The National Sea Grant mission is to provide integrated research, communication, education, extension and legal programs to coastal communities leading to the responsible use of the nation¡s ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources. The individual Sea Grant programs, including MIT¡s, are expected to make significant contributions to this effort through research, education and outreach programs that feed into informed personal, policy and management decisions in the Commonwealth and the nation.MIT Sea Grant asks for your assistance in preparing our 2018-2021 strategic plan in support of the Sea Grant mission (2014 plan). Separate panels will be convened to consider the research, education and advisory outreach programs, respectively. Since we need input from the whole community, we would like to invite you to participate our panel meetings. If you cannot attending the meetings either in-person or remotely, please contact our Director, Chrys Chryssostomidis, by email (chrys@mit.edu). Please put “Input to Strategic Plan” in the subject line.SURVEY RESULTSIn preparation for the panel meetings, we recently hosted a online survey for stakeholders.[ VIEW RESULTS ]QUESTIONS FOR THE PUBLICWe are also soliciting responses from the public to the same set of QUESTIONS that will be posed to the June 8th panelists. Please DOWNLOAD the questions and submit your responses to our Director, Chrys Chryssostomidis, by email (chrys@mit.edu). Please put “Input to Strategic Plan” in the subject line.READ MORE BELOW
SCHEDULED PANEL MEETINGSMay 25, 2016, 12-3p – ResearchJune 1, 2016, 12-3p – EducationJune 8, 2016, 12-3p – Advisory OutreachPANELISTS for JUNE 8 [ view PANELIST BIOS ]
- Bruce Carlisle – Director, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Ted Castro-Santos – Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center
- Doug Christel – Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Marine Resources, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
- Pam DiBona – Executive Director, Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program
- Kathryn Ford – Habitat Program Leader, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
- Judy McDowell – Director, Woods Hole Sea Grant
- Robert Vincent – Advisory Leader, MIT Sea Grant College Program (Chair)
A. GETTING TO THE MEETINGParking near the meeting location is exceedingly difficult, so please use MASS TRANSIT or TAXI. If you must drive, limited parking may be available at the Kendall-Marriott hotel.LocationThe meeting will be held at the MIT Sea Grant main conference room, on the 3rd Floor of Bldg E38, which is adjacent to the Kendall/MIT subway stop.Address: 292 Main St, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MAB. JOINING THE MEETING REMOTELYBe sure to include your first and last name when joining the meeting, so that we can collect a complete record of all participantsJoin WebEx meetingMeeting link: https://mit.webex.comMeeting number: 641 125 506Meeting password: MITSGPlanningMeeting link (Direct): https://mit.webex.com/mit/j.php?MTID=m8ff3dba6f6590934724fa6434db61761Join by phone+1-617-324-0000 US Toll NumberAccess code: 641 125 506Mobile Auto Dial:+1-617-324-0000,,,641125506#Note: The meeting will be recorded and posted online for referenceC. REFRESHMENTSFeel free to bring your own food and beverage. Water and some light refreshments will be providedD. REAL-TIME AUDIENCE QUESTIONSWe will be collecting questions from the local and remote audience real-time using Slido. These questions will be managed by the meeting host and shared to the web meeting.join at www.slido.com, Code 5945orhttps://www.sli.do/jyb7ui6a (direct link)
INVITATION TO THE COMMUNITY FOR INPUTThe following background information will help you prepare your input. National Sea Grant Program activities are concentrated in four Focus Areas, considered to be of critical importance to the health and vitality of the nation’s coastal resources and communities:
- Healthy Coastal Ecosystems
- Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture
- Resilient Communities & Economies
- Environmental Literacy & Workforce Development
The focus areas were selected to allow Sea Grant as a whole to respond to issues of major importance. Each of the 33 Sea Grant programs is expected to prepare their own strategic plan to address these issues locally through research, education and outreach programs. The National Sea Grant Program has identified broad categories of concern to coastal communities around the nation. However, MIT Sea Grant has historically been most successful when our efforts are tightly focused on specific challenges and approaches. MIT Sea Grant advisory services provide research, education, and outreach that informs resource management decisions and educates stakeholders and the general public.For the last four years, MIT Sea Grant advisory services has focused on assisting fisheries management, communities, and industry; informing local, state, and federal partners on climate impacts to coastal resources and communities; documenting the establishment of invasive species and impacts to native resources; increasing environmental literacy in marine science and engineering; and working with partners and stakeholders to address coastal habitat loss, adaptive management, restoration, and impacts to ecosystem services. The issues we consider currently significant and which, with your assistance, we seek to prioritize are:
- Fisheries and aquaculture
- Climate impacts and adaptation
- Ocean acidification
- Carbon sequestration and emissions
- Habitat loss and restoration
- Coastal processes and resilience
- Freshwater-ocean interactions
- Socioeconomic impacts to coastal and marine resources
- Coastal community development and planning
Each panel¡s charge will be to identify the most crucial issues in their arena ¤ research, education and outreach ¤ and to suggest methods and approaches to effectively address them. In addition to the panel meetings we are also conducting a 5-MINUTE SURVEY to collect input from the community at large. Your suggestions and recommendations will be greatly appreciated and will assist us in drafting the blueprint of our 2018-2021 strategic plan.Thank YouChrys ChryssostomidisDirector, MIT Sea Grant College Program