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.

Late Spring - Early Summer 2025
NY Coastlines / Currents; Vol. 53, No. 1  / Vol. 13, No. 1


Some of New York Sea Grant’s staff at The Big Duck, a famous Long Island landmark in Flanders, NY nearby where the statewide staff meeting took place in Riverhead, mid-May 2025.

NYSG Director's Letter: Becky Shuford

Dear NYSG friends and family:

Spring has sprung and summer is on the horizon! Flowers and trees are in bloom, birds are singing, fish are jumping, and temperatures are on the rise – all portending of warm days on New York’s amazing coasts – whether on one of our two Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence or Hudson Rivers, or the shores and waters of the Atlantic and Long Island Sound – opportunity and adventure beckon!

In this edition you will find NYSG’s annual showcase of stories and highlights of activities, partnerships, and programming from the past year. Please kick back, relax, and enjoy reading and learning about the impacts our collaborative work makes in support of vibrant coastal communities, environments, and economies across the State, and the people and partnerships that make it all happen.

Also happening is the annual Federal budget season. Now, more than ever, New York Sea Grant, and our network of 34 programs across the country, needs your support. Sea Grant funding for both the current year (Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2025) and the next (FY 2026), and the future of Sea Grant in general, are at risk. If you want to ensure the impactful programming and partnerships made possible by NYSG can continue, please reach out to your local representatives in both the House and Senate to make your voice heard and request that they support robust funding for Sea Grant. You can access guidance on how to do so at the following webpage: nyseagrant.info/supportnyseagrant2025.

NYSG is grateful for your partnership, and your support, in this and all seasons. And we thank you, deeply.

With gratitude,

Becky Shuford, NYSG's Director

What's Trending

Subscribe to our social media channels and keep tabs on our campaigns, as well as NYSG (job, funding) opportunities, events and other programming ... and much more ... Facebook; LinkedIn; X; BlueSky; Instagram; YouTube


(L-R, Top Row) Maria Beccari, NYSG’s Digital Media Specialist; Sumayyah Uddin, NYSG’s Science Writer; Michael Brown, NYSG’s Climate Stewards Outreach Coordinator; (Bottom Row) Benjamin Goldberg, NYSG’s Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional in NYC; Lauren Darcy, NYSG's Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Specialist

Spotlight: New Staff

NYSG Communications Strengthened With Arrival of Digital Media Specialist and Science Writer
Two new communications positions based at Stony Brook, NY were filled this past October and May. Maria Beccari is NYSG’s Digital Media Specialist and Sumayyah Uddin is its Science Writer. Read on >>

NYSG Welcomes Climate Stewards Outreach Coordinator in Ithaca
Michael Brown is NYSG's Coordinator for the Cornell Climate Stewards Program, a 12-week program that teaches New York State volunteers about climate change, adaptation, and mitigation. Read on >> 

Long Island Sound Study's New NYSG Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional 
In early January, NYSG welcomed Benjamin Goldberg, the sixth Sea Grant extension professional on Long Island Sound Study (LISS)'s Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SRC) team, four of whom (including Goldberg) are with New York Sea Grant. These specialists, along with two supported by Connecticut Sea Grant, help to expand LISS basin-wide Sound efforts. Read on >> | Learn more about LISS SRC >>

NYSG Hires Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Specialist for NY's Eastern Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Region
From NYSG's new office in Watertown, New York, Lauren Darcy serves as a conduit to NYSG's expertise with coastal processes and hazards, Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystem health, water quality, Great Lakes literacy training for teachers and informal educators, and coastal tourism. Read on >>

Spotlight: Fellowships


NYSG’s Knauss Fellows in Sea Grant’s 46th Class, which began their year-long fellowship in D.C. this past February. 

Sea Grant’s 46th Knauss Fellowship Class in D.C. Includes Five From Universities in New York
The 88 finalists for the 46th class of the prestigious John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program represents all 34 Sea Grant programs nationwide. NYSG's five fellows are: Kahad Adamu (University at Buffalo), Beryl Kahn (City University of New York), Alyson Lowell (Stony Brook University), Patricia McKee (Pace University), and Dawn Parry (Cornell University). Read on >> 

• In Photos: Updates from the 2024 Knauss Fellows
NYSG reached out to its 2024 Knauss fellows — Patrick Shea, Brianna Grimes, and Maximilian Brown — and collected updates, in their own words, as their year-long fellowships in Washington D.C. came to a close. Read on >> 

NMFS-SG Fellowship
Sarah Weisberg, a 2022 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship recipient, completed her work at Stony Brook University in 2024. The fellowship program, which has trained the next generation of specialized experts in fisheries management since 1999, addresses the critical need for future fisheries scientists with expertise in stock assessment by supporting students pursuing doctoral degrees in related fields. 

