2024 Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Regional Meeting
Session Descriptions
keynote presentation
James Room
8:45AM - 9:30AM
Becoming Sea Level Wise in Virginia Beach
Charles J. (C.J.) Bodnar, Stormwater Technical Services Program Manager, Virginia Beach Public Works Stormwater Engineer Center
The City of Virginia Beach worked with NOAA to prepare an action plan showing how the city should prepare for Sea Level Rise. The Sea Level Wise Adaptation Strategy, published in March 2020, was unanimously adopted by the Virginia Beach City Council to be included as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Charles Bodnar will outline the four phases of Virginia Beach’s proactive, long-term approach — impact assessment, adaptation research, strategy development, and long-term implementation — that will enable the city to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Download the full abstract here.
Tuesday, April 23
Tools Café - Session I
2:30PM - 3:30PM
LOCATION CHANGE - Room: CAPE A
The Eat More Fish Program - A Blueprint for Collaborative Seafood Consumer Education
The Aquaculture Information Exchange Online Community Platform
Presenters: Jay Clark, VASG Communications Center Assistant Director & Joe Caterine, Digital Experience Manager, Virginia Sea Grant
A demonstration of the AIE online community platform, including features and an overview of the WordPress website, theme, and plug-in packages that power the site. This type of website can be used to create an online community related to other relevant Sea Grant constituents, and that potential will be discussed during the session. The AIE is a grant-funded partnership between NOAA and USDA intended to serve as a communications platform, actively being moderated to facilitate discussions about current issues facing the industry, the latest research and developments in aquaculture, and a space where users from across the nation can connect with other members of the aquaculture community.
Surveying horseshoe crabs: education and outreach around a keystone species
Presenter: David Christopher, Marine Education Specialist, Delaware Sea Grant
Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are an ecologically, economically, and medically important species. Each spring, millions of horseshoe crabs come to the beaches of the Delaware Bay to lay their eggs. This is the largest known spawning population of horseshoe crabs in the world! Since 1990, citizen scientists and researchers have surveyed the spawning horseshoe crabs along the beaches of Delaware and New Jersey. The data from this survey is then used to make important management decisions. In this session, representatives from Delaware Sea Grant will demonstrate some of the tools and education materials that have developed to educate the public and school students in Delaware and beyond about this important keystone species and their habitat.
Driving Change: A Practical Approach to Evaluating and Enhancing Outreach Programs for Behavior Change in Environmental Initiatives
Presenters: Amanda Rockler, Watershed Restoration Specialist, Maryland Sea Grant & Jennifer Dindinger, Watershed Restoration Specialist, University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension
University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension agents will lead a session in which participants will utilize a tool called the Outreach Program Audit Tool to identify elements of extension programs that align with behavior change principles and those elements that could be modified to better achieve behavior change objectives. Participants will learn to identify appropriate ways to evaluate programs to ensure they can demonstrate success, even if behavioral objectives are not desired or feasible. For example, is there justification for establishing a foundation of awareness or should the program just focus on behavior change? Is there a need for education, or behavior change, or both? Is it just that a policy needs to be in place to achieve implementation? The interactive format of the tools session will offer participants the opportunity to gain personalized insights on modifying their own extension programs. Whether aiming for increased awareness or tangible behavior change, this session equips attendees with practical tools and expert guidance for successful program evaluation and enhancement.
Tools Café - Session II
3:45PM - 4:45PM
LOCATION CHANGE - Room: CAPE A
HAB - AI Enabled Monitoring Tools
Presenters: Antoinette Clemetson, Fisheries Specialist, New York Sea Grant
Convey information about AI integration in tools used to monitor HABs in a manner that improves accuracy and expedite decision making. This presentation contains a brief overview of the project, followed by an interactive session and participants can use the equipment.
