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.
2018
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.
More than 150 people take part in Thames River Quest
The Thames River Quest, three treasure hunt-style hikes sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant, the Thames River Heritage Park and The Day, drew 151 participants from towns throughout southeastern Connecticut and beyond on June 2.
Sea to table: fish, shellfish & sea vegetables from local waters
The Spring-Summer 2018 issue of Wrack Lines focuses on local seafood, from newly abundant species to old favorites. Read how restaurants and markets are offering local seafood, availability of fish, shellfish and kelp, the experiences of a first-time clammer and some great recipes by Connecticut chefs.
Safety training helps fishermen survive in a dangerous job
Chris Fowler knows the perils of his occupation as a commercial fisherman, consistently ranked one of nation’s the most dangerous jobs. So a year after he began catching skate, whiting, squid, flounder and fluke from a vessel docked in New London, he took a day off from fishing to equip himself with the skills he needs to survive an accident at sea.
He was one of 36 commercial fishermen and state agency personnel who took part in a daylong safety and survival training course on May 10 sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant, Fishing Partnership Support Services, the U.S. Coast Guard and UConn-Avery Point.
Long Island Sound resource inventory moves toward completion
Despite 300 pages of data, maps and listings of the ecological resources and human uses of Long Island Sound, the inventory created as the foundation for the first-ever marine spatial plan for the estuary isn’t yet complete. At least that’s the view of two of the speakers at the public hearing May 8 on the draft version of the Long Island Sound Blue Plan Resource and Use Inventory.
30th Anniversary Photo Contest
CT Sea Grant will be celebrating its 30th anniversary year starting in August. From Aug. 20 through Sept. 30, we will accept entries for a photo contest of Connecticut waterways, from the rivers and streams that flow into Long Island Sound to the estuary itself. Send us photos picturing how you play, work and enjoy the natural beauty of our shores, or of the wildlife that inhabit these special places…
Workshop focuses on messages about coastal ocean acidification
Coastal regions that are some of the most productive areas for fish and shellfish harvests are seeing changes in water chemistry that are in part associated with atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide. What those changes will mean for coastal communities and deciding how best to respond to them was the purpose of a three-day workshop April 10-12.
Projects to advance knowledge of LIS water quality, marine life
Long Island Sound’s marine life and water quality will be the focus of five two-year research projects Connecticut Sea Grant will support in 2018. Proposals by four research teams from the University of Connecticut and one from Yale University School were chosen for the awards