• The Efforts To Ensure Climate-Ready Fisheries
A group of scientists is trying to make sure managers in charge of the nation’s fisheries incorporate climate data into fisheries decisions. Read on >> 

• A Fresh Way to Look at How Ecosystems Might Suddenly Shift
Scientists are working on a new theoretical approach to explain how ecosystems might respond to climate change. Read on >>

Student Fellowships Enrich Diverse Environmental Career Interests
In 2024, New York Sea Grant fellowships provided nine students with diverse learning experiences working with scientists, students, community groups, and legal issues. We have a summary of the opportunities made possible through NYSG’s New York Coastal Resilience Law and Policy Fellowship, Community Engaged Internship, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Summer Internship programs. Read on >> 

New York Sea Grant Spurs Careers in Research and Extension
The Community Engaged Internship (CEI) program has sponsored young professionals who have worked with NYSG on research and extension, supporting them as they move into the first stages of their careers. Here, we catch up with two former CEI fellows, Bella Duati and Jade Wu, who are now professionals making a difference. Read on >> 

• In Photos: Student Put Light on Environmental Science in Madison County and New York State
Through mentoring by New York Sea Grant, the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, Cornell University junior James Hoehner developed public outreach in Summer 2024 to highlight the environmental resources of Madison County and New York State. Read on >> 

Spotlight: What Does NYSG Mean To You?


Sea Grant By The Numbers

Sea Grant: A Smart Investment in our Coastal Economy

For over 50 years, the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) has supported coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education.

In 2023, a federal investment in Sea Grant of $94 million led to $828.3 million in economic benefits.

This nationwide federal-university partnership program brings science together with communities for solutions that work. 

Learn about the impacts of Sea Grant’s research, education and extension efforts at seagrant.noaa.gov/our-story/impacts/. You can also download a two-page fact sheet (pdf).

NYSG historically leverages on average a 3 to 6-fold return on each invested federal dollar, annually.

Learn more about "What is New York Sea Grant" at www.nyseagrant.org/whatisnysg. 

You can also download a two-page fact sheet (pdf) or view a 30-second video short on Sea Grant via NYSG's YouTube channel.


Sunset on the sands of Long Beach, NY.

New York Sea Grant's 2024 Success Stories

Below, we share our annual review of impactful NYSG coastal programming and research. Included are 44 summaries of select work conducted by our program's extension specialists and funded researchers to develop and provide stakeholder-driven, science-based information, tools, and other resources to support local communities, businesses, and individuals achieve objectives related to coastal community, environmental, and economic resilience and sustainability.

You can also access this information via an interactive Story Map at www.nyseagrant.org/highlights2024 or in a web-friendly format More >>

Hare Lab students Hannah Hartung and Yuqing Chen search for oyster spat on shells deployed in the Hudson River for one month, hosted by the Yonkers GroundWorks Science Barge. Credit: Matthew Hare

New York Sea Grant Research: 2024 – 2026 Current and Completed Projects

Since 1971, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has been supporting university-based research related to a variety of marine, Hudson estuary, and Great Lakes topics and issues. 

A sampling of ongoing research includes a $2.15M suite of 10 teams of researchers — from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Hofstra University,  Adelphi University, Stony Brook University, Cornell University, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County — that are exploring a range of stakeholder-driven topics that are addressing multiple high priority community, economic, and environmental objectives to benefit residents in the state’s coastal region. Read on >>

Some recently-completed investigations address topics including: Impacts of microplastics in the aquatic environment, including the species that reside there; Flood risk planning for Lake Ontario's coastal communities; Aquaculture and/or restoration of several species (e.g., oysters, seaweed); Detection of aquatic invasive species; Optimizing existing control strategies for food borne pathogens; Providing a cost efficient and reliable tool in the Great Lakes for ID-ing hatchery vs. wild Chinook Salmon Read on >>

Extension


NYSG collaborates with partners to hold Women’s Fishing Seminars. A participant from the group on Oneida Lake in 2023 (above) hosted a clinic in her county in 2024. Credit: J. Cannaday/NYSG

Coastal Ecosystems, Fisheries

Stormwater Debris Reduction Program Piloted in Rochester Will Expand to Other Cities
NYSG applies cutting-edge technology and community engagement to create actionable solutions to protect Great Lakes’ ecosystems and urban communities. Read on >>