Choose Native: a statewide look at landscaping and water gardening with native species
Presenters: Zach Nemec, Coastal Outreach Specialist & Amber Stilwell, Coastal Outreach Specialist, Pennsylvania Sea Grant
The Choose Native initiative is a collaboration between the Great Lakes Commission (GLC), Pennsylvania Sea Grant, and Penn State Extension. Pennsylvania Sea Grant worked with the Great Lakes Commission to apply for funding through the Richard King Mellon Foundation which was awarded in January 2023. The primary focus of the project is preventing invasive species introductions through the organisms in trade (OIT) pathway, mainly targeting the landscaping and water gardening industry. The presentation will introduce the Choose Native Initiative publication which showcases native alternatives to commonly planted invasive and ornamental species. Transferability to other Sea Grant programs will also be discussed.
The Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant website
Presenters: Jay Clark, Communications Center Assistant Director, Virginia Sea Grant
The Sea Grant Mid-Atlantic regional website was developed in 2020. The site is meant to serve as a dynamic resource to increase internal and external awareness of regional Sea Grant programs, efforts, activities, events, news, opportunities, and more. Regional staff are familiar with the internal functions of the site, related to the regional meeting. Through the Tools Café session, staff will be introduced to the many other functions, options, and opportunities available.
Introduction to the Coastal Inundation Community of Practice
Presenters: Kate McClure, Coastal Inundation Specialist & Summer Morlock, Assistant Director for Programs, National Sea Grant Office
The Coastal Inundation Community of Practice is a national network of coastal flooding practitioners, collaboratively developed by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, the National Sea Grant Office, and the American Society of Adaptation Professionals. Participants in this interactive session will learn about and help shape this new effort. Session participants will have the opportunity to discuss the community of practice’s current and future activities, ask questions, and provide input on the network’s direction.
Wednesday, April 24
Concurrent Session I
10:30AM - 12:00PM
ROOM: RAPPAHANNOCK
Practical Lessons Learned from Working in Underserved Communities
Presenters: Eric Buehl, Regional Watershed Restoration Specialist, Maryland Sea Grant; Amanda Rockler, Regional Watershed Restoration Specialist, Maryland Sea Grant Extension
Presentation Format: 60-minute presentation
For the past several years, University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension Watershed Specialists Amanda Rockler and Eric Buehl have been working in underserved communities in an effort to provide accelerated technical and financial assistance to help address environmental issues in their communities. They will share some practical lessons that they have learned over the past couple of years that may be helpful to those interested in doing similar work. The goal of the session is to share useful information that should be considered when planning underserved community outreach and restoration efforts, and takeaways for participants will be practical suggestions on helping to build trust and understanding in communities they may not have traditionally worked with.
Addressing the Needs of the Sea Grant Community through Legal Research and Extension
Presenter: Catherine Janasie, Research Counsel II, National Sea Grant Law Center
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes law is a complicated matrix of international, federal, state, tribal, and local law. It is quite challenging to stay informed regarding the current state of the law. The National Sea Grant Law Center’s mission is to encourage a well-informed constituency by providing legal information and analysis to the Sea Grant Community, policy-makers, and the general public through a variety of products and services. The presentation will provide an overview of the National Sea Grant Law Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law and the legal research and extension services provided to the Sea Grant community. Specifically, this presentation will share how Sea Grant staff can submit research questions to the NSGLC’s Advisory Service and details of several ongoing projects of relevance to the Mid-Atlantic region.
ROOM: YORK
Pennsylvania Weavers: How the Commonwealth is Advancing Environmental Literacy
Presenter: Michelle Niedermeier, Education Lead, Pennsylvania Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 30-minute session
Learn how Pennsylvania Sea Grant, as co-PI on a NOAA B-WET statewide capacity building grant, is partnering to advance Environmental Literacy statewide. The evolution and structure of Pennsylvania Environmental Literacy Network (PA ELit) will be discussed along with its mission and vision. PA ELit’s regional hub infrastructure development strategies include a hyper-responsive local context (urban, suburban, rural) and provide a place for learning to ensure everyone has a “seat at the table”. The Network’s aim is to bring together formal and nonformal educators with cross-sector partners to weave the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) framework with Pennsylvania’s K-12 academic standards for Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability (STEELS). An interactive conversation will allow participants and facilitators to have an open dialogue and share experiences about barriers and solutions that aim to bridge divides, such as the urban and suburban watershed as well as the agricultural and forested context, as we strive for collective impact and systemic change.
