New Bilingual (English/Spanish) Beach Signs Warn Swimmers about Rip Currents

• Fecal pollution poses significant human health risks and also threatens the area's shellfish industry. But, it's often difficult to tell whether the pollution is coming from cows or humans, and controversy over that question has blocked many efforts to correct the problem.


• An Oregon Sea Grant researcher has developed a new method of tracking fecal sources, using biotechnology to identify genetic fingerprints of fecal bacteria found in Tillamook Bay.


• Unlike previous methods, these tests have the advantage of speed. They do not rely on growing indicator organisms but measure the gene patterns directly from water samples.


• The researcher is working with the Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project, which routinely samples and monitors the bay, to see if her tests can show exactly where these fecal markers are turning up, and when.


• This method is also being used in several parts of the United States, Canada and throughout Europe (by a European Union project). A European research group has developed and published a quantitative PCR method from human based on this genetic marker, showing that this Sea Grant-funded research has had widespread influence.

• Michigan Sea Grant was instrumental in developing plans for the Detroit Heritage River Water Trail. The trail (or "blueway") is a river version of a greenway trail and will provide opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and small boat paddling.


• The regional vision for the Detroit Heritage River Water Trail is a network of recreational trails along the Detroit, Huron, Raisin and Rouge Rivers to encourage boaters with small watercraft to recreate and experience the natural, cultural and historic resources offered along these routes.


• The first phase of the water trail centers on the mouth of the Huron River as it flows into the southernmost reaches of the Detroit. It was selected based upon the abundant natural beauty of the area, the wide diversity of paddling experiences found along the way, and the strong interest of communities and partners in moving forward.
  
  
• This phase is expected to serve as a demonstration project for subsequent phases of the water trail. A new kayak launch site has been installed in the city of Wyandotte.

• MIT Sea Grant completed a diesel electric vertical profiling Autonomous Surface Craft called Katrina that is designed to take water quality measurements in lakes, rivers and calm ocean environments.


• Inspired by the need for water quality testing after the disastrous hurricane it was named for, Katrina was tested in the Charles River where it handled well at speeds up to 10 knots, with winds gusting up to 30 knots.


• An unexpected benefit of the Katrina boat is that it can also be used in data assimilation, a technique used to improve the predictive accuracy of major oceanographic computer codes.


• A joint project with Rutgers has allowed Sea Grant to determine the optimum location of ocean measurements for use with data assimilation for ocean circulation prediction, which opens up a completely new, cutting-edge line of investigation in physical oceanography.

• Delaware Sea Grant research has produced a mathematical model that assists industry and policy decision makers in achieving economically-efficient ways to manage treatment of ballast water.


• The data set includes the most complete data for ship traffic characteristics in North America.


• The researchers also developed a searchable database linked to port arrival/departure data for the U.S.


• The model is being tested and will be expandable nationwide, leveraging return on Sea Grant investment.

• University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant published a virtual travel log to document the work of eight marine biologists involved in the BLOOM 2008 Expedition aboard the Bio Hespérides ship.


• The goal of the fifteen-day investigation was to document and better understand the optical properties of phytoplankton communities and determine their hydrographic characteristics in order to classify harmful algal blooms (HABs) along the continental shelf of Argentina.


• A Sea Grant-funded marine biologist sent daily log entries, maps, graphs, satellite images and photos that documented the travels and work of the scientists to Puerto Rico Sea Grant, which published this information on the web.


• Sea Grant announced the virtual log in advance to 800 Island teachers and the general public and invited the public, teachers and students to travel along with the scientists and learn about life aboard an oceanography research ship and the scientific concepts and technologies.