Sea Grant

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.

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.