about the potential for high water in 2020. Also below you'll find other Great Lakes and Ocean resources as well as current funding opportunities.
Make sure you stay connected with NYSG via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube), our e-newsletter NY Coastlines and here on our website to keep informed about the latest updates and information.
You, of course, can also still reach out directly to any NYSG staff that you have come to know and work with over the years: www.nyseagrant.org/nysgstaff.
All NYSG staff resource websites can be found at www.nyseagrant.org/resourcesites.
SEMINAR SERIES back to top
For more on NYSG's "seminar series," which we launched in late June 2020, visit www.nyseagrant.org/researchseminars. Our seminars can be viewed live via Zoom or Facebook Live and recorded via YouTube.
RAPID RESPONSE back to top
Note: Additional details on "rapid response" projects, which began in Summer 2020, can be found at www.nyseagrant.org/rapidresponse.
Credit: Joel Davenport.
Beach Safely
NYSG's Coastal Processes & Hazards Specialist Kathleen Fallon
COVID-19 brings more considerations beyond the usual beach safety messaging.
A new summer-long social media campaign from NYSG and New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium helps to remind beachgoers to stay safe and have fun!
More at www.nyseagrant.org/beachsafely
Credit: Loriann Cody / NYSG.
For-Hire Boating
NYSG's Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White
NYSG's Marine Fisheries Specialist Antoinette Clemetson
NYSG is providing New York State’s saltwater and freshwater marine industry for-hire boating sector with a series of posters and decals to encourage public compliance with boating-specific COVID-19 safety precautions.
More at www.nyseagrant.org/forhire
SEAFOOD back to top
Credit: Michael Ciaramella/NYSG.
NYSG Seafood Safety & Technology Specialist Michael Ciaramella
- NY Sea Grant’s online Segment One Seafood HACCP Training is still being administered daily (Monday – Friday) Opportunities to provide segment two training through virtual learning platforms are being explored and may become available in the near future.
- Aquaculture and Culinary professionals, check out NYSG’s free Seafood Marketing Resources to better market your products to buyers and consumers.
- Our Seafood Publications page houses many resources on seafood safety, nutrition, and sustainability. you can also find seafood and aquaculture curricula with engaging activities for you and your kids.
- NY Sea Grant has been compiling relevant COVID-19 Seafood Industry Resources. New resources will be added as they become available, be sure to check back frequently.
Credit: Seafood Nutrition Partnership.
Eat Seafood, America
Support local businesses through these unprecedented times.
Purchase seafood online or from your retailer to cook at home, or order from your favorite local restaurants for delivery or pick-up.
Many fishermen and distributors have shifted to online deliveries to help get healthy seafood to Americans. Help support these local businesses.
Learn more: www.seafoodnutrition.org/eat-seafood-america and join the Seafood Nutrition Partnership!
And visit www.localfish.org/delivery-pickup to find out which markets are open for pick-up or are delivering directly to you. Those in New York residing outside Suffolk County can ask their local fishmonger or grocer for U.S. fished and farmed seafood.
Seafood Guides
New York Sea Grant has been coordinating a Seafood Processing and Marketing Task Force with Federal, State, and Local agencies, industry groups and extension personnel to address hurdles and opportunities for alternative marketing strategies for seafood in NY State.
While a variety of resources exist outlining best practices and alternative strategies for marketing seafood products, the specifics of marketing within every state varies significantly due to differences in infrastructure and regulations. Using existing resources and reviewing currently regulatory requirements and guidelines the task force has created a series of resource guides that outline the requirements for processing and marketing seafood in New York.
The resources developed include three regulatory guides and 9 supplementary resources that provide more detail on the strategies and requirements outlined in the regulatory guides.
More at www.nyseagrant.org/seafoodguides
HIGH WATER / WATERFRONT ISSUES back to top
Rock rip-rap revetment, Irondequoit Bay (Monroe County, NY). Credit: Roy Widrig, New York Sea Grant.
As the media continue to balance COVID-19 reporting with local, regional and state issues, NYSG offers some resource for stories (focusing mostly on NY Great Lakes region issues, e.g, International Joint Commission forecasting, which has some waterfront property/business owners concerned about the potential for high water in 2020) ...
Water Level, Community Preparedness, Watercraft Inspection
NYSG's Coastal Community Specialist Mary Austerman
- Author of New York’s Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Index: A Community Self-Assessment; working with waterfront communities to help them understand how prepared they are for coastal-flooding and weather disasters.