Virginia's Young Fishermen's Initiative
Presenter: Shelby White, Marine Business Specialist, Virginia Institute of Marine Science/Virginia Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
Virginia’s Young Fishermen’s Initiative (VYFI) provides an opportunity for younger generation fishermen (and women) to continue their involvement in commercial fishing and preserve the fishing heritage through workshops, training, and networking opportunities. The VYFI held its first workshop in 2023 and covered topics recommended by an industry-based panel. Topics included business planning and marketing, public communication, fisheries science and management, technical skills and safety, and a generational panel where younger, novice fishermen had the opportunity to learn from established fishermen. Another VYFI event is anticipated in late 2024/early 2025. The goals and takeaways of this session are to raise awareness of the VYFI and discuss findings from the pilot workshop, connect with other individuals experienced in workforce development programs, and expand the reach of this program to other coastal fishing communities.
A Next-Gen Seafood Industry: Implementing Career-Development Programming in the Southeast Region Through Public-Private Partnerships
Presenter: Sara Mirabilio, Fisheries Extension Specialist, North Carolina Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
Across the nation, the commercial fishing fleet is aging (and in many places, also contracting) as younger people seek jobs outside of industry. This “graying of the fleet” phenomenon threatens the resiliency of the commercial seafood sector. Sea Grant Programs in NC, SC, and GA have responded to these “graying of the fleet” concerns through various measures, yet more could be done. These three state Sea Grant programs successfully received funding from the NOAA Sea Grant FY21 Special Projects Competition (Special Project “J”) for the project titled, “’Food from the Sea’ Careers Program: Young Fishermen’s Development Act & Aquaculture Planning Frameworks” to canvass other workforce development initiatives happening across the country so as to identify the most effective means of recruiting, training, and supporting the next generation fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industry-workforce in the South Atlantic region. The group then received funding from the FY23 Young Fishermen’s Career Development Project RFP to respond to identified training needs and to help build workforce capacity in the region’s seafood industry. Work began on Aug. 1, 2023, and will span two years. The project team is leveraging existing efforts, as well as developing new activities – chiefly the planning and implementation of an immersive Southeast Commercial Fishing Academy with accompanying apprenticeship program.
ROOM: MARINER A
One block at a time: A toolkit for equitable adaptation through green infrastructure
Presenter: Sara Stahlman, Extension Leader, Pennsylvania Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 45-minute presentation
Coastal communities experience frequent severe storms, flooding, and degraded water quality from expanding urbanization, and these challenges are expected to continue. Marginalized communities of low income, communities of color, and those lacking access to safe and stable neighborhoods are typically most impacted, yet also often have the fewest means to adapt to and mitigate water quality and quantity issues. Sea Grant program partners from Illinois-Indiana, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania developed mirrored community engagement processes tailored to specific neighborhood projects, ultimately leading toward a ready-for-rain city block in four communities: Duluth, Minnesota, Erie, Pennsylvania, and Michigan City and Hammond, Indiana. To implement the One Block concept, the team developed three project phases centered on equitable, community-driven engagement and planning. The three phases include: 1) background assessment of climate hazards and vulnerabilities; 2) community visioning using focus groups and interviews; and 3) implementation of a multi-benefit green infrastructure project based on community feedback. The three Sea Grant programs actively shared processes, findings, and results for identifying neighborhood vulnerabilities and associated climate challenges, hosted listening sessions to bridge municipal and community leaders, and employed community engagement activities to support the implementation of multi-beneficial green infrastructure. This presentation will summarize how the team implemented the One Block at a Time project phases in the four Great Lakes communities and highlight the finalized community assessment and engagement toolkit applicable for use in communities nationwide.
