“The Milford lab,” as it is known in the shellfish industry, is a main supplier of algae to shellfish farmers along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts – and even worldwide. NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center has supplied algae free of charge to shellfish farms for more than five decades, drawing from collection of 230 strains, among them those that are most important for young oysters and clams.
Aquaculture
Public hears of LIS Blue Plan impacts on new, current users
Commercial clammer Rosemary Louden asked how the Long Island Sound Blue Plan would impact the business that’s been in her husband Jay’s family for the past 100 years. At the May 14 public meeting on the plan, she learned that the historic Louden commercial shellfish beds in Greenwich are considered “significant human use areas” that would gain protection from any proposals that would impact them.
Public radio podcast features CT Sea Grant’s Concepcion
Anoushka Concepcion, aquaculture extension specialist with Connecticut Sea Grant, is interviewed about kelp farming by WHYY public radio station Reporter Alan Yu for an episode of the podcast, “The Ocean and Us.”
Citizen scientists key to active recreational shellfish beds
The efforts of Don Murphy, Richard Conant and other citizen scientists — also called community scientists — on municipal shellfish commissions are being highlighted by Connecticut Sea Grant as part of a NOAA Sea Grant initiative.
Toxins to templates: it’s all in shellfish commissioners’ world
Clams and oysters might seem like simple creatures, not bothered with cell phones, income taxes or the meaning of life. But for the humans overseeing how these animals are harvested, the condition of the waters where they live and their opportunities for growth in Long Island Sound, the lives of these bivalves are a complicated affair.
‘You can link economic incentives to small-scale fisheries’
An interview with Bob Pomeroy, fisheries extension specialist with Connecticut Sea Grant, appeared in “Fish Forever Progress Update,” a newsletter published by the international organization Rare, and is reprinted with permission from the editors.
In pilaf, salmon, manicotti, kelp’s versatility impresses chefs
A small group of restaurant professionals gathered in the Sheraton hotel kitchen on Dec. 13 for an introduction to kelp cuisine from Jeff Trombetta, professor of culinary arts at Norwalk Community College. He’s been chopping, sautéing and consuming kelp for the past four to five years, developing recipes for what he believes could become chefs’ “new go-to vegetable.”
Farmers, chefs confer about moving local kelp into the mainstream
Fueled by forkfuls of kelp and root vegetable salad, chefs brainstormed alongside current and prospective kelp growers about how to get more Connecticut sea vegetables into home and restaurant kitchens.
Public access show highlights CT Sea Grant’s work of past 30 years
“Community Buzz” show about Connecticut Sea Grant and its 30th anniversary celebration is being broadcast on SEC-TV Channel 12 for Thames Valley and Comcast subscribers.
Sea Grant-supported science is showcased in daylong forum
The keynote speaker at CTSG’s 30th Anniversary Research Forum used an anecdote about a Norwalk bridge project to show how the work of scientists provides the foundation environmental advocates need to persuade lawmakers to take actions that benefit Long Island Sound and its watershed.