2021 Annual Report
New Hampshire Sea Grant
Introduction
A message from our Director
At New Hampshire Sea Grant, we are dedicated to constantly evaluating and improving what we do. We hope our second interactive Annual Report will continue to increase transparency and grow awareness for what we do and how we do it. Our Annual Report is intended not only to highlight our programming from the past year, but also to provide useful information on emerging topics and our basic structural and financial summaries. I hope you find this Annual Report informative and helpful, and I look forward to hearing from you if you have questions or would like additional information about NH Sea Grant's work.
Sincerely,
Erik Chapman, Ph.D. , Director of NH Sea Grant
Our Mission
New Hampshire Sea Grant’s mission is to support a coastal environment that sustains healthy ecosystems, economies, and people.
Our Approach
We meet our mission through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts, which we refer to as our "functional areas."
Research
NH Sea Grant’s research program supports innovative studies that address key scientific questions and research needs for New Hampshire, from biology and ecology, to technology and engineering, to social science and issues of public health and policy.
Extension
Community engagement is at the core of NH Sea Grant’s work. We proudly connect interested parties (individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations) with the science and training they need to make informed decisions about our marine resources.
Education
Increasing environmental literacy and promoting career and workforce development are central to NH Sea Grant’s marine education activities, which reach thousands of students each year.
For lifelong learners, our robust volunteer programs (UNH Marine Docents and Coastal Research Volunteers) provide opportunities and educational experiences for adults across the state.
Communications
Communications serves as a central hub for NH Sea Grant's work – helping to connect our research, extension, and education efforts with diverse audiences through rich, authentic, and visually-appealing stories, photos, videos, and online content.
Focus Areas
Sea Grant also categorizes our work within and between these functional areas (research, extension, education, and communications) into four strategic focus areas:
Strategic Plan
Our functional areas and focus areas are guided by the Goals, Objectives, and Desired Outcomes outlined in our Strategic Plan. Work in 2021 was motivated by and designed to reflect and respond to our 2018-2023 Strategic Plan.
Additional Context: Sea Grant 101
Established by Congress in 1966, the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) is a network of 34 university-based programs in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Sea Grant works to enhance the practical use and conservation of the nation's marine and coastal resources.
Operating through its university-based network, Sea Grant supports research, education, and extension to help balance the conservation of coastal and marine resources with a sustainable economy and environment. In this framework, Sea Grant provides unique expertise for those who live and work in our coastal environments, and those who make decisions about these resources. Sea Grant uses research results to solve real-world problems, prepares the next generation to be scientifically literate about the marine environment, and provides fair, accurate and balanced scientific information to all those with a stake in marine management.
At the federal level, Sea Grant is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. New Hampshire’s Sea Grant program is housed at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) – making UNH a land, sea, and space grant institution.
DEIJA and NH Sea Grant
NH Sea Grant’s mission is grounded in service to the people of New Hampshire, and to meet this mission we need to recognize, confront, and assume our responsibility in addressing the systemic biases and privilege that have shaped us, and that we have sustained. As an organization, we are working intentionally to educate ourselves, hold space for difficult conversations, and take action to address diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) in our program. NH Sea Grant has a role to play in combatting structural, societal, and environmental injustices, and we will hold ourselves accountable to this necessary and critical work now and for months and years to come.
In order to strengthen NH Sea Grant’s ability to learn about, appreciate, and implement greater DEIJA principles through our work, we are taking steps to build a more culturally competent organization by:
- Educating ourselves in collaboration with our colleagues, partners, volunteers, and constituents by listening, sharing and learning
- Working with experts to help us move our organization from awareness to accountability and action
- Acknowledging the roles of history, legacy, and geography
- Integrating DEIJA considerations into our organizational planning, implementation, reporting and communications
- Reaching out more broadly in recruiting and hiring, proposal solicitation and reviews, project design and program advising
DEIJA Training for Volunteers
In spring 2021, NH Sea Grant Extension Program Leader Julia Peterson and her colleague Megan Glenn of the UNH STEM Docent Program spearheaded a specialized volunteer training titled In This Together: Learning About Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. The pilot training edcuated 30 volunteers across UNH Extension and NH Sea Grant's volunteer programs on DEIJA topics like implicit bias, structural bias, and social identity along with information about the changing demographics of New Hampshire. By learning how identifiers like race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, and age can affect a person’s experience, UNH Extension and Sea Grant volunteers and employees can modify current programs and policies to create positive change and contribute to a more culturally proficient organization. Learn more about In This Together, here.
