Page 21: of Marine News Magazine (February 2006)

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By Larry Pearson

Environmental stewardship, long-term economic development, and responsible use of America's coastal, ocean and Great Lakes Resources are at the heart of Sea

Grant's mission. Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 30 university-based programs that work with coastal com- munities with overall administration by the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The National Sea Grant College program encourages this network of the nation's top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension pro- jects designed to foster scientific-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.

The states of Maryland and Delaware have very active

Sea Grant programs, each specifically designed to focus on unique aquatic resources in each state. The programs in each state are funded primarily by NOAA but with major support from non-federal sources as well.

Delaware Sea Grant

The Delaware Sea Grant program is based at the Uni- versity of Delaware College of Marine Sciences with campuses in Newark and Lewes. "Our mission is to pursue high-priority research and outreach initiatives that will foster the wise use, conser- vation and management of Delaware's marine resources," said Nancy Targett, interim director of the UD Sea Grant

Program. Among the many scientific projects underway at Delaware Sea Grant is the development of the

Delaware Bay Observing System. UD marine scientist

Mohsen Badiey is leading a scientific team that has out- fitted Fourteen Foot Bank Lighthouse located in

Delaware Bay as a novel base for collecting oceano- graphic and weather data. An anemometer and ther- mometer on the lighthouse continuously record wind speed, air temperature and direction. On the seabed floor a current meter measures the speed and direction of the currents and other sensors record water temperature salinity and depth. At the sea surface, a surf rider wave gauge is employed to gather data on wave conditions.

All the sensors are solar-powered and their data is cabled to computers on the lighthouse that automatically relay the data to the UD College of Marine Studies in

Lewes. From thee the information is transmitted to

Badiey's lab on the Newark campus and uploaded to the

Delaware Bay Observing System web site. "This research has application to fisheries manage- ment, shipping, oil spill response, storm preparedness,

Homeland Security and other uses," Badiey said. "Recent headlines-from a proposal to estab lish a liq- uefied natural gas plant in Delaware waters to one of the largest oil spills in the Delaware River's history-under- score the need for timely and objective information to address environmental issues, respond to crises, protect the marine resources we depend on and safeguard human lives in their interaction with the sea, "Targett said.

In the future, the scientists plan to expand the system beyond the bay and into the ocean with the installation of high frequency radar for collecting wave data.

Delaware's information will be integrated into a regional observing system spanning the coast from Cape Cod to

Cape Hatteras. The expansion of the Delaware Bay

Observing System will be aided by the January 2006 delivery of the UD's new research vessel Hugh R. Sharp.

The 146-ft. vessel will deploy buoys and other scientific instruments for the system. "The graduate program of the

College of Marine studies is split between the Newark and Lewes campuses," said Dr. David Kirshman, associ- ate dean of the college. "We have 15-20 students at each campus with about an equal number of candidates for masters and doctorate degrees."

The two campuses are linked with an interactive TV system allowing students on both campuses to attend classes on either facility. Sea Grant also awards individ- ual students with promising scientific projects. The nov- elty of studying the ocean from space lured Brian

Dzwonkowski, the 2005 recipient of the Delaware Sea

Grant Student award to the UD College of Marine Stud- ies to study new techniques for analyzing data that will help quantify the complex physical and biological processes in Delaware Bay.

For example, sea surface temperature data can reveal coastal "upwelling" zones in which warmer surface water

February, 2006 • MarineNews 21

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Sea Grant Focuses on State Water Resources

Dr. Mohsen Badiey (with radio) approaches the Fourteen Foot Bank

Lighthouse to instrument it for the Delaware Bay Observing System.

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