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$1.3M Awarded for Sea Grant Research on NY’s Coastal Environment, Economies, and Communities

04/07/2022

New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has awarded approximately $1.3 million to support eight research projects, including one led by a principal investigator at ESF who is investigating opportunities for the aquaculture industry as they relate to perceptions of ecosystem benefits of oysters.

Restoration of thriving oyster populations in New York's harbor and other marine waters is a common goal among various stakeholders and community members. However, there can be competing objectives for oyster restoration, such as improved water quality, habitat restoration, and thriving populations for seafood.

In a project led by Dr. Joshua Drew, the research team will interview various community stakeholders to identify what they consider most valuable about oysters and the ecosystem services they provide. Results will help identify areas of commonality and collaboration and minimize areas of potential disagreement for mutually beneficial management and restoration efforts. An ESF graduate student will assist with the work, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

"We're playing to our strengths in developing a team that can look at this issue of how aquaculture facilities and oysters, in general, can benefit people on Long Island," said Drew.

Other projects in NYSG's most recent research suite—which are led by principal investigators at Stony Brook University, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Hofstra University and University at Buffalo—spotlight issues including fish and shellfish habitat, aquaculture, and rip currents education. For more, read the complete NYSG press release.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York under the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. Since 1971, New York Sea Grant has provided integrated research, education, and extension services to coastal communities statewide. Learn more at www.nyseagrant.org.

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