Research
NH Sea Grant’s research funding cycle runs biennially, representing an investment of $2.5 million every two years from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other non-federal matching funds. A state-wide call for research proposals solicits high-quality marine and coastal science projects that address any of NH Sea Grant’s Strategic Focus Areas.
In 2021, NH Sea Grant reviewed proposals received through our biennial Request for Proposals (RFP) , which solicits research projects that integrate cutting-edge science with expert extension, outreach, and education to support dialogue and science-based decision-making in areas of particular importance to New Hampshire and the region. New Hampshire investigators submitted proprosals for one- or two-year research funding for our 2022-2023 cycle, which officially runs February 1, 2022 - January 31, 2024.
- Number of pre-proposals submitted (February 19, 2021): 23
- Number of individual PIs/Co-PIs: 66
- Number of new PIs (no previous submissions to NH Sea Grant): 7
- PI Institutions: University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, Keene State College
- Number of institutions/agencies represented by PIs and Co-PIs in pre-proposals: 7
- Number of full proposals received (June 16, 2021): 15
- Number of projects selected for 2022-2023 funding (starting February 1, 2022) : 6
Where do our research funds go?
NH Sea Grant funds innovative, relevant research that aims to address challenges related to coastal and marine resources. Our research portfolio includes an impressive array of scientists working at institutions, laboratories, and offices across the state of New Hampshire (indicated by the pins on this map). We strive to engage a diversity of institutions and Principal Investigators in our funding opportunities and research program.
Our research funding can be divided into two categories:
Development Funds are small grants between $1,000-$7,500 awarded on a discretionary basis by the NH Sea Grant Executive Committee.
Biennial Research Projects are awarded through a highly competitive RFP process for major funding of up to $100,000 per year for up to 2 years.
Our 2022-2023 Biennial Research Projects:
Culturally-tailored online nutrition education program targeting fish consumption among Hispanic adults
Though we know eating fish is a healthy choice – it’s even included in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines – programs promoting healthy eating for disadvantaged and low-income populations often leave fish out of their guidelines. The Hispanic community is the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in New Hampshire, but also the second largest group living in poverty and disproportionately affected by chronic disease and other diet related risks. The Hispanic community may therefore widely benefit from eating more fish.
To address this gap, Sherman Bigornia, assistant professor in the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems at UNH, and partners will develop an online nutrition program based on narrative communication for behavior change to encourage low-income Hispanic adults in New Hampshire to eat fish. Their project, based on focus groups and interviews with key informants, will determine how best to reach the Hispanic community in New Hampshire. They will also make the curriculum available to other regions and communities to promote healthy diets and support fisheries across the country.
PI: Sherman Bigornia (University of New Hampshire)
PFAS bioaccumulation and biomagnification in marine food webs
Attention and concern have increasingly grown around PFAS – perfluoroalkyl substances – a type of chemical used in consumer products like non-stick cookware, food containers, textiles, and industrial surfactants. These products can have adverse health impacts in people and many are already present in the environment. In New Hampshire, PFAS are found in the Great Bay estuary – introduced from the former Pease Air Force Base and nearby landfills. How these compounds build up and are transferred between animals in a food web is still unclear, and so the risk to humans through seafood is not well known.
To help answer this growing question, Celia Chen from Dartmouth College will assess levels of PFAS in Great Bay wildlife and measuring transfer of PFAS in laboratory experiments with organisms across the food web, from plankton to fish. Chen’s research will help us understand the risk of PFAS exposure through eating seafood from places like Great Bay.