Coastal Resilience Design Studio: Developing Integrated Design Treatments and Interventions to Address Community Resilience Challenges in Delaware
Presenter: Ed Lewandowski, Coastal Communities Development Specialist, Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 30-minute session
Many of Delaware’s communities lack the resources and/or technical and administrative capacity to undertake planning and problem solving that promotes coastal resilience. The Coastal Resilience Design Studio (CRDS) was established by the Delaware Sea Grant College Program in 2018 to provide a structure for involvement in projects related to coastal resilience that serves to connect community, educators, students, citizen-scientists, not-for-profits, governmental entities, and private-sector professionals. Teams work within communities to understand challenges and opportunities across scales, design solutions, promote planning and policy recommendations, build projects, and evaluate results. Communities benefit because CRDS pushes beyond problem identification into problem solving, holistically and comprehensively, bringing stakeholders closer to catalyzing and implementing lasting change. Further, this program leverages many partners and has an interdisciplinary focus, which is hard to find or procure in the private consultant sector, thereby enabling students to work collaboratively across professional fields and expand opportunities for engaged scholarship with real stakeholders. Ultimately, the studio hopes to challenge and drive policy to benefit coastal communities through more sustainable land use, design, planning, education, and engagement.
ROOM: Mariner B
Engagement between Sea Grant Extension and federal partners: developing guidance for future interactions
Presenters: Annie Schatz, Aquaculture Projects Coordinator; Hannah Cooper, Science Management and Policy Intern; Jenna Clark, Senior Program Manager, Maryland Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 90-minute session
Sea Grant Extension is highly valued and appreciated for their direct application of solutions-oriented approaches within their communities, which is why federal agencies often seek out Extension. Furthermore, engagement between Sea Grant Extension and federal agencies is necessary for making progress on various environmental and societal issues. However, working with federal partners can sometimes be difficult to navigate. In this session participants will discuss ideals and strategies for effective and efficient engagement with federal partners based on previous interactions, successful and/or difficult. By the end of this session, participants will have brainstormed good practices for engaging with federal groups. We expect to share and expand on these initial findings at Sea Grant Week before circulating more broadly.
The idea for this session was born out of a project at Maryland Sea Grant in partnership with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences (NCCOS) at NOAA focused on expanding the reach of NCCOS’ marine spatial planning tools and growing their capacity for collaboration with various coastal-ocean user groups, including Sea Grant Extension, in six regions throughout the United States. Some of the findings developed in this session may be included in a suggested guidance document that will be shared with NCCOS on how they could most effectively engage with Sea Grant Extension, generally and regionally, in future projects and tool development.
Concurrent Session II
1:00PM - 3:00PM
ROOM: RAPPAHANNOCK
Cooperative Research Efforts in Fisheries & Aquaculture within the Mid-Atlantic
Presenter: Edward Hale, Assistant Professor, Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 30-minute presentation
The session will focus on research efforts that integrate cooperative partnerships including industry and members of the public to generate meaningful research impacts. The primary goal of this session would be to listen to how other Sea Grant programs are working with individuals outside of the bounds of academia to tackle real world problems. Aside from the power of networking, one of the takeaways for participants would be the communication of potential parallel efforts and strategies to increase programmatic success across multiple Sea Grant programs.
Willingness of Virginia’s Small-Scale Commercial Fishermen to Diversify in an Emerging Blue Catfish Fishery
Presenters: Shelby White, Marine Business Specialist, Virginia Sea Grant, Andrew Scheld, Associate Professor, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
Commercial fishing harvest has been offered as a viable mechanism to control populations of invasive and non-native species. There are ongoing efforts to evaluate the potential for exploitation of invasive blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) in the Chesapeake Bay. Expansion of the existent but small commercial fishery may be particularly beneficial to small-scale commercial fishermen as it could provide additional opportunities for diversification and economic growth. A survey instrument was implemented to evaluate the willingness of fishermen to alter their fishing behavior in response to ex-vessel price. Fishermen responded to increases in ex-vessel price with an increase in the number of fishing days, regardless of ex-vessel price variability. The availability of buyers and processors were also noted as a concern of harvesters. Understanding the factors that influence participation in emerging fisheries is important for managers as a means of assessing diversification and participation in commercial fishing communities. The goals of this session are to highlight species shifts, including the emergence of invasive species, that may present new economic opportunities for small-scale fishermen, as well as identify barriers to these opportunities. Participants will be able to apply the findings of this research to emerging species in other coastal communities and understand barriers to expansion.
