Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring caused many to consider environmental science as a career. Indeed, her book had a powerful influence on my own career path, as it highlighted a commitment to change based on fundamental knowledge of the natural sciences. Though my ideal program would have been one that combined environmental chemistry, life sciences, and ecology, I decided to study zoology at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), a decision made largely because of the university’s integration of basic sciences and agriculture.

About the time that I was making decisions for my own future, the seeds that became the National Sea Grant College Program were being sown. In a 1963 keynote address to the annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Athelstan Spilhaus, then dean of the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology, called for the maritime equivalent of the Land Grant College. Spilhaus posed the question: "Why, to promote the relationship between academic, state, federal and industrial institutions in fisheries, do we not do what wise men had done for the better cultivation of the land a century ago? Why not have ‘Sea Grant Colleges’?"

Spilhaus’s vision was to have marine-based county agents–analogous to the land-based agricultural agents–to help bridge the gap between basic science and solutions to applied problems in the marine environment. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island and Rep. Paul Rogers of Florida championed this concept in Congress. The National Sea Grant Program was first authorized in 1966, and the first grant awards were made in 1968. Since that time the Sea Grant network has grown to include more than 200 universities and other marine science organizations that work within a core of 29 state Sea Grant College and institutional programs.

Sea Grant is dedicated to increasing the understanding of the marine environment and promoting the sustainable use and development of marine resources for public benefit via support of research, advisory, and educational activities. As my own experience proved, there were very few graduate pro-grams in marine science and very few national programs directed at understanding the applied aspects of marine science and technology. Although the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) supported large oceanographic expeditions, such as the Indian Ocean Expedition, there were no federal programs in place that combined the diverse missions of Sea Grant. With an increased concern for the environment–much of which is still attributed to Carson–and an increased awareness of the world’s oceans, the timing was appropriate for expanded educational programs in ecology, oceanography, and marine science.

Throughout the evolution of Sea Grant, the program has addressed scientific challenges and has emphasized research, technological, and educational opportunities. From my time as a beginning graduate student in the fall of 1969 to my present duties as a research scientist and educator, I have witnessed Sea Grant’s participation in many changes and opportunities within marine science. I’d like to highlight a few of Sea Grant’s key accomplishments within the Northeast region:

Editor’s Note: More information about some of the projects mentioned below can be found in back issues of Nor’easter. The issue number and volume are referenced where applicable.

Aquaculture

Marine aquaculture in the United States was at its earliest stages of development when the Sea Grant program was initiated. Since then, Sea Grant has supported many advances in marine aquaculture throughout the country. As a result of those investments, aquaculture has developed into a promising economic opportunity in many regions. In the Northeast, Sea Grant support for the development of techniques for mussel culture and for expansion of markets for mussels resulted in an increase in wild and farm-raised landings in the region to $6 million annually. Prior to 1980, wild mussel landings were valued at a mere $35,000 annually, while the mussel culture industry was nonexistent. Research into vaccines for use in farm-raised species has also contributed significantly to the industry (see Nor’easter 4(2), 1992, and 7(1), 1995). Current Sea Grant efforts throughout the region are directed at exploring open-ocean aquaculture (see Nor’easter 9(1), 1997).

Coastal Resource Issues

Sea Grant has long supported activities that foster interactions between scientists and policy makers to resolve difficult coastal resource issues. Fundamental understanding of coastal processes and the need to apply this knowledge to management of coastal resources are important aspects of Sea Grant support of coastal research. When questions were raised by local communities about the potential impacts of effluent discharge from an offshore outfall in the relatively pristine waters of outer Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay, Sea Grant supported several investigations that examined key features of coastal processes in the area.  The results obtained were valuable in establishing monitoring programs in the vicinity of the outfall and developing predictive models on long-term consequences of wastewater input (see Nor’easter 2(2), 1990; 4(1), 1992; and 9(1), 1997).

Marine Biotechnology

With Sea Grant support, marine biotechnology is emerging as a growing industry, with applications in pharmaceuticals, aquaculture, and environmental technologies such as bioremediation (see Nor’easter 5(2), 1993, and 6(1), 1994). In the Northeast, biotechnology research is directed at helping scientists and managers understand endangered fish stocks (see Nor’easter 7(1), 1995) and assisting in the identification and early warning of harmful algal blooms.

Education

Education at all levels, both formal and informal, is a focal point of Sea Grant efforts. In its 30-year history, Sea Grant has supported more than 12,000 graduate students in their pursuit of science and policy investigations (see Nor’easter 3(2), 1991; 4(1), 1992; and 8(2),1996). In addition, 341 graduate students have received a first-hand look at how government works by completing a one-year appointment in either the executive or legislative branches of the United States government
as part of the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program, sponsored by Sea Grant (see Nor’easter 5(2), 1993). And, in terms of KÐ12 education, Sea Grant has partnered with other groups to conduct teacher training workshops and develop marine science curricula. The environmentally minded student of today has many resources to explore marine science opportunities, including the Sea Grant publication Marine Science Careers: A Sea Grant Guide to Career Opportunities. A national Sea Grant Web site devoted to marine science careers is currently in production (see Nor’easter 4(2), 1992).

At the community level, Sea Grant is viewed as a valuable source of information for residents and officials needing to make sound decisions on coastal resource issues, such as nonpoint source pollution, eutrophication of coastal waters, coastal access, and the effects of population on sensitive coastal habitats, just to name a few (see Nor’easter 3(1), 1991, and 9(1), 1997).

Throughout its 30-year history, Sea Grant has addressed scientific challenges and identified research, technological, and educational opportunities for the nation. Sea Grant provides a critical link among academia, the research community, business and industry, other federal agencies, and other diverse groups. Through these connections, the Sea Grant College Program is fulfilling Spilhaus’s vision.