PI: Celia Chen (Dartmouth College)
Team LuMP — Lumpfish Mapping Project
The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming parts of the world’s oceans. We’re already seeing shifts in the range of some marine species like Black Sea Bass. One unique species that is expected to shift as waters warm is the lumpfish – a small “cleaner fish” that is increasingly used in aquaculture overseas as a natural solution to parasites on fish like salmon. In the U.S., Lumpfish have never been harvested, so any shift in population is likely related to climate change. Lumpfish distribution in the Gulf of Maine has already changed, but we don’t understand exactly why.
As U.S. finfish aquaculture operations grow, lumpfish may be used as a solution for parasites and therefore be harvested. Baseline data on a potential fishery is vital information for future managers, fishermen, and conservationists. Therefore, a team led by Elizabeth Fairchild at the University of New Hampshire seeks to describe and map the range of lumpfish in the Gulf of Maine. They’ll create an online interactive map to share their findings with fisheries professionals, other researchers, and the public to understand this dynamic little fish.
PI: Elizabeth Fairchild (University of New Hampshire)
Linking eelgrass reproduction and genetic diversity with oceanographic drivers in Great Bay Estuary
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and other seagrasses are vital to an estuary as foundation species that interact with currents to create areas of calmer water for a wide variety of fish, birds, and other animals. These currents also affect how the meadows grow. Eelgrass reproduces both clonally like a cutting from a houseplant and sexually through pollen and seeds mixed and carried by the currents. Diversity of an eelgrass meadow is likely dependent on these currents and water conditions. Genetic diversity is important for a population to grow, evolve, and weather stressors like storms or disease.
Cynthia Hays of Keene State College will be exploring the links between hydrodynamics, reproduction, and genetic diversity of eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary through molecular genetics, field measurements, and mathematical models. Eelgrass meadows around the world are in decline, and this project will help researchers and managers understand past changes in eelgrass and prepare for the future.
PI: Cynthia Hays (Keene State College)
Diversifying the New England sea vegetable aquaculture industry via longline nori production
Seaweed aquaculture has exploded in the Gulf of Maine in the last ten years, with more than 140 kelp farms operating along the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. However, most of these farms depend on a single species: sugar kelp. Chris Neefus of the Department of Biological Sciences at UNH is developing the next sea vegetable for the Gulf of Maine – Wildemania amplissima, a local species of nori – the seaweed used in sushi and produced in a multi-billion dollar industry in Asia. This species grows to a similar size and in similar conditions to sugar kelp, but in spring and early summer instead of sugar kelp’s winter season, diversifying farms’ business without requiring big changes in practices or gear.
Neefus will determine how best to seed and grow nori. The project will share its results with Gulf of Maine aquaculture operations in partnership with NH Sea Grant and Maine Sea Grant's extension and outreach teams to help a growing industry become more resilient and profitable.
PI: Chris Neefus (University of New Hampshire)
Promoting the sustainability of New Hampshire oyster aquaculture by improving pathogenic Vibrio management tools
Though infections by the bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus have increased in the Northeast, New Hampshire and Maine have avoided any Vibrio-linked illness. That could be because of New Hampshire’s groundbreaking policy preventing the import of oyster seed from areas affected by a virulent strain of Vibrio introduced from the Pacific, ST36. However, we don’t know exactly how risky importing seed from these areas is, and farmers could benefit from diversifying seed sources.
Cheryl Whistler, professor of molecular, cellular, and biomedical science at the University of New Hampshire, will investigate the actual risk of Vibrio contamination through seed transport, explore mitigation measures like salt relay and microbiome resistance, and improve detection of harmful Vibrio strains. Whistler’s work will help New Hampshire aquaculture continue growing, keep its product healthy, and inform future policy protecting New Hampshire waters from Vibrio pathogens.