Helping to Build Resiliency in Northeast American Lobster Fishing Communities
NYSG provided extension support to the American Lobster Research Initiative. Read on >>

Women in Fisheries Mentorship Program
NYSG encourages participation and representation by women in New York’s professional fisheries community. Read on >>

Great Lakes Charter Captains Conference
The charter fishing industry is a vitally important part of the economy and natural and cultural heritage of New York’s Great Lakes coastal communities. Read on >>

Microplastics Awareness Outreach in New York
A NYSG-Columbia University collaboration is addressing microplastic pollution from textiles with diverse audiences. Read on >>


Coastal flooding due to high tide, Jamaica Bay, November 16, 2024. Credit: Joanne Furstman via MyCoastNY

Coastal Communities, Climate Resilience

Wayne County Shoreline Steering Committee: Building Coastal Resilience and Economic Opportunity
This initiative provides environmental, economic, and community benefits in Wayne County and serves as a model for regional collaboration. Read on >>

Strengthening Local Government Capacity for Resilient Waterfront Planning Along Lakes Erie & Ontario
NYSG equips local governments with tools and knowledge to protect coastal resources, enhance resilience, and support sustainable waterfront development. Read on >>

Innovative Resilience Planning and Grant Support Initiatives in the Long Island Sound Region
NYSG is successfully implementing responsive programming to address complex challenges in coastal communities. Read on >>

New York City Neighborhood Flood Reports & Website
NYSG has responded to Queens’ community residents’ requests by launching neighborhood-level flood reporting and a related website. Read on >>

Jamaica Bay Community Flood Fellowship Program
NYSG has launched a flood risk training and networking program in response to requests by Jamaica Bay community members. Read on >>

Empowering Communities Through Local Plan Implementation
Small grants projects converted eight local community plans into action, utilizing ecosystem-based management principles to advance NY’s Great Lakes Action Agenda. Read on >>

Great Lakes Education Council Recommendations Lead to Workshops on Climate Change Impacts & Adaptations
NYSG and NYS DEC partnered with Great Lakes teachers to develop and design professional development workshops on an environmental topic important to students. Read on >>

Engaging Communities to Document Floods and Storm Damage With MyCoast NY
NYSG coordinates a statewide community science program enabling the public to document and share their experiences with floods, storm damage, and coastal change through photos. Read on >>

Training Cornell Climate Stewards
NYSG-trained extension educators in turn train volunteer cohorts to lead projects that will increase climate resilience and adaptation capacity in their NY counties. Read on >>

An excerpt from a six-foot interpretive panel developed for NYSG’s Great Shipwrecks of New York traveling exhibit. Credit: NYSG

Coastal Processes, Recreation

Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Designation
National Marine Sanctuary status will increase tourism and spur economic growth in New York State’s eastern Lake Ontario region. Read on >>

Natural and Nature-Based Features in New York
NYSG is identifying and filling knowledge gaps surrounding natural and nature-based features in New York State to inform and advance resilient shoreline practices. Read on >>

Providing Shoreline Erosion Assistance to Great Lakes Residents
NYSG expertise with coastal processes and hazards is assisting residents, groups, and communities with responding to shoreline erosion impact. Read on >>

Evaluating the Extent of Ghost Dams and Dam Safety Programming in New York
NYSG is partnering with state and federal agencies to advance safety awareness around New York’s dams. Read on >>

Employees at Violet Cove Oyster Co. check the growth on kelp lines in Long Island’s Moriches Bay shortly before harvest time. Credit: Lazy Point Farms

Sustainable Seafood

Building a Network of Seafood Professionals Across NY
NYSG Hosts 8th Annual New York Seafood Summit, where active cross-sector communication and collaboration is crucial to enhancing and supporting growth in aquatic foods production and processing in New York. Read on >>

New York Aquaculture Producer Survey Results
A new survey illustrates status and production levels of NY’s aquaculture industry and allows for tracking industry changes over time. Read on >>

• Related: Publication: 2024 NY Aquaculture Producer Survey Results Report (pdf) (April 2025)


Education


NYSG’s 2024 Great Lakes Plankton Workshop. Credit: Nate Drag/NYSG

Marine Camp Helps to Connect Youths to the Outdoor
NYSG organizes a marine camp for youths from communities in New York’s Nassau County. Read on >>

Great Lakes Plankton Workshop
NYSG organized a two-day professional development workshop for teachers to meet researchers and learn about the microscopic world of Great Lakes plankton. Read on >>

Providing Student Training Opportunities
NYSG programs provide undergraduate and law students with hands-on opportunities to address coastal issues. Read on >>

Engaging STEM and Place-Based Environmental Literacy
Professional development for teachers and outdoor education programming are successfully reaching K-12 youth in NY’s Long Island Sound region. Read on >>


National


The National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant)’s mission is to enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal, marine and Great Lakes resources in order to create a sustainable economy and environment. For over 50 years, Sea Grant has supported coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education.