Blue Catfish: An Invasive Species in the Chesapeake Bay and Opportunities for the Seafood Industry
Presenter: Katheryn Parraga-Estrada, Muscle Food Safety Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech/Virginia Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
This will be a 15-minute lightning talk about the invasive blue catfish species and the efforts that Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension and partners has been making to support and encourage the use of blue catfish for processing and consumption. The goals will be to inform participants about the presence of blue catfish in the bay, how it is affecting the ecosystem, opportunities for the seafood industry and fishermen, and how the general public can contribute to this effort. Takeaways for participants will be the benefits of consuming catfish in terms of health and saving the Chesapeake Bay.
Starting a Pilot Scale Shellfish Hatchery in Delaware
Presenters: Alyssa Campbell, Shellfish Hatchery Coordinator, Delaware Sea Grant; Edward Hale, University of Delaware/Delaware Sea Grant; Dennis McIntosh, Delaware State University/Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
Shellfish aquaculture is a relatively new industry in Delaware. Oyster aquaculture was permitted in Delaware in 2017, and the state is still far behind the rest of the Eastern Seaboard. In an effort to bolster industry growth, University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and Delaware Sea Grant launched the state’s first pilot scale oyster hatchery. This talk would highlight the ecological and economic benefits and opportunities shellfish aquaculture (specifically oysters) provide for the state, provide a detailed description of the new facility on the UD Lewes campus, discuss the outcome of the first year in operation, and talk about the facility’s goals moving forward.
Increasing the Utilization of North Carolina Seafood through Social-Media Videos
Presenters: Barry Nash, Seafood technology & marketing specialist; Dan DiNicola, digital content producer, North Carolina Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
A 2019 study by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) found 32% of respondents said recipes would encourage them to buy more seafood, and one of the best ways to share recipes with these information-driven buyers is through websites. Social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram are major sources of cooking inspiration. Of all content types posted to these channels, videos remain the best performing, driving more engagement than any other social-posting option.
MarinersMenu.org is an online resource offering kitchen-tested seafood recipes and information on species seasonality, discerning seafood quality and handling seafood safely at home. To increase awareness of N.C. seafood, Sea Grant developed three videos for MarinerMenu.org with Chef Ricky Moore, proprietor of the Saltbox Seafood Joint of Durham, NC and the 2002 winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast Region. Many consumers are reluctant to buy seafood because of concerns about under- or overcooking it, so Mr. Moore used the series to demonstrate proper technique when sautéing, baking, and pan-frying seafood. This video series reached 65,697 people across all North Carolina Sea Grant social-media channels.
ROOM: YORK
Breaking Down Armoring: Are Living Shorelines Hyped or Hyper-Effective?
Presenter: Mariko Polk, Coastal Processes Specialist, North Carolina Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 20-minute lightning talk
Living shorelines, a form of nature-based solutions (NBS), have been in use for over three decades. In this time, our understanding of how they function has grown exponentially but many unknowns still exist. Here, we provide an update on living shoreline activities in North Carolina, including in academia and regulatory spaces. We will also discuss where current research sits, hurdles, highlight resources for landowners and practitioners, and reflect on Extension’s potential role in NBS and living shorelines.