PI: Cheryl Whistler (University of New Hampshire)
Development Projects
The following projects were underway in 2021 with development funding from NH Sea Grant:
"Monitoring farmed oysters in restoration areas on New Hampshire oyster farms" PI: Ray Grizzle, University of New Hampshire
“Pilot study to assess seasonal changes in salt marsh biophysical properties” PI: Tracey Mandel, University of New Hampshire
“Assessing European green crab predation on Eastern oysters in Great Bay Estuary” PI: Bonnie Brown, University of New HampshireResearch Impact: Striped Bass Genetics & Aquaculture
Research Impact: Striped Bass Genetics & Aquaculture
As part of the 2018-2019 research funding cycle, David Berlinsky (University of New Hampshire) received NHSG funds to characterize the genetic stock structure of striped bass in order improve aquaculture practices and inform fishery management.
Berlinsky's team, headed by post-doc Linas Kenter, used state-of-the-art genomic tools to identify the stock structure of migrating striped bass in the northern Atlantic coastal region to better inform management decisions. Additionally, the team successfully raised striped bass in recirculating systems at the University of New Hampshire to demonstrate the feasibility of striped bass aquaculture.
The success of the aquaculture practices led Kenter to partner with local chefs including Brendan Vesey of Botanica Restaurant and Gin Bar in Portsmouth to workshop recipes, get feedback on the culinary quality of the fish, and develop local appreciation and demand for striped bass.
VIDEO: NH-Grown Striped Bass Aquaculture
Extension
The NH Sea Grant Extension Program, a partnership between NH Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension , serves as the link between communities and unbiased, science-based information. NH Sea Grant Extension staff are able to assist individuals and groups in making informed decisions about the use, development, and conservation of marine and coastal resources.
2021 was another unprecedented year and challenged people and communities to reassess needs and ways of 'doing business.' NH Sea Grant Extension worked diligently to connect, understand, and respond to ongoing and evolving situations, while centering community-identified needs.
Here are a few notable examples of our 2021 Extension activities:
Facilitating coastal resilience dialogue and planning
In 2021, NH Sea Grant Extension staff collaborated with regional planning commissions and the Towns of Durham, NH and North Hampton, NH to work on their climate adaptation master plan chapters. Sea Grant staff planned and facilitated public input opportunities in both communities to provide feedback on the chapters.
Together with NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (CAW) partners, NH Sea Grant contributed to the Paths to Resilience project to document lessons learned about resilience work from coastal New Hampshire communities and understand needs of upper watershed communities that have often been less engaged in climate projects than the more coastal municipalities. Sea Grant staff supported a workshop and interviews to document coastal communities’ climate resilience stories, as well as a survey and interviews with upper watershed communities about their concerns and interests related to climate change. The project’s findings were shared during a culminating workshop.
Additionally, NH Sea Grant Extension is a key facilitator of the NH Climate Summit, participating on the planning committee, delivering presentations, facilitating small group work sessions, and coordinating the nomination, selection, and presentation of a local leader for a Coastal Community Climate Adaptation Champion award. In 2021, the 9 th NH Climate Summit was attended by 133 participants from 42 municipalities in 11 states (DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NJ, OH, RI, TX) plus Washington, D.C.
Community and citizen science at work
In 2021, 88 citizen scientist volunteers contributed 1185 hours in NH Sea Grant’s Coastal Research Volunteer program. Volunteers collected data and developing methods for scientific projects on beach profiling, rockweed phenology, sand dune restoration, and eel monitoring. These efforts allowed at least 5 researchers working in the New Hampshire coastal zone to increase the magnitude and frequency of data collection in their research and monitoring projects, at a value of over $34,175 in research costs.
Beach Profiling Program generates new report
NH Sea Grant Extension works with academic and state partners to maintain the NH Volunteer Beach Profiling Program – a program that trains and coordinates volunteers to collect measurements of beach surface elevations to inform coastal management of the New Hampshire coast.
In 2021, the program continued operating with a total of 13 profile stations. Thirty-nine volunteers contributed 912 hours to the beach profiling effort.
The project team also synthesized 5 years of project data into a new comprehensive report , “Erosion and Accretion Trends of New Hampshire Beaches from December 2016 to March 2020: Results of the Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program.”
Landscaping for Water Quality
NH Sea Grant collaborated with staff from UNH Extension’s agriculture team, NH Department of Environmental Services, and an ecological landscaper to deliver Landscaping for Water Quality.