Sea Grant By The Numbers
In 2023, a federal investment in Sea Grant of $94 million resulted in $828.3 M Economic Benefit More Info >>

Sea Grant Takes Center Stage in Oceanography Special Issue 
This special issue, published in April 2024, features 36 articles contributed by Sea Grant authors across 29 programs and the National Sea Grant Office. One of the articles features a case study on the award-winning #BEachSAFEly project, an ongoing campaign created by New York Sea Grant and New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium in 2020 that featured safe practices for beach users. Read on >>

National Weather Service: 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reminds us that as we continue through the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season, which runs from June 1st — November 30th, the key to safety begins with preparation.

Just before Memorial Day, forecasters at the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center predicted above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. 

At that time, NOAA predicted a range of 13 to 19 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 6-10 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3-5 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges.: bit.ly/2025AtlanticHurricaneSeasonOutlook.

Note: In early August, NOAA provided an update outlook for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season.

Be #WeatherReady through the summer with the NWS latest campaigns, which features a variety of tips to help you better be prepared for seasonal weather hazards such as rip currents, hurricanes, tornadoes, and temperature increases. Learn more about Summer Safety (English | Spanish translation).

Keep tabs on weather watches and warnings this season:

• Bookmark www.hurricanes.gov and www.weather.gov

• Follow NOAA’s National Hurricane Center on X at @NHC_Atlantic and NOAA's U.S. National Weather Service at @NWS

• Visit Ready.gov/hurricanes (or Listo.gov/hurricanes) for tips on how to prepare for hurricane season.

On YouTube: NOAA in the Great Lakes
NOAA plays a crucial role in the Great Lakes region, providing essential services and data for safe navigation, weather forecasting, water quality monitoring, coastal management, habitat restoration, and more. Our cutting edge science, service and stewardship support the region's communities, environment, and economy.

A clip of “NOAA in the Great Lakes” can be viewed via NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory’s YouTube channel. 

To learn more about NOAA's work in the Great Lakes, visit www.noaa.gov 

Partner


Harmony Borchardt-Wier, Manager, Hare Laboratory, Natural Resources and the Environment, deploys two shell bags at Ash Creek, a tidal creek and intertidal wetland in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Borchardt-Wier was joined by Matt Hare and Yuqing Chen on this early 2025 field trip to collect juvenile oyster spat, young oysters that have attached to a substrate, like other oyster shells, and are beginning to grow. These spat are then often deployed in restoration efforts or grown out for harvest. Credit: Matt Hare/Cornell DNRE

$10.4+ Million in Funds for Over a Dozen New Long Island Sound Research Studies
This major investment — $6.8M in research funding, leveraging an additional $3.56 in matched dollars — to five institutions in New York and Connecticut — Stony Brook University, City University of New York, Cornell University, University of Connecticut, and The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk — focus on key aspects of Long Island Sound ecosystem. Read on >>

Over $1M Awarded to Support Resilience Planning in 15 Long Island Sound Communities
15 projects — 10 in NY and five in CT — have been awarded through the Long Island Sound Resilience Planning Support Program, which was created by Sea Grant programs in New York  and Connecticut and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Long Island Sound Study. A second round of these grants will provide up to $1 million in additional support. Read on >> 


NYSG's Currents News Archives (Vol. 13, No. 1)



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 ...


In a NYSG-funded project, a SBU-led team will carry out new research trips in order to evaluate how trends in climate may drive shifts in the distribution of predators and their prey. Project PIs Michael Frisk, Oliver Shipley (Stony Brook University), and Jill Olin (Michigan Tech) were all part of a recent Stony Brook research cruise to sample sharks in the Mid Atlantic Bight. A short distance off the boat’s port side bow is a mature white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Credit: Tom Henshilwood

Awards

NYSG Communications and Extension Staff Receive Three Awards for Their Electronic Deliverables (July 2024)
National APEX “Public Awareness Social Media Campaign” Award for #LISoundFacts comes a month after two Fair Media Council Folio Awards, regional prizes bestowed to Sea Grant for #LISoundFacts and NY Coastlines, its flagship e-newsletter Read on >> 