Urban stormwater macroplastics as a source of riverine and coastal microplastics
Presenter: Barbara Doll, Associate Extension Professor, North Carolina Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 20-minute lightning talk
Recent research has shown that plastics are ubiquitous in our natural environment. Microplastics (<5 mm) have been found on every continent and in some of the most pristine areas of the planet. And the prevalence and impacts of macroplastics in marine environments is also well documented. During storm events, litter can be mobilized and transported by runoff to nearby waterways, eventually making its way to estuaries and the ocean. Macroplastics break down into smaller fragments as they are abraded and photodegrade. Some government bodies have begun regulating litter using municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirements. To gauge the presence, volume, and type of plastic pollution in North Carolina, NC State University and NC Sea Grant sampled for microplastics at fifteen stream gage locations throughout the Neuse River Basin. In an effort to identify potential sources of the microplastic pollution, macroplastics and other litter were quantified using several method at urban streams in Raleigh. Results of this research effort, potential future stormwater regulations and ideas for reducing plastics in our waterways will be discussed.
NOAA Investments in Marine Debris
Presenters: Madison Willert, Marine Debris Specialist, National Sea Grant Office; Catherine Prunella, New York Sea Grant; Wie Yusuf, Old Dominion University/Virginia Sea Grant; Diana Burich, New Jersey Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 60-minute session
This session features Sea Grant awardees with projects funded under the two BIL/IRA Sea Grant marine debris competitions. The goals are: 1) connect Mid-Atlantic marine debris grantees to each other; 2) share the funded marine debris projects with anyone else at the meeting who may be interested.
ROOM: MARINER A
Establishing an Urban Sea Grant Workgroup
Presenters: Zach Nemec, Coastal Outreach Specialist, Pennsylvania Sea Grant; Dr. Emily Maung-Douglass, Urban Watershed Specialist, Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 20-minute lightning talk
Urban environments are abundant with opportunities for Sea Grant to be part of innovative solutions, approaches, and partnerships to coastal issues such as sea level rise, water quality impairments, flooding, and emerging contaminants. These densely populated areas consist of a wide range of communities and user-groups. Despite the wealth of opportunities and strength in numbers, urban spaces present problems with many interdependent factors, making them seemingly impossible to solve. Communities share commonalities but also vary in perspectives, experiences, resources, and needs. To improve reach and impact within urban environments, and address the coastal challenges they present, Sea Grant professionals serving such areas need an internal network to share information, lessons learned, and accomplishments.
The Urban Sea Grant Workgroup was established in spring 2023 by three Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant professionals (Dr. Emily Maung-Douglass – Delaware Sea Grant, Lilli Genovesi – NY Sea Grant, and Zach Nemec – Pennsylvania Sea Grant). The Urban Sea Grant Workgroup met three times over a year, averaging 14 Sea Grant professionals per meeting. Breakout sessions facilitated by organizers revealed challenges/barriers experienced and partnership approaches undertaken by Sea Grant in urban spaces, as well preferred workgroup structure and deliverables. Meetings have included discussions of extension programming, as well as a synthesis of breakout group input. Workgroup guidelines are being established, as well as an urban Sea Grant project directory.
Offshore Wind Energy Development: Regional Status and Lessons Learned
Presenter: Kathryn Lienhard, Offshore Wind Energy Research Associate, Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 20-minute lightning talk
Offshore wind energy (OSW) in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. is a novel industry. Amidst setbacks and project cancellations, developers are forging ahead to secure production of renewable energy from this offshore resource to meet ambitious federal and regional energy goals. Coastal communities respond varyingly to anticipated OSW development. Concerns of a changed landscape, impacts to marine life, disruption to fishing and maritime activities, and uncertain economic impacts of investments in OSW projects warrant further investigation. This session will include a presentation on the status of offshore wind development in the Mid-Atlantic, lessons learned from community engagement, tools for effective communication, and upholding science as a non-advocate. After the presentation, participants will be invited to share in a roundtable discussion some of their own experiences in extension and education, ending with an open call for knowledge-sharing among participants.
The NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative: Building Partnerships and Networks to Advance Coastal Community Resilience
Presenter: Laura Kerr, Research Coastal Engineer/ Coastal Resilience Specialist, New Jersey Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 30-minute session
In 2016, the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative (NJCRC) was established by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) after Super Storm Sandy inspired a growing recognition that coastal communities required technical assistance and support to plan and implement coastal resilience projects to protect ecosystems and communities from increasing climate change driven natural hazards. Since 2019 the NJCRC has been facilitated by NJ Sea Grant Extension agents funded through a variety of sources.
