Changes in Narragansett Bay: A Conversation Among Citizens and Scientists-December 6, 2017

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Cathy Dwyer

In partnership with Graduate School of Oceanography and Rhode Island Sea Grant, the Coastal Resources Center will be facilitating this year’s Baird Symposium.
The purpose of this free, one-day event is to provide Narragansett Bay users, regulators, and scientists an opportunity to discuss the ecological and environmental changes they have seen in the bay and to share information about why these changes are taking place. The results from this event will inform Sea Grant’s research agenda as well as the state’s developing Narragansett Bay Special Area Management Plan (Bay SAMP).

Please visit the event webpage for more information.

Southern New England Offshore Wind Energy Science Forum, December 11-12

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Cathy Dwyer

This event will examine these major questions:
What have we learned from the Block Island Wind Farm research?
What relevant information do we know for the Southern New England region?
How do we apply what we have learned to future development?
Join us for dialogue that explores stakeholders’ questions.

Visit the event link at the project page and sign up at registration link..

CRC’s Jennifer McCann Wins 2017 Benchley Award as Ocean SAMP Team Member

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Cathy Dwyer

Jennifer McCann, Director of CRC’s U.S. Coastal Programs and RI Sea Grant, is the recipient of a 2017 Peter Benchley Ocean Award, in recognition of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) for “Excellence in Solutions” aimed at cultivating responsible ocean use and protection. The Ocean SAMP Team, consisting of CRC and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council – which administers the SAMP for the management of resources in state ocean waters — was recognized with the prestigious award along with ocean planning entities working similarly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

See more at: http://peterbenchleyoceanawards.org/press.

Lessons Learned from the RI OSAMP Process Shared with Canada

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Cathy Dwyer

CRC’s Jennifer McCann is the author of an article featured in Policy Options, a magazine of Canada’s Institute for Research on Public Policy, that explores how the country can glean lessons learned from Rhode Island’s marine spatial planning experience read the article HERE. Canada Policy Options Cover

Public Workshop: Protecting Newport Historic and Cultural Assets from Flooding Caused by Sea Level Rise

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Cathy Dwyer

Associated Press Jim Davis kayaks through waters flooding Bowen’s Wharf in October 2012 after Superstorm Sandy in historic Newport, R.I

Event kicks off community-based historic preservation effort to address coastal climate change impacts on Newport’s historic properties

The public is invited to participate in a community workshop on flood protection for historic and culturally valuable properties on Newport’s coast. The workshop is scheduled for THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016, 3-7 P.M., at Emmanuel Church, 42 Dearborn St., Newport, RI 02840.

NOTE: The public is welcome for the whole event; a general overview of the project will be given at 5 p.m. to ensure attendees arriving later in the day have ample opportunity to gain information. RSVP if attending by July 11 to ensure adequate refreshments.

The workshop follows the April 2016 Keeping History Above Water Conference in Newport, which explored historic preservation efforts regarding flooding from sea level rise a key impact of climate change. Newport hosts a broad array of historical and cultural assets, including registered historic buildings, and rising water and increased storminess is expected to threaten these over time. The University of Rhode Island (URI) Coastal Resources Center (CRC) and Rhode Island Sea Grant are facilitating the meeting for several community groups interested in continuing the conference dialogue. The event is also possible due to generous support from the Prince Charitable Trusts.

Science indicates that Rhode Island is more likely than many other coastal states to experience flooding over time from sea level rise, said Dawn Kotowicz, a coastal manager for CRC and extension agent for Rhode Island Sea Grant. Coastal development, including the historic properties and cultural assets that Newport values, is at risk, so collaborating on practical solutions is critical.

CRC and Rhode Island Sea Grant, at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, provide Rhode Island and beyond with a variety of community-based coastal management and outreach services and programs.

For more information about the workshop, please contact Dawn Kotowicz at (401) 874-6152. Please RSVP. For media inquiries, contact Sue Kennedy at (401) 874-6107 or skennedy@crc.uri.edu.

41N Article- Oakland Beach-Building a New Reputation

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Cathy Dwyer

Great climate change article featuring our own Pam Rubinoff and the work that she and Teresa Crean are doing in Warwick’s Oakland Beach! Excerpted from Forty-One Degrees North Magazine, a publication of Rhode Island Sea Grant & The Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island. Written by Jerry O’Brien, Photographs by Michael Cevoli.

Oakland Beach-Building a New Reputation