The two-day workshop included virtual and in-person sessions that incorporated a field site assessment and a landscape redesign exercise. The workshop covered topics such as water quality, soil health, pertinent regulations, ecological landscape design, andmarketing.
Approximately 30 participants attended the November 2021 workshop. Nearly 100% of post-session survey respondents reported learning more about the topics delivered and expressed an increased confidence in integrating the information into their work. About 75% of survey respondents expect to use what they learned and anticipate that healthier water resources will result.
AquaFort engages local fishermen
Just offshore of New Castle, NH, Sea Grant researchers teamed up with local fishermen and entrepreneurs to create a new model for sustainable, small-scale finfish aquaculture: The AquaFort.
The AquaFort platform is an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system that allows multiple marine species to grow at the same time within and around a single structure. At the AquaFort, net pens of steelhead trout are surrounded by blue mussels and sugar kelp, which absorb nitrogen waste released by the trout.
This nitrogen neutral system has the potential to bring aquaculture to communities around the world looking to grow local seafood and support working waterfronts in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. IMTA methods could be used by fishermen to generate additional income throughout the year and enhance local seafood production to reduce reliance on seafood imports.
Virtual Seaweed Mania
In the spring of 2021, NH Sea Grant adapted to the limitations presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and presented its long running “Seaweed Mania!” programs virtually.
Gabriela Bradt filmed a seaweed foraging program on the coast, making her usual in-person event accessible to an online audience. The “Seaweed Mania! Learn to Forage Seaweed in NH” video was released on April 29, 2021, and has been viewed over 900 times.
NH Sea Grant then collaborated with the Dover Public Library, Chef Evan Hennessey of Stages restaurant, and Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, to bring a livestreamed cooking demonstration with audience Q & A, along with seaweed grab-bags that participants could pick-up at the library. The virtual culinary event was remotely attended by 103 people.
Informing cod stock management
In 2021, NH Sea Grant staff led workshops to assess data sources and management options for updating groundfish management to reflect a recently revised scientific understanding of Northeast U.S. Atlantic Cod population structure.
Evidence from multiple disciplines (life history, larval studies, tagging, and genetic and natural markers) suggests there are five distinct biological stocks of cod, instead of the two cod stocks that are currently managed. This conclusion requires a re-thinking of the current science and management approaches to the fishery.
Workshops engaged commercial and recreational fishers, state, and federal scientists. A final report provided an overview of assessment prospects and management implications of possible management strategies. The report is informing a NOAA Fisheries research track working group to improve Atlantic Cod Assessments.
Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries/Calvin Alexander, NEFSC. NOAA Fisheries staff member Giovanni Gianesin measures an Atlantic cod during the spring 2016 longline survey.
By the Numbers
NH Sea Grant's work impacts local communities in concrete ways: creating jobs, sustaining businesses, supporting students (through educational opportunities, research activities, and fellowship funding), and generating economic value for New Hampshire. The following 2021 metrics are direct results of NH Sea Grant work between February 1, 2020 and January 31, 2022:
Education
Fresh Team, Fresh Ideas
In 2021, our Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development (ELWD) team experienced some staffing shifts. Erik Froburg assumed the role of Assistant Director for Environmental Literacy, Dr. Lindsey Williams joined NH Sea Grant as our Assistant Director for Workforce Development, and Dari Christenson stepped into new resonsibilities as the leader of the UNH Marine Docent Program. Froburg, Williams, and Christenson each bring years of experience in education, outreach, program design, and evaluation. They will offer fresh ideas and approaches to NH Sea Grant's Education and Workforce Development activities.
UNH Marine Docent Program
The cornerstone of NH Sea Grant's education portfolio, the UNH Marine Docent Program is a volunteer-based effort which brings programs aligned with Ocean Literacy and Next Generation Science Standards to Pre-K – 12 and informal settings in New Hampshire. These programs provide an important link between the university's marine science community and the public.
Despite the challenges of supporting schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNH Marine Docent Program delivered 16 programs to approximately 335 students in 2021.