The NJCRC is a growing comprehensive network of universities, non-profits, contractors, national estuary programs, advocacy groups, regional planning groups, municipalities, and federal-, state-, and county-level agencies with the shared mission of fostering sustainable and resilient coastal communities and ecosystems by generating informed action.
This presentation will review the structure and operating principles of the NJCRC, coordinating activities, project development and implementation, goals and accomplishments, and a discussion of present challenges and future opportunities for both the Collaborative and improving coastal community resilience in the face of increasing natural hazard impacts.
Building individual resilience through community resource fairs
Presenter: Emily Rodden, Resilient Urban Ecosystems Research Associate, Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 15-minute lightning talk
This session will discuss Delaware Sea Grant’s pilot initiative of organizing resilient housing resource fairs in New Castle County, which includes Delaware’s largest and most diverse city, Wilmington. A resource fair is a planned community event that includes service agencies and nonprofits that offer resources such as low-to no-cost home repairs, food pantry, rental assistance, home heating assistance, energy savings, hazard preparedness, and other programs, such as vaccine clinics. The goal of the resource fairs is to inform community residents and connect them with programs that are available to them, in order to build personal resilience to climate change impacts. The resource fairs are meant to help residents create a home where basic needs are met and is prepared for and resilient to extreme weather events. This presentation will include insights on the planning process of resource fairs, including how we selected the host-communities, recruited service providers and in-kind support, advertised to participants, and evaluation mechanisms for the resource fairs. We will discuss hurdles, course corrections, and tips for running your own resilient housing resource fairs.
ROOM: Mariner B
Demystifying the Proposal Budget
Presenter: Lori Hans, Fiscal Officer, Delaware Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 45-minute presentation
Sea Grant Fiscal Officers are magicians. This session will unlock age-old fiscal secrets and help you prepare better proposal budgets, understand the pre- and post-award processes, and provide tips to staying on the good side of your wizard of a fiscal officer.
The world of virtual meetings and workshops: discussing and brainstorming best practices for planners
Presenters: Mike Allen, Associate Director; Annie Schatz, Aquaculture Projects Coordinator; Hannah Cooper, Science Management and Policy Intern; Ana Sosa, Proposal and Reporting Coordinator, Maryland Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 60-minute presentation
Sea Grant programs are well known for their capacity to bring together local, regional, and national partners for critical conversations and collaborations. However, when planning events in our digital, highly connected world, there is often demand for both in-person and virtual participation. While providing virtual options can lead to greater inclusivity, there are challenges when offering synchronous hybrid, asynchronous hybrid, or entirely virtual sessions (e.g., cost, planning time). Furthermore, virtual events and meetings may not result in the desired attendance and can be subject to ‘Zoom fatigue,’ ultimately impacting the information and outcomes gained from these events for both the participants and planners. During this session, participants will discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of different event formats, share examples of successful practices, and discuss tips and strategies for planning and carrying out successful virtual engagement. The session will lead to a draft document of good practices for offering, planning, and convening virtual or hybrid events. We anticipate sharing the initial findings from this session at Sea Grant Week in August to gain further insight from the Sea Grant Network before disseminating these resources more broadly.
TOPICAL BREAKOUTS
3:00PM - 4:15PM
ROOM: RAPPAHANNOCK
AQUACULTURE/SEAFOOD
ROOM: YORK
MARINE DEBRIS
ROOM: Mariner A
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
ROOM: Mariner B
CLIMATE ADAPTATION
TOPICAL BREAKOUTS
4:20PM - 5:05PM
ROOM: RAPPAHANNOCK
FISHERIES/SEAFOOD
ROOM: YORK
CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN
ROOM: Mariner A
COASTAL RESILIENCE
ROOM: Mariner B
OFFSHORE WIND
Thursday, April 25
PLENARY SESSION
10:30AM - 11:30AM
ROOM: JAMES
Professional Development: Building Resilience by Identifying Character Strengths and Engaging in Positive Communication
Presenter: Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
Do you dread having tough conversations with your family or colleagues? Are you and your clientele frazzled, tired and/or stressed? Are you looking for new ways to engage positively? This session will introduce you to using appreciative inquiry processes, positive psychology fundamentals, and improv communication techniques in ways that enable you to build resilience for yourself, family, and clientele. You will get a chance to practice and play with these techniques and learn a little about Cultivemos/Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network in the northeast.