- An interactive story map showcases data collected during surveys related to 2017 Lake Ontario Water Level Impacts is now available. See where the water came from, county breakdowns on impacts from inundation and erosion as well as learn what respondents experienced in other areas of their lives and see links to other helpful Lake Ontario water level resources.
- Offers interactive mapping tools to help property owners and communities along Lake Ontario and its embayments enhance flooding preparedness by allowing them to visualize inundation information for individual parcels of interest using predetermined water levels.
- Extension liaison to NYSG-funded flood-risk modeling project in development by Cornell University to show parcel-level impacts of high water events, identify areas most vulnerable to future events, and verify existing flood-risk modeling. Project enters pilot testing in 2020. See 2017 flood survey story maps.
- Collaborator on 2017 High Water Level Survey Results, Resources
Shoreline Erosion Resources
NYSG's Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig
Boating: On-Water Safety
NYSG's Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White
NYSG's Coastal Processes & Hazards Specialist Kathleen Fallon
- High water safety issues: Floating docks, debris and hazards; life jacket requirement; equipment to have onboard
- Marine industry perspective; works with, among others, marinas, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, New York Marine Trades Association, Boating Industries Association of Upstate NY, the Association of Marine Industries - Long Island, New York State Parks - Marine Services Bureau
- "Boating in NY in 2020: Top 10 Safety Reminders, New Resources" In mid-April, when boating opportunities began opening up with some restrictions related to marina operations, social distancing, and sanitization, NYSG partnered with the Empire State Marine Trades Association and Boating Industry Association of Upstate to provide resources encouraging people in NY’s Great Lakes region to boat in a socially responsible way.
- "Boating on Long Island in 2020: Top Safety Reminders and New COVID-19 Resources" When it was Long Island’s time starting in early May, NYSG expanded its partnerships to include New York Marine Trades Association, the Association of Marine Industries - Long Island and New York State Parks - Marine Services Bureau, among others, to offer additional safety reminders and resources for NY’s marine waters.
- Also in early May, NYSG's Dave White launched "Tips for Boating and Marine Trades Business Management During COVID-19"
- In mid-May, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, along with trade association partners from across the marine industry, released Guide to Operating Your Boat Business Safely, a 58-page publication aimed at helping boat businesses operate safely in a new marketplace concerned with the COVID-19 health crisis.
NYSG was one of many collaborators who provided insights on “Guide to Operating Your Boat Business Safely,” a manual for running an organization that is safe for employees, customers and communities across North America.
It includes sections that provide insights for: Your Business, Your Customers and Your Employees, and each section highlights guidance from government agencies as well as best practices from inside and outside of the marine industry.
Inside the guide, businesses will not only find such insights as: 7 Tips for Operating a Safe Marina; 49 Best Practices for Dealership Operations; How to Communicate Safe Boating to Customers; How to Keep Your Staff Safe; and 10 Steps to Train Your Staff on the New Rules, but they’ll also find 15 downloadable documents, signage, spreadsheets and more. The Guide also provides an index of 44 important links and recommended resources.
- Great Lakes Clean and Safe Boating "News" archived at www.nyseagrant.org/marina
- Aquatic invasive species management by boaters
NYSG's Mary Austerman is author of New York State Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Handbook.
Redesigned NY Invasive Species Clearinghouse Helps Watercraft Inspection Programs
NYSG has enhanced access and added resources to the redesigned New York State Invasive Species Clearinghouse website to support New York’s watercraft inspection steward programs as well as water enthusiasts including recreational boaters.
FOR EDUCATORS back to top
Credit: Brittney Rogers, Helen Domske / NYSG.
NYSG's Coastal Literacy Specialist Nate Drag
Educational Resources, Funding Opportunities for Teachers | Click Here
BioBlitz
In April and May, NYSG also took part in promoting a “Great Lakes Bioblitz,” which took place on the entire Great Lakes Basin (U.S.) and Ontario, happened in yards and other outdoor spaces that respected the stay home and social distancing practices required at this time.
During this month-long event, which started on Earth Day, New York’s educators, families, and students found and identified over 56,000 wild, living things.
Credit: Long Island Sound Study.
NYSG's Outreach Coordinator for Long Island Sound Study Jimena Perez-Viscasillas
Long Island Sound Study: Educational Resources | Click Here
- The Long Island Sound Study’s website offers listings of educational resources that can make learning from home a little easier. Resources include an underwater virtual tour of the Sound, information on its local fauna and flora, and links to useful resources from other local organizations.
- The website also includes fact sheets, maps and posters, a By the Numbers section, conservation glossaries, tips for “What You Can Do” to protect the Sound from home. Long Island Sound Study encourages educators to use these resources in their classrooms or during their programs in order to help us educate the 8.9 million residents of our watershed.