In 2021, a UNH Marine Docent also created 2 new SeaTrek programs – “Beaches” and “Plate Tectonics” – to teach grade 6-8 students about wave action, erosion, sediment composition of beaches, tectonic plate movement and its role in volcanoes and earthquakes, and how structures might be built to withstand movement. The new interactive and discussion-based SeaTreks were presented by Docents during the Summer Academy program in Manchester, NH.
The 2020-2021 Class of UNH Marine Docents, who participated in our first-ever, fully-virtual training year.
The 2020-2021 docent training was NH Sea Grant's first-ever, fully-virtual cohort of new docent trainees. While hands-on activities remain at the core of Marine Docent programs, the adaptability and resilience of our Marine Docent volunteers during online meetings demonstrated their dedication to marine science education in challenging times. Nine new Marine Docents graduated in a virtual recognition ceremony on May 4, 2021. The ceremony also celebrated 10 docents with "Special Paddles" for exceptional contributions that helped keep docent programming afloat on the uncharted waters of virtual programming in 2020-2021.
Workforce Development
Student Fellowships
As part of its workforce development focus, NH Sea Grant connects college students with a wide array of state and national fellowships. Students work directly with Sea Grant staff to prepare competitive fellowship applications. After the fellowship or application process, students continue to benefit from strong relationships with Sea Grant in order to grow their professional networks and take advantage of additional career opportunities.
Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
The National Sea Grant College Program's prestigious John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. Knauss fellows are matched with "hosts" in the legislative and executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year paid fellowship.
Nick Anderson
Nick Anderson (UNH '20G, Masters in Natural Resources and the Environment) was nominated by NH Sea Grant and chosen as a 2021 Knauss Fellow . Nick matched to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Habitat Conservation, where he worked as the National Fish Passage Coordination Specialist.
NH Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship
NH Sea Grant announced our second cohort of Graduate Research Fellows in 2021. The fellowship provides funding to support New Hampshire graduate students working on Sea Grant-funded research projects and/or topics related to our four strategic Focus Areas.
In 2021, we awarded three Graduate Research Fellowships to deserving New Hampshire students:
Sydney Adams
Advised by Dr. Paula Mouser in UNH's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sydney's graduate research examines the fate of PFAS in wastewater treatment facilities. Read more about Sydney's fellowship research here.
Emily Burke
A member of Dr. Nathan Furey's lab in UNH's Department of Biological Sciences, Emily studies invasive European green crabs and their effects on New Hampshire's oyster aquaculture industry. Read more about Emily's fellowship research here.
Natalie Lord
A member of Dr. Catherine Ashcraft's lab in UNH's Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Natalie's social science research examined women in aquaculture and documented her findings in an innovative PhotoVoice project. Read more about Natalie's research here.
Doyle Fellowship for Undergraduates
NH Sea Grant's Brian E. Doyle Undergraduate Marine Extension Fellowship offers motivated undergraduates from New Hampshire the opportunity to receive hands-on training and field or lab experience during the summer.
Fellows spend the summer working with NH Sea Grant staff and researchers seeking to help individuals and organizations make informed decisions regarding our marine resources.
Meet our two Doyle Fellows from summer 2021:
Shelly Lancaster
Advised by Dr. Steve Jones, Shelley (UNH '22, Wildlife and Conservation Biology) studied the safety of seafood in New Hampshire with specific regard to mussels and oysters. Shelly was involved with a NOAA-funded project focusing on trace metal uptake by blue mussels and a Sea Grant-funded project testing for bacteria in oysters in Great Bay. Shelly also worked on an oyster re-submergence project to determine how temperature impacts the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is the leading cause of seafood-borne illness in the world.
Kayla Tozier
Advised by Dr. Gregg Moore, Kayla (UNH '23, Earth Sciences/Oceanography) worked alongside Hanna Mogenson, a UNH Master’s student, on Hanna's microplastics study in the salt marshes of Hampton/Seabrook, NH. As a side project, Kayla also collected samples of beach sand in order to look for microplastics. The goal of taking the beach samples was to sort through them to visually ID and record any microplastics found in the high wrack line and the high tide line. This data can be used to determine differences in microplastic abundances based on the tide. Kayla created a photo essay to document her time in the field.
