Visitors enjoy Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison in mid-May.Alewife Cove in New London on Earth DayParticipants in the National Seaweed Symposium gather near one of the exhibits at the Seaweed Showcase on the second day of the event.Members of the state's municipal shellfish commissions gathered for the 16th annual meeting on Jan. 11.Students in the 2019 Coastal Certificate classes gather after a graduation event Oct. 13 with Judy Preston, bottom center, who leads the program at CT Sea Grant.New Britain YWCA summer campersUniversity of Delaware student Samuel Koeck, center, and Sacred Heart University students Jeffrey Young, right, and Adrian Nelson, second from left, work with Chris Hauser (in mini-excavator) to improve the living shoreline at Stratford Point in a project jointly funded by CT and DE Sea Grants.Passengers walk toward the docks at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk after the July 26 On-the-Water Workshop aboard Spirit of the Sound.Sea Grant dayak fleet takes to the Mystic River on July 3 to test out a new aquaculture eco-tour being developed in partnership with Adventure Mystic, Mystic Oysters & Connecticut Cultured Oysters.Passengers get off the Volsunga IV on the dock at Outer Island during an On-the-Water Workshop in Branford on June 7.Maria Cruz, second from right, and her family look for clues during the Thames River Quest at Fort Trumbull State Park sponsored by CT Sea Grant and the Thames River Heritage Park.Shad is cooked on planks around a fire at the Essex Annual Shad Bake.Students in the “Global One Health: U.S. and Irish Perspective” class at UConn see kelp harvested from J.P. Vellotti’s beds in Groton as part of a visit to the Noank Aquaculture Cooperative on May 16 organized by CT Sea Grant.Volunteers from the Avalonia Land Conservancy move a shad bush into place for planting at the Dodge Paddock Beal Preserve in Stonington on May 3 as part of a restoration and living shoreline project with Connecticut Sea Grant.Karen Wynn of Guilford, left, looks at "They Came By Water," one of the pieces in the "Crosscurrents" exhibit, with Kam Ghaffari of East Lyme. Behind them is "Sea Form" another of the works in the show.Nissrine Essafi, a student in the Climate Corps class taught by CT Sea Grant's Juliana Barrett and Bruce Hyde, shows a map of Charleston, S.C., during a presentation of a project about sea level rise impacts.Early results show sand lance larva, shown in closeup, are particulary sensitive to higher levels of carbon dioxide. Photo courtesy of Hannes BaumannThe team from the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut won the 22nd Annual Quahog bowl.
The Fort Trumbull Quest begins at the Blockhouse building, the oldest one at the park. The masts of the Coast Guard Barque Eagle, which is docked at the park, is visible in the background.

Thames River Quests are fun for anytime this summer

May 21, 2020

The Thames River Heritage Park and Connecticut Sea Grant are inviting people to solve a word puzzle while exploring historic sites in New London and Groton by completing one or more of the four Thames River Quests any time this summer.

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Cover of The Connecticut Seafood Survey

Seafood survey could help further increase in demand

May 11, 2020

With national data showing Americans have been eating more fish and shellfish during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report on a survey of Connecticut residents’ seafood consumption habits and preferences offers timely information seafood dealers can use to help make the increase permanent.

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The salt marsh, creeks, and tidal flats at the Great Island Wildlife Management Area in the lower Connecticut River.

CT closer to establishing national research reserve

April 28, 2020

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration has approved a network of state-owned properties and coastal waters in Lyme, Old Lyme, and Groton to be the site of the state’s first National Estuarine Research Reserve. This is the first major milestone in designating the area as the nation’s 30th reserve.

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A discarded tire sits in a marsh in Old Saybrook. Judy Preston / Connecticut Sea Grant

CT, NY Sea Grants to create plan for LIS debris reduction

April 22, 2020

Abandoned boats, broken lobster traps, discarded tires and all types of other trash aren’t just eyesores on Long Island Sound’s beaches, coves and channels. They’re also hazards to wildlife that can impede navigation and threaten human safety and health.

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