Concurrent Session III
10:30AM - 11:30AM
ROOM: RAPPAHANNOCK
Resilience, Integrated Design, & Environmental Justice
Presenters: Troy Hartley, Director; Sabine Rogers, Strategic Partnership & Initiative Coordinator, Virginia Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 45-minute presentation
Virginia Sea Grant has been developing a resilience design program, integrating ecology, engineering, architecture, and landscape architecture for new nature-based solutions and other innovative adaptation and resilience designs. We would share the story of Chesterfield Heights, a vulnerable City of Norfolk neighborhood with environmental justice challenges. In 2014 VASG launched a community-scale design project that was awarded a $120M HUD Natural Disaster Resilience Competition grant. Ribbon cutting occurred in 2023 in Chesterfield Heights. Expanding this model, VASG has workforce development and innovative design initiatives underway with the American Institute of Architecture, an architectural firm Hanbury, and through the Collaboratory with Wetlands Watch. We will present each of these efforts. With funding from GO Virginia, a state economic development initiative, VASG has advanced innovation in resilience design, particularly for coastal rural communities, on critical issues related to septic systems, shoreline protection and nature-based solutions, and marsh plant production. In addition, VASG convenes a multi-sector community of practice, the Adaptation Design Network, that serves as a think-tank, designing and testing new adaptation solutions. Through presentations and possible panel with stakeholders, VASG will discuss the need assessment, program design and implementation, and lessons learned from these program elements.
ROOM: YORK
News you can use - project highlights from VIMS/VASG Marine Extension
Presenters: Lisa Lawrence, Marine Education Program Leader, Karen Hudson, Shellfish Aquaculture Specialist, Abigail Clark, Virginia Clean Marina Program Specialist, Susanna Musick, Marine Recreation Specialist, Virginia Institute of Marine Science/Virginia Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 45-minute presentation
Highlights of impactful programming: Virginia Scientists & Educators Alliance (VA SEA); Extension participation in the Regional Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program; VA Clean Marina Program fishing line recycling; and Recreational Fishing Research Roundup – getting anglers onboard.
ROOM: MARINER A
A Deeper Dive into the Mid-Atlantic Regional Website
SESSION CANCELED DUE TO ILLNESS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE
Presenters: Kelly Donaldson, Communications Lead, Pennsylvania Sea Grant; Jay Clark, Communications Center Assistant Director, Virginia Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 45-minute session
The Sea Grant Mid-Atlantic regional website was developed in 2020. The site is meant to serve as a dynamic resource to increase internal and external awareness of regional Sea Grant programs, efforts, activities, events, news, opportunities, and more.
This session will build on the Tools Café presentation by, 1) providing a deeper dive into the existing site functions and those yet to be explored and launched, 2) perusing other regional Sea Grant websites to compare and consider structure, content, and management options, 3) engaging participants in the process, soliciting ideas and feedback, and 4) identifying next steps for creating, curating, and managing online content.
ROOM: Mariner B
Lines Crossed: Untangling Communication to Get the Catch
Presenters: Hilary Parmentier, Professional Development Coordinator; Lisa Eddy, Competitive Research & Education Coordinator, Virginia Sea Grant
Presentation Format: 60-minute presentation
This interactive session will allow participants to step outside their normal roles to understand and interact with others with similar interests. Communication starts with empathy and learning about your audience. Knowing who you are and who your audience is will help you to achieve success in communicating your ideas. Participants will gain the knowledge of moving beyond their own ideas to understand how others see the world. This transformative session will allow participants to step into a different world and learn how to communicate in a productive way.