Category Archives: Oregon Sea Grant

A new way to keep up with events at the coast

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Find us on Facebook

FaceBook users can now connect with  OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center through the center’s brand-new Facebook page.

The popular center, located in Newport, draws visitors from all over Oregon – and beyond – to view and interact with its innovative exhibits, take classes and workshops and participate in events ranging from the annual Fossil Fest (coming up Feb. 13) to our new Family Nights marine science programs.

The Visitor Center is just the latest Oregon Sea Grant program to join the social media revolution. Along  with several blogs (see our Links section),  we have an Oregon Sea Grant Facebook page and we’re on Twitter, too!

It’s all part of our ongoing effort to bring sound, science-based news and  information about Oregon’s ocean and coast to people who can use it, wherever they are.

Sea Grant director to head new Marine Council

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Dr. Stephen Brandt

Dr. Stephen Brandt

Dr. Stephen Brandt, director of Oregon Sea Grant, will serve as the first chair of Oregon State University’s new Marine Council, intended to bring together OSU’s ocean and coastal programs to address key marine science issues.

University Provost Sabah Randhawa formally announced the new council’s formation today. It will include representation from each of the 10 OSU colleges, departments and institutes working in ocean and coastal science, along with Vice President for Research and the Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement.

The goal, according to Randhawa, is to provide an integrated, coordinated and collaborative approach to addressing marine science issues and opportunities.

With eight of its 11 academic colleges and multiple centers, institutes and programs engaged in marine science, and more than 37 percent of the institution’s research dollars going toward ocean-related issues and programs, OSU  aspires to being  recognized as a national and world leader in advancing the  fundamental understanding of ocean processes and their role in earth systems, as well as the role the oceans play in the environment, the economy and human society.

A full description of the new council and its goals is available here in .pdf format.

Brandt, director of Oregon Sea Grant since early last year, came to OSU from Michigan, where he had directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Research Lab since 1997.

Oregon Sea Grant delivers federal dollars for ocean research, outreach efforts

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An ambitious plan to research, understand and inform the public about marine issues ranging from climate change to invasive species will receive nearly $14 million in federal and state dollars via Oregon Sea Grant over the next four years.

“We’re proud to be able to continue supporting an integrated program of coastal science serving Oregon,” said Stephen Brandt, director of the Oregon Sea Grant Program headquartered at Oregon State University. “The research projects, in particular, address some of the critical issues facing Oregon and the coast, and reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting research that addresses current issues of human health and safey, social progress, economic vitality and ecosystem sustainability.”

Oregon Sea Grant recently received the first of four $2.3 million biennial grant installments from its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Half of that money will go to support  the 10 research proposals – among 60 submitted – that made it through Sea Grant’s  rigorous, competitive grant program for 2010-2012. The federal dollars are expected to leverage at least $1.2 million a year in state matching funds.

Read more …

Maximum height of extreme waves up dramatically

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An OSU news release highlights  the research of OSU and Sea Grant researcher, Peter Ruggiero, whose work puts climate-change-related sea-level rise into a broader perspective: “A major increase in maximum ocean wave heights off the Pacific Northwest in recent decades has forced scientists to re-evaluate how high a ‘100-year event’ might be, and the new findings raise special concerns for flooding, coastal erosion and structural damage.”

Video: Great White Shark Necropsy

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A new video is available documenting part of the public dissection of a 12-foot great white shark that was featured in an earlier blog post.  The shark died after becoming entangled in the ropes of a crab pot, but the shark’s death may mean educational benefits to scientists.

William Hanshumaker, a marine science educator at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, explains: “There are researchers from throughout the country who are interested in what we’re doing here and have requested sample materials…. This is also an opportunity for the public to observe first-hand this unique creature and how scientists conduct research and share information.”

The 2-minute video is a time-lapse sequence showing the fin removal portion of the necropsy.

OSG, ODFW offer two new fellowships

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Postgraduate students in fisheries and related fields are eligible to apply for two new natural resources fellowships that will give them a year of on-the-ground work in resource conservation and management.

