September 2009 Newsletter

Farewell to Megan Higgins
We bid a fond farewell to Megan Higgins, Research Counsel for Roger Williams University of Law Marine Affairs Institute and Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program, who has been part of the Sea Grant team for the last three years. While we’ll sorely miss her, we wish her the best with her new ventures with Ecology & Environment, Inc.

Marine Affairs Institute luncheon showcases student work within Obama Administration
The Marine Affairs Program will host its first roundtable luncheon discussion of the fall semester showcasing current students’ experiences at internships within the Obama Administration. Student projects ranged from climate change legislation and offshore renewable energy to working with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and expansion of the National Marine Sanctuary system along the coast of northern California.

Marine Affairs Institute hosts "Meet the Bay" field trip
Incoming first-year law students interested in the Marine Affairs Institute will join Susan Farady, institute director, along with representatives from the University of Rhode Island aboard the research vessel the Cap'n Bert. The three and a half-hour trip will include sample trawls to view Bay creatures and discussion of current events affecting Narragansett Bay.

Baird Symposium offers ocean law and policy workshop on offshore wind facility siting
The Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program received a grant from the National Sea Grant Law Center to host a workshop on Wednesday, November 4, at the Newport Harbor Hotel in Newport, R.I.  The workshop will be held in conjunction with the 8th Annual Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Science Symposium:The Ecology of Marine Wind Farms Perspectives on Impact Mitigation, Siting, and Future Uses. The workshop will convene the participating states consisting of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to explore the efficacy of more coordinated, leveraged efforts on legal issues regarding the permitting, siting, and operation of offshore wind energy facilities to benefit state and federal managers, and act as a clearinghouse for regional legal information. 

Research vessel tour draws crowds
On Labor Day, the public had the opportunity to tour the Environmental Protection Agency's flagship oceanographic research vessel, the Bold, which was docked at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. A marine life touch tank, demonstrations of oceanographic and water quality sampling instruments and an underwater video camera were part of the tour hosted by the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, University of Rhode Island, and EPA.

The Bold is visiting the area to do work in support of the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council Ocean Special Area Management Plan efforts that will guide offshore energy development.

Coastal smart growth guide released
NOAA, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, the International City/County Management Association and Rhode Island Sea Grant, has released a guide to bring smart growth to coastal and waterfront communities.  

Recipe for "Mussels in a Sausage & Tomato Broth"
On September 10, Rhode Island Sea Grant hosted a lecture entitled "Farming the Deep Blue: Opportunities for Increasing Sustainable Seafood Production in New England " at the Graduate School of Oceanography. By popular demand, we have posted the recipe for the mussels served that evening. (Mussels were provided by American Mussel Harvesters, Inc.)

September 16: Seafood Cooking Demonstration at the Narragansett Community Center
53 Mumford Rd., Narragansett
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
 
September 16 to October 22: Coastweeks 2009 - A Celebration of the Coast!
Come participate in over 40 events celebrating Rhode Island's coast!