Bringing together experts to share information and start discussions on the future of bioextraction in the Sound.
Nutrient bioextraction projects have been on-going within the Sound, and the nation, to better understand how bioextraction efforts can be used to help improve our waters. At the symposium, attendees heard from professionals in the field on how their work is bringing vital information to the forefront and helping to determine how to plan for the future of a successful seaweed bioextraction program.
The Long Island Sound Bioextraction Symposium was held on May 18-19, 2022 and was coordinated by the Long Island Sound Study, NEIWPCC, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Agenda
A detailed agenda can be found here. See below for an abbreviated agenda.
May 18, 2022 – Day 1
1:00 p.m. Welcome & Introduction
1:15 p.m. Session 1 – Current Bioextraction Research: An overview of research that is currently being done on bioextraction using seaweed, within the Sound and beyond.
3:35 p.m. Break
3:45 p.m. Session 2 – Bioextraction in Context: An overview of work being done to look at potential uses of bioextracted materials, and how bioextraction can be used as a training or workforce development tool in urban areas.
4:50 p.m. Wrap Up & Day 2 Agenda
May 19, 2022 – Day 2
1:00 p.m. Welcome & Summary of Day 1
1:10 p.m. Session 3 – Seaweed Regulations and State Perspectives: An overview of the current and/or potential future regulatory environment around seaweed, how commercial seaweed is being viewed around the Sound, and connections to bioextraction.
2:30 p.m. Session 4 – Seaweed Economics: An overview of economic projects going on in and around the Sound that will have implications for commercial seaweed production and seaweed bioextraction.
3:50 p.m. Session 5 – Identifying Next Steps: An open forum on how to move bioextraction forward within the Long Island Sound with input from all attendees.
5:00 p.m. Adjourn
[expand title=”Biography of Speakers” notitle=”true” tag=”h3″]
Wade Carden
Wade Carden is a Biologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He is the Unit Leader for the Shellfish Management Unit in the Division of Marine Resources, with responsibilities that include conservation and regulation of the state’s shellfish resources, including permitting programs for commercial harvest of wild shellfish stocks, shellfish cultivation and restoration activities. His unit also permits and regulates cultivation of all marine plant and animal life undertaken in New York’s marine and coastal district.
Nora Catlin, Ph.D.
Nora Catlin received a M.S. in Plant Pathology from Penn State University and Ph.D. in Plant, Soil, and Insect Science from University of Massachusetts. Nora has been the Greenhouse/Floriculture Specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County since 2005, where her role is to support greenhouse growers through educational programs, materials, and research. She researches a wide variety of topics related to sustainable production and pest management. Since 2016 Nora has also been serving as the Agriculture Program Director.
Mike Ciaramella, Ph.D.
Mike Ciaramella is the Seafood Safety and Technology Specialist with New York Sea Grant and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Mike works with the Seafood, and now emerging seaweed industry across New York, assisting producers in navigating the process of bringing foods to market through resource development, extension programming, and technical trainings.
Anoushka Concepcion
Anoushka Concepcion is an Associate Extension Educator in Marine Aquaculture for Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn’s Cooperative Extension. Ms. Concepcion conducts one-on-one consultations with prospective aquaculture producers regularly, conducts research to address emerging stakeholder needs, organizes workshops for industry and general audiences, and presents at various research conferences.
Mike Doall
Michael Doall is the Associate Director for Bivalve Restoration at the School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University where he leads projects to improve Long Island’s coastal waters and fisheries through shellfish restoration and restorative aquaculture. As both a career research scientist and commercial oyster farmer, Mike brings a unique perspective and combination of skills to his work that contribute to the development of science-based, in-the-water solutions to coastal environmental problems.
Steve Eddy
Steve Eddy is the Director of the University of Maine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research. The Center is an aquaculture research and development facility and business incubator which Steve has directed for the past 21 years. Steve’s pervious roles include working in commercial fisheries and carrying out marine pollution research. In addition to his role as Center Direction, Steve also works as a science advisor to Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, a dried seaweed company located in Hancock, Maine.
Aaren Freeman, Ph.D.
Aaren Freeman is a Professor in the Biology Department at Adelphi University. His research interests range from predator prey interactions between invasive and native species and restoration of oyster and kelp ecosystem services.
Samantha Garwin
Sam Garwin leads GreenWave’s Market Innovation Program, working alongside ocean farmers to ensure predictable, scalable demand for seaweed products. Through targeted research, pilots, and value chain coordination, this program identifies and overcomes market barriers and opens new sales channels for farmers across the United States. Sam supports regenerative food systems more broadly through her consulting firm, 5th Quarter Foods, and was previously the CEO of Fleishers, a pioneer of responsibly-sourced whole animal retail butchery.
Christopher Gobler, Ph.D.
Christopher Gobler is a Professor within the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and co-Director for the Center for Clean Water Technology. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Stony Brook University. The major research focus within his group is investigating how anthropogenic activities such as climate change, eutrophication, and the over-harvesting of fisheries alters the natural biogeochemical and/or ecological functioning of coastal ecosystems.
Jang K. Kim, Ph.D.
Jang K. Kim is an Associate Professor of Marine Science at Incheon National University, Korea. During the past 25 years, his research has focused on interactions between marine algae and their environment. He is most interested in seaweed aquaculture and its applications, environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and ecosystem services provided by seaweeds.
Kristin Kraseski, Ph.D.
Kristin Kraseski is the Bioextraction Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Study. She works with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and NEIWPCC and provides overall program coordination, administration, and short- and long-term planning for the Bioextraction Initiative, including assessing potential challenges to, identifying solutions for, and supporting the development and expansion of nitrogen bioextraction and related aquaculture activities in the Long Island Sound.
Kris Mielenhausen
Kris Mielenhausen is committed to coastal restoration, Environmental Justice and education. He currently serves as the Director of Environmental Projects and oversees the Environmental Science Apprenticeship Program at a youth development organization called Rocking the Boat, in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx in New York City. In addition to project management, on any given day you can find him on a boat in the Bronx River Estuary collecting data and working on restoration projects with his esteemed staff of teenaged apprentices. Current projects include: a pilot microplastics study, oyster reef data collection, salt marsh restoration, water quality/pathogen testing and a new Gracilaria bioextraction seaweed farm project.
Schery Umanzor, Ph.D.
Schery Umanzor is an Assistant Professor of Marine Biology at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska. During the past 10 years, her research has focused on ecosystem engineering, ecophysiology, restoration, and overall interactions between seaweeds and their environment. She is currently working on multiple seaweed and shellfish mariculture projects, mainly developing tools to increase research capacity at a community level. She is interested in bridging research and research outcomes with farmers and other end users.
Richard Vogel, Ph.D.
Richard Vogel is the Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Economics at Farmingdale State College. His research interests and areas include economic development, urban economic growth, natural hazards analysis, and business and economics education. He was a Fulbright Fellow teaching as a Visiting Professor of Economics, in the department of Mathematical Economics at the National University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar in 2007. In 2019, he received the Academy of Economics and Finance Fellows award.
Tammy Warner, Ph.D.
Tammy Warner is professor in the Business Management department at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire, teaching courses in Finance and Strategy. Prior to joining Keene State she worked for the Small Business Development Center for several years focusing on helping business start, grow and thrive in a variety of industries.
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Learn more about the Long Island Sound Study’s Nutrient Bioextraction Initiative.