Long Island Sound Mentor Teacher Training Program
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Long Island Sound Mentor Teacher (LISMT) program has been canceled. Applicants from the 2020 round will be allowed revisions to their current submissions next year and will be evaluated for the 2021 LISMT program.
As detailed in a recent impact statement, this program provides educators with a platform, resources, and support to create and lead professional development workshops for other educators. The workshops are built around LIS subjects to equip educators to share lessons and hands-on activities about the Sound that can be included in existing curricula.
In lieu of the 2020 LISMT workshops, the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) will be sharing other online resources and hosting webinars around different Long Island Sound topics. If you are interested in leading a webinar or want to be included in the LISS’s educator mailing list to find out about upcoming opportunities, reach out to Jimena at jbp255@cornell.edu.
BioBlitz
From June 15-26th, New Yorkers can take part in the free 2020 "Long Island Sound Coastal Bioblitz”
Why participate? Invasive species are one of the most serious threats to Long Island’s ecosystems, including those around Long Island Sound. But with group monitoring efforts being canceled this year due to the pandemic, citizen scientists are especially needed to help find and identify species across different Long Island habitats.
Through this LIS Coastal Bioblitz, participants will be able to contribute to monitoring biodiversity and finding invasives while social distancing through the iNaturalist app.
Participants in the Queens and Northern Long Island region are encouraged to visit coastal habitats near them such as beaches, marshes, ponds, creeks, etc; explore, and have fun taking pictures and logging species around them. While doing so, social distancing is encouraged.
GREAT LAKES RESOURCES: CSMI back to top
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's R/V Lake Guardian docked in Buffalo, July 2018. Credit: TJ Pignataro / Buffalo News.
NYSG's Great Lakes Fisheries and Ecosystem Health Specialist Stacy Furgal
A variety of videos, fact sheets, and other information can be found about the Great Lakes via EPA. This site provides information about the International research effort called the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) in the Great Lakes. Learn more about your favorite Great Lakes and what scientists are doing to better understand them.
For those that are more data-driven, check out the information and data collected from the Great Lakes via Illinois Indiana Sea Grant's "Great Lakes Monitoring" site. A variety of different data are presented and available for viewing and for making comparison across the Great Lakes and through time.
OCEAN RESOURCES back to top
Credit: PixaBay (public domain); Logo (inset) by Loriann Cody for NY Ocean.
New York Ocean social media
New York Ocean’s social media accounts deliver ocean-related information, resources, and announcements.
During the early months of this pandemic (March - April 2020), these accounts have also been highlighting some of the many ocean-related lessons, activities, and resources that are available from a variety of sources to those New York teachers, students, and their parents that are stuck at home.
New York Ocean can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES back to top
Credit: Ryan Delaney / WRVO.
COVID-19 Rapid Response Research for Coastal Science | Click Here
Some COVID-19 research resources that might be appropriate for or of interest to coastal science researchers.
PARTNER RESOURCES back to top
NOAA Live! Webinar Series | Click Here
NOAA's Regional Collaboration Network is partnering with Woods Hole Sea Grant and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on a NOAA Live! webinar series targeting grades 2-8 during school closures as a result of COVID-19. The 45 minute webinars are currently being offered from March 23-May 1 M/W/F at 11 am EST and feature a different NOAA expert/topic and a moderated Q&A. Current offerings are listed, as well as the archived, recorded webinars after they take place.
National Sea Grant Law Center: Analysis of the CARES Act | Click Here
The National Sea Grant Law Center, in partnership with the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program, created this clearinghouse of reliable information on CARES Act programs and other issues associated with COVID-19 for the fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industries.
National Sea Grant: Sea Grant Educational Resources | Click Here
A collection of sites dedicated to providing educational resources for teachers, parents and students. Links include at-home learning ideas and activities.
National Sea Grant: Seafood Information and Resources | Click Here
An online collection of pertinent and timely information and resources to the US seafood industry - both wild harvest and aquaculture.
Sea Grant Educators: Education@Home Resources | Click Here
A network-wide Google spreadsheet filled with at-home resources.
Michigan Sea Grant: H.O.M.E.S. AT HOME Webinar Series | Click Here
Sea Grant Bridge: Ocean Science Education | Click Here
Peconic Estuary Partnership: Resources for Educators | Click Here
The PEP has created a number of fun activities and educational worksheets that you can enjoy on your own or share with your children or students.
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, University at 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, Instagram, 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.
