MIT Sea Grant has selected the top four research projects for funding from our annual request for proposals. Three of the projects continue to focus on developing new ocean acidification sensor technology, an area MIT Sea Grant has focused research funding on for the past three funding cycles, and the last project will further research and development of underwater communication technology. 

Keith Ellenbogen, a visiting artist at MIT Sea Grant was recently awarded an Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Award from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for his artistic and innovative project entitled: Space to Sea - A Photographic Journey into Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary. Keith, an assistant professor of photography at SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology, will work closely with Alison Nolan, Principal, Boston Harbor Cruises, to showcase the never before photographed dynamic underwater world of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to spark environmental awareness.

MIT Sea Grant staff taught two courses this January for MIT's The Independent Activities Period, or IAP. Julie Simpson and Carolina Bastidas taught a course on New England Ecology where students were introduced to research methods to study the ecology of  local  salt marshes and rocky shores. Tom Consi taught a course called Sensing for Resilience and Sustainability. Students learned the fundamentals of how to design and build sensor systems for environmental monitoring. 

22 teams from across Massachusetts battled each other in friendly competition showcasing their knowledge of all things marine. The sheer amount that students need to know to compete is astounding with concepts that included complex physical oceanography, ocean policy, and marine biology. Lexington High School emerged as the champion after a full day of competition. Bristol County Agricultural High School won the McDowell Award for Excellence in Academic Collaboration.

The Information within the manual is organized is highly specific for the local fishing communities in Maine and New Hampshire. It is organized into short, easy to read, chapters with contact information for specific safety personnel. Beginning chapters address important considerations for preventing injury and for family preparedness. Later chapters serve as a guide for dealing with tragedies such as the sinking of a boat or the aftermath of losing a crewmember at sea.

Dr. Andrew Babbin, an Assistant Professor in MIT Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, was awarded the 2019 Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization. Endowed by the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation, the two-year chair opens the way for promising, non-tenured professors to undertake marine-related research that will further innovative uses of the ocean's resources. Professor Babbin was selected for his proposed research on The Roles of Nitrogen Dynamics in Governing Coral Reef Health . The term of his professorship is from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.

A team from MIT's  Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory  (CSAIL) unveiled "SoFi," a soft robotic fish that can independently swim alongside real fish in the ocean. 

Join the New England Estuarine Research Society for a collaborative meeting in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday April 26th

Includes articles on funding awarded to six new coastal projects, the swimming behavior of larval oysters, lowering the cost of flood insurance, and other Woods Hole Sea Grant news and updates.