Coastal and Marine Issues

Sea Grant Extension makes fishermen aware of gear that keeps seabirds from getting hooked on fishing lines

To catch black cod, halibut and other fish, some fishing boats set a long line of baited hooks on the seafloor. But seabirds, including the endangered short-tailed albatross, can get caught if they try to steal the bait ...

Apr 2024 | Impact Story

Partnership educates Clatsop County Hispanic-Latinx residents about natural hazards

Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic in Oregon and often work in coastal industries located in high tsunami risk areas. This creates a necessity for natural hazard preparedness materials that consider the specific needs and ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Extension responds to inequities with emergency preparedness events for Lincoln County’s Latino and Mesoamerican Indigenous residents

The 2020 Echo Mountain Complex Fire that burned over 2,500 acres and impacted 368 structures in Lincoln County exposed the communication inequities and gaps in resources for the county’s Latino and Indigenous Mesoamerican ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Extension educates Oregonians to prepare for massive earthquake, tsunami

Scientists predict there is about a 37% chance that an earthquake of at least 8.0 magnitude will strike off the Pacific Northwest coast in the next 50 years. When it occurs, the historic temblor and resulting tsunami will ...

Apr 2021 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension engages chefs and retailers on quality, benefits and hurdles of frozen seafood

There is a long-standing perception that the quality of frozen seafood is inferior to fresh seafood, although frozen seafood provides many benefits over fresh, including longer shelf life, a lower transportation carbon footprint and...

Mar 2021 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension supports creation of award-winning ocean acidification curriculum

Ocean acidification is the change in ocean chemistry due to increasing concentrations of human-created carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One result of an increase in carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean is carbonate, used for ...

Feb 2021 | Impact Story

'Eat Oregon Seafood' campaign promotes industry impacted by pandemic

Although Oregon’s restaurants re-opened in the summer of 2020 – with social distancing and indoor face covering measures – earlier mandatory statewide closures due to COVID-19 sent Oregon’s $700 million seafood industry ...

Dec 2020 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension documents whale movements to mitigate entanglements

Entanglement in fishing gear is a major threat to whales. It can cause drowning and infections and impair their ability to swim or eat. In 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed 28 entangled ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Oregon Sea Grant research cruises hook students on marine science

To keep pace with the workforce demands of the 21st century, there’s a growing need to provide students with immersive STEM experiences, including in marine science. To meet this need, since 2016 Oregon Sea Grant has been ...

Apr 2024 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension helps boaters agree on best practices for watching whales

About 20,000 gray whales migrate past the Oregon Coast each year, of which about 200 stick around for the summer to feed. They share the water with whale-watching charters, recreational boaters and commercial fishermen. Data had...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story