November 11, 2009 Mid-Atlantic Forum: Sea Grant Method, Regional Activities, & Emerging Issues Troy Hartley VASG Director

What we are: o National network of 32 university-based research, extension and education programs. o Supply science-based information to citizens, businesses, educators, resource managers, and policy makers….function is as a broker. o Well-being of coastal and marine ecosystems and the communities that depend upon them. Sea Grant: Basics

What we are: o Nationally—Four collective focus areas:  Safe and sustainable seafood  Healthy coastal ecosystems  Sustainable coastal communities  Hazard resiliency o Virginia Sea Grant’s strategic focus areas:  Safe and sustainable seafood  Healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems  Sustainable and resilient coastal communities  Coastal and ocean literacy Sea Grant: Basics

How we do what we do: Sea Grant: Basics VASG Weekly: 26N; 32% density; 2.1 weighted average path length VASG + Partners: 210N; 3% density; 1.9 weighted average path length Academic; Fed’l, state and local gov’t; NGOs; private sector

What do we do? Examples. o Mid-Atlantic Coastal and Ocean Research Plan o Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management o Emerging issues:  Climate  Energy Sea Grant: Action

Mid-Atlantic Coastal & Ocean Research Plan o NOAA NSGO-funded o 4YR planning effort with Delaware SG lead o Analysis of current capacity and state & regional plans—starting point for the Region: ClimateEnergy Water qualityLiving resources, fisheries Habitat, ecosystem health * What’s uniquely Mid-Atlantic? What’s missing? Sea Grant: Action

Mid-Atlantic Coastal & Ocean Research Plan o Starting point for the Region + o Multi-stakeholder process  Listening sessions starting next year o Interactive product—living resource for entire region o MARCO—integrate research prioritization Sea Grant: Action

Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management o 63 state and federal agencies, fisheries commissions, universities, NGOs o Interconnections between five species, their physical and living environments, and human influences o EPA-funding; MDSG convener, facilitator, coordinator Sea Grant: Action

Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management o Striped Bass o Blue Crab o Menhaden o Oyster o American Shad Sea Grant: Action

Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management o Habitat suitability o Stock assessment o Socioeconomics o Food web Performance measures Sea Grant: Action

Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management Beyond conceptualization to implementation Integrated management—NOAA, States, Commissions Integrated science tools—ecosystem tools * Stakeholder engagement Sea Grant: Action

Climate: Adaptation & Education o NOAA NSGO—Office of Program Planning and Integration: SG/Regional Team Climate Engagement mini-grants. o VASG Outreach  Tidal flood monitoring and prediction workshops  Clean Marina program o VASG Research  Historical data sets to assess trends  Student-faculty teams  Web-cast visiting scholar seminar series Sea Grant: Emerging

Energy: Research & Extension o Marine Spatial Planning  Science (e.g., human use, filling other gaps)  Use of decision-support tools o Renewable Energy  A lot of activity in different states  Algal biofuels  VASG: policy students Sea Grant: Emerging

The Sea Grant Approach o University-based  Research, Extension, Education, Communication  Place-based o Strategic National and Regional Initiatives  Leverage internal capacity of national network  Partner with others  Clear roles in partnerships that play to strengths o SG end-user focus  problem-solving orientation  State experimentation  Innovation diffusion through national network and a program network Sea Grant: Summary

Thank you. Questions? Troy Hartley VASG Director