The fellowships, part of the Sea Grant Scholars program are a collaborative effort between Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. They are open to any PhD. or Masters level graduating student or recent graduate who will have completed a degree in marine ecology, zoology, fisheries, resource management, or related fields by the time the fellowships start.

The purpose is to provide two postgraduates with one year each of technical work experience and training while contributing to ODFW mission to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations.

Both fellows will be based at ODFW’s office in Newport, OR. One will concentrate on historical rockfish catch in Oregon’s commercial and sport fisheries; the other will work on a quantitative description of bottom-dwelling invertebrates in Oregon’s rocky nearshore zone.

For more information about these and other Sea Grant Scholars opportunities, visit:

http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/funding/fellows.html

Oregon coast climate change videos online

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Five new, short videos about climate change at the Oregon coast produced by Oregon Sea Grant respond to the concerns of coastal residents. Those concerns, expressed through a 2008 survey of 300 coastal Oregonians, frame the topics of the videos:  How do scientists predict climate change? Shoreline Effects of Climate Change, Broader Coastal Ocean Effects, What is Government Doing?

Joes4_still An Introduction video provides background on the set. The videos, hosted by Sea Grant climate change specialists, focus answers to Oregonians’ questions through interviews with experts, including scientists from NOAA and OSU  and coastal planners. The producer of the climate videos is Joe Cone, assistant director of Oregon Sea Grant; editor is Stevon Roberts; the videos were supported in part by a grant from the NOAA Climate Program Office. Transcripts are available on the video pages.

New publication reveals perceptions and opinions of climate change

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SARP-survey-report-cover-bl

A new publication from Oregon Sea Grant, An Analysis of a Survey of Oregon Coast Decision Makers Regarding Climate Change, reveals that

• most people are concerned about climate change and how it may affect the Oregon coast
• the most frequently cited risks associated with effects of climate change on the Oregon coast involved physical processes such as sea-level rise and erosion
• few are ready now to respond to climate change
• people would be willing to take action in work if there were compelling information, new funding, and a sense of local urgency
• coastal professionals have needs for assistance regarding climate change, particularly credible, relevant information to provide the public
• coastal professionals have low amounts of information on climate change topics they consider important for the performance of their work

You can order this 20-page publication (color cover, B&W insides) for $3.50 plus shipping and handling by calling 541-737-4849 or e-mailing sea.grant.communications@oregonstate.edu. You may also download it from http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sgpubs/onlinepubs.html#socialsci

OPB Highlights Sea Grant in Climate Story

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Oregon Public Broadcasting recently completed a three-part series, The Denmark Project, to coincide with the Copenhagen (Denmark) Climate summit but cleverly framed around the coastal region nearby tiny Denmark, Oregon.

Interviewed in the series were Sea Grant principal investigator, Peter Ruggiero (OSU Geosciences), Extension faculty member, Frank Burris; and Sea Grant assistant director, Joe Cone. The climate preparation project Cone has led with other Sea Grant faculty in collaboration with members of the Port Orford community is highlighted in the final episode (transcript).

OPB producer Christy George reports that the series has achieved some national prominence by being featured on the newly-revamped PBS NewsHour site, where at least 250 users had checked it out.

Oregon Sea Grant climate video receives gold award

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The video, Building a Resilient Coast: Maine Confronts Climate Change, was produced in cooperation with Maine Sea Grant under a grant from the NOAA Climate Program Office. The gold prize is from the international Ava Awards (Audio/Visual Awards), which “recognize outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting, and editing of audio/visual materials and programs.” Twelve percent of this year’s entries received a gold prize.

The creative personnel of Resilient Coast are from Oregon Sea Grant: Joe Cone is the producer, videographer, and writer; Stevon Roberts, editor; Patricia Andersson, designer. Susan White, associate director of Maine Sea Grant, is the co-producer. The video was released on DVD in summer 2009 and on the Oregon and Maine Sea Grant web sites; it has also been shown on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.

Resilient Coast was guided by preliminary research conducted with Maine coastal property owners to determine what climate-related issues they were concerned about. Individual segments of the one-hour program address those concerns. One very short excerpt follows. The entire program can be viewed at

http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/extension/coastal-community-resilience

The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) administers the Ava Awards program. The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and free-lance professionals.