Three NYSG Extension Specialists Honored for Superior Programming (April 2024)
Michael Ciaramella, NYSG’s Seafood Specialist, and Jessica A. Kuonen, NYSG's Hudson Estuary Resilience Specialist each received an award at 2024's Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant regional conference and the New York State Marine Education Association bestowed the Bob Abrams Meritorious Award upon Jimena Perez-Viscasillas. Read on >>


NYSG Research > Marine Waters

NYSG and NYSDEC Fund Over $760K in New York Ocean Research Grants (January 2025)
Over $760,000 in ocean two-year research grants are coming to fruition for investigators from Stony Brook University (SBU), Rutgers University, the Nature Conservancy, the University of Rhode Island, and Beneath the Waves — a conservation NGO based in Virginia, Michigan Technological University. Read on >> 

2024 LIS Research Conference: Science Serving the Sound (May 2024)
Talks and poster presentations from the day-long NYSG-hosted event related to one or more of four main themes: Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds; Sound Science and Inclusive Management; Sustainable and Resilient Communities; Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife. Each theme represents an important aspect of protecting the Long Island Sound and reflects the goal of the conference and its attendees. Read on >>


NYSG Extension and Education > Statewide

Attend, On YouTube: NYSG Seafood Summit Events (March - July 2025)
NYSG, in collaboration with industry, academic and other professional seafood stakeholders, offers three events from early March through late July as part of its annual "NY Seafood Summit", two in March and one in June.  The goal of the summit is to convene a group of enthusiastic professionals with vested interest in seafood to build active communications between the various sectors of New York's seafood industry. www.nyseagrant.org/seafoodsummit 

• Related: On YouTube: 2025 Freshwater "Seafood" Summit in Geneva, NY (March 2025) Read on >>

Attend, On YouTube: NY Aquaculture and Seafood Virtual Office Hours (January - Present)
Do you have an interest in or questions about the regulation of aquaculture and seafoods in New York? If so, join NYSG and the New York State Agencies involved in aquaculture and seafood regulations —  NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Department of Health — for this new free virtual series: www.nyseagrant.org/nysgofficehours

Attend, On YouTube: Seaweed Food Safety Regulations Webinar Series (April - Present)
This NYSG-hosted webinar series builds off of a series of resources that its task force has created to assist New York seaweed producers in understanding the regulations governing the sale and marketing of seaweed products in the State. www.nyseagrant.org/seaweedguides

On YouTube: Access to Capital for New York Seafood Businesses (September 2024) Read on >>

On YouTube: New York Aquaculture Webinar — Potential Role of Triploid Oyster Technology (July 2024) Read on >>


NYSG Extension and Education > Marine Waters

In Media: Celebrating Long Island Sound Day (June 2025) Read on >>

On YouTube: Helping Communities Assess Risk and Design for the Future (April 2025) Read on >>

On YouTube: Predicting and Preparing for Extreme Precipitation (January 2025) Read on >>

Partner News: Updated Bronx River Intermunicipal Watershed Plan Released (December 2024) Read on >>

In Media: Long Island Sound Study’s Halloween Coastal Clean a Spooky Success (October 2024) Read on >>


NYSG Extension and Education > Great Lakes Waters

NYS's 12th Annual Invasive Species Awareness Week; 7th Annual Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz (June 2025) Read on >>

Sandy Shorelines and Seiches: Information Workshop for Waterfront Landowners in Irving (June 2025) Read on >>

NYSG's New Online Tool to Help Local Governments Maximize Efforts to Meet State and Federal Criteria (June 2025) Read on >>

Help Available to Landowners, Communities to Evaluate and Address Waterfront Erosion Problems (March 2025) Read on >>

On YouTube: NY Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program Requesting Proposals for 2025-26 (March 2025) Read on >>

Great Lakes Research Consortium Celebrates 40 Years of Great Lakes Science (January 2025) Read on >>

Learn How to Be Ready for Seiche Season on Lake Erie — Fall 2024 Workshop Resources (October 2024) Read on >>

Lake Ontario Trout Tagging Study — Posters (July 2024) Read on >>


 NYSG Extension and Education > Great Lakes Waters > Tourism Economics

For Safe Boating on New York Waters in 2025, Here’s What You Need to Know from NY Sea Grant (June 2025) Read on >>

Children's Activities Announced for 2025 Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival in Oswego (April 2025) Read on >>

2025 Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival in Oswego (April 2025) Read on >>

Marine Industry Careers Days, Boating Safety Demonstrations Offered in February (January 2025) Read on >>

Marine Industry Careers Day, Boater Safety Certification (January 2025) Read on >>

Adult and Youth Boater Safety Certification Courses at 2025 Central NY Boat Show (December 2024) Read on >>