Greetings
It's been an unusually, and somewhat disturbingly, mild winter here in Rhode Island as Sea Grant gears up for February's Coastal State lecture series that will highlight the most recent research concerning the ecological and social impacts of climate change in Rhode Island.
We are also working hard to bring forward the best scientific knowledge that will help guide the state's renewable energy and sustainable seafood efforts as we plan for the 2012 R.C. Baird Sea Grant Symposium focused on international marine spatial planning, as well as explore new investments in coastal and offshore aquaculture and seafood certification research.
Please join us to learn more and be part of the conversation.
More information on our events and projects can be found on our website and in the new issue of 41°N: A Seafood Buffet.
Sincerely,
Barry A. Costa-Pierce
Director
EVENTS
FEB 2 Renewable Energy Siting Partnership Stakeholder Meeting
FEB 6 Mapping Rhode Island Renewable Energy
FEB 8 Coastal State lecture series: Storms and fisheries management
FEB 15 Science for Siting: Engineering for Locating Wind Turbines
Coastal State lecture series: Nutrient cycling
FEB 22 Coastal State lecture series: Behavior change, marine disease, Narragansett Bay's climate past
FEB 29 Coastal State lecture series: Structure and function of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island shellfish aquaculture poised to expand
Rhode Island could see a significant growth in its shellfish aquaculture industry at a time when demand is on the rise.
U.S. consumption of mussels is skyrocketing. Americans import about 42 million pounds a year, more than 10 times what we produce.
MORE on pg.28 of 41°N>
Nicole Rohr, 2011 Knauss Fellow, is loving life in the heart of American politics where she has been working as a legislative assistant for Senator Roger Wicker (Miss.) in Washington, D.C.
"When I started my Ph.D. five years ago, all of my time was spent answering the same three questions, said Rohr, explaining the fast pace of life on the Hill is both challenging and rewarding. "Now I'm trying to answer ten questions a day!"
Rohr is a Ph.D. student at the University of Rhode Island and will be defending her thesis on the effects of invasive crab species on coastal ecology this spring.
With no previous policy experience, Rohr has utilized her expertise to help write legislation and provide voting recommendations to the senator based on the best science information available.
"I knew I didn't want to take the academic route with my Ph.D. and was looking for policy experience," said Rohr.
At the end of her Knauss Fellowship, Rohr will be moving into a permanent position as the legal assistant for Senator Michael Thompson (Cal.)
"I wouldn't have this job if it weren't for my Knauss Fellowship," she said. "I look forward to working on the Hill for a few more years."
Architecture for climate change adaptation
Megan Moynihan, a local architect and co-owner of Oyster Works in Charlestown, R.I., agrees that climate change is happening and we need to figure out a way to adapt.
Moynihan was among many Rhode Island business owners and interested stakeholders at a climate change symposium supported by Sea Grant held earlier this fall.
"As an architect and designer, awareness on climate change has to come from a broader social level than just people changing their homes," she said. "The big take-aways from the symposium were the ideas of behavior change and adaption rather than prevention, because we're not going to prevent climate change from happening."
Inspired to raise awareness, Oyster Works has added climate change information to their website and actively works with clients, especially those near waterfronts, to find ways to adapt.
"We look for creative solutions that satisfy a homeowner's needs within the parameters of existing regulations that address issues such as flooding and coastal erosion," Moynihan said explaining that while people understand the need for regulations, there needs to be a more political discussion around private property rights in order to effectively move forward.
