The town’s commercial fishermen and Gambardella’s Wholesale Seafood hosted the first-ever open house on the town dock on July 28, inviting the public to learn about and sample seafood caught by local fishermen. The Saturday event was a prelude to the annual Blessing of the Fleet the next day.
Author: Judy Benson
Clean-up starts campaign to break single-use plastic habit
About 40 youth from Mystic Aquarium’s summer camps joined representatives of the Long Island Sound Study and Connecticut Sea Grant in a cleanup at Bluff Point State Park on Aug. 1 to launch a social medial campaign to get people to “break the single-use plastic habit” and help protect the Sound’s wildlife.
Plastics – a big environmental problem with an easy solution
An article that ran on the Opinion pages of four Connecticut newspapers on July 19 explains why CT Sea Grant and other groups in the Long Island Sound Study are launching a campaign to get people to quit the single-use plastics habit.
Unique partnership could help bring new seaweed crop to CT
Joseph Sarnelli and Deborah Swetz may not look like pioneers, with their hair nets and plastic gloves, but nonetheless they are part of an effort to bring a new agricultural crop to Connecticut. Their participation is one of the novel aspects of the project that brought Marrakech Inc., a non-profit that works with adults and youth with a range of disabilities and special needs, together with Connecticut Sea Grant.
Sound summer: sunsets, smiles, beaks, boats & fishermen
Whether you’re looking for beach scenes, sunsets, wildlife or the many ways people recreate on the water, Long Island Sound offers a wealth of material for photographs. This summer, make sure to take your camera when you head to the shore and look for photos to help Connecticut Sea Grant celebrate a significant milestone.
‘1st international book on marine science education’ now available
“Exemplary Practices in Marine Science Education,” co-edited by Diana L. Payne of Connecticut Sea Grant, has been published by Springer Nature, which calls it the “first international book on marine science education and ocean literacy.”
Whale, object sculptures to be created by Sea Grant artist awardees
Two sculptural installations, one of illuminated right whales and another of found objects enhanced with printed photographic images, will be created by two artists selected to receive funding support under the 2018 Connecticut Sea Grant Arts Support Awards Program.
After 1st harvest from Groton site, kelp farmer looks to build market
As the first of the summer vegetables ripen for picking at local fields, a unique new crop had its maiden harvest from an underwater farm in Groton. It won’t be showing up at farm stands and farmers’ markets just yet, though. These long, curvy-edged, greenish-brown ribbons gathered by the boatload are, for now, awaiting consumer pioneers to fuel demand for locally grown edible seaweed, specifically kelp native to Long Island Sound.
Connecticut Shellfish Initiative earns regional recognition
The Connecticut Shellfish Initiative, a multi-year effort launched in 2014 to promote the growth of shellfish beds and shellfishing by identifying and removing barriers to commercial and recreational harvesters and raising public awareness, has received the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium Superior Outreach Programming Group Award.
Sen. Murphy introduces bill to spur living shoreline projects
Federal funding for projects that protect shorelines using natural materials and environmentally friendly designs could soon be available to coastal communities through legislation introduced June 19 by Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and California Sen. Kamala Harris.