CoastWise
In 2021, NH Sea Grant launched a new training and development program – with a focus on early and mid-career professionals – to bolster our workforce and address these coastal needs. New Hampshire CoastWise is a year-long, cohort-based immersion program for students and professionals working on coastal resilience and marine resource management issues in the state. Designed to build new skills and stronger networks, CoastWise seeks to cultivate an engaged and diverse workforce to better tackle the challenges facing our coasts (including upland watersheds) to support more engaged and impactful coastal research across disciplines.
The inaugural CoastWise cohort engaged 16 individuals between August 2021 and June 2022. Through a series of in-person and remote workshops, the 2021-2022 participants learned from experts and each other about coastal issues, built a repertoire of skills, networked with peers and partners, and gained first-hand knowledge of stakeholders and communities in New Hampshire. In between workshops, the cohort connected virtually – attending CoastWise webinars and monthly Coffee Hour chats, and through discussion threads on the Canvas online platform. Here is a summary of the 2021-2022 CoastWise schedule:
Emerging Topics
Ocean Renewable Energy Development
NH Sea Grant is involved on several levels in working with interested parties in New Hampshire to explore the opportunities and risks associated with potential development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. NH Sea Grant’s role as a convener, facilitator, and source of objective, science-based information positions us well to contribute to the process.
The Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office and Water Power Technologies Office, joined together to fund a regional research competition in 2021. The funded research projects aim to catalyze social science and technology research in the Northeast that will further our understanding of the effects of ocean renewable energy on community resilience and economies. Through this research competition, the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium and its funding partners are providing a regional approach to supporting objective research on ocean renewable energy across stakeholders, including developers, communities, and fishers, etc. The selected projects were collectively awarded over $1.1 million in federal funds, with each project matching 50% in non-federal funds. Learn more about the six funded projects here.
As of January 2022, NH Sea Grant and NERACOOS welcomed a joint hire (Research and Engagement Associate), who will take the lead participating in and engaging with offshore wind energy development activities in New Hampshire on behalf of the two organizations. In addition to NERACOOS, NH Sea Grant continues to work closely with the NH Department of Environmental Services' Coastal Program, NH Fish and Game, and others to facilitate stakeholder engagement in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)'s process .
Block Island wind farm
Marine Debris
In addition to work already underway by NH Sea Grant's Fisheries Extension Specialist Dr. Gabriela Bradt, the National Sea Grant Office has announced $19 million in federal funding opportunities to address the prevention and removal of marine debris. NH Sea Grant is working with communities and organizations around the New Hampshire Seacoast to meet growing concerns and needs for addressing this problem, including projects aiming to leverage this national funding opportunity. Learn more about the 2022 Sea Grant funding opportunity.
Photo credit: NOAA
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
A partnership of the Connecticut, New Hampshire and North Carolina Sea Grant programs and Lighthouse Consulting Group is working to guide Sea Grant’s investments in the field of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs). CECs are increasingly detected in groundwater and surface waters including streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans, posing risks to the nation’s drinking waters and aquatic and terrestrial life. The overall goal of this Sea Grant initiative is to assess the impacts of CECs on ecosystem health, including human health. In 2022, a request for proposals (RFP) for a regional research competition focused on CECs in U.S. East Coast states seeks to advance the initiative.
NH Sea Grant-funded students from Dr. Paula Mouser's lab sampling for CECs at a wastewater treatment facility.
Thank you for reading!
NH Sea Grant staff members at our July 2021 staff BBQ in New Castle, NH. Left to right: Erich Berghahn, Erik Chapman, Michael Chambers, Sue Haskell, Arron Jones, Wells Costello, Tim Briggs, Michelle Lemos, Alexa Brickett, Steve Jones, Julia Peterson, Lisa Wise, Alyson Eberhardt, Dari Christenson (with Chewie), and Diane DeVries.
