January 10, 2024
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is pleased to receive federal funds through NOAA Sea Grant in support of its work to advance resilience in coastal and fishing communities throughout Washington state.
The WSG project seeks to enhance Washington coastal resilience in several ways. These include but are not limited to: broadening outreach to coastal communities on coast-specific climate hazards; connecting marine and coastal resource managers with funding opportunities to address coastal hazards; communicating hazard risk reduction and resilience best practices to coastal stakeholders; and increasing capacity for shoreline erosion monitoring and analysis.
Coastal communities face a variety of challenges, from increased flooding and erosion to more intense storm surges and wind damage as a result of climate change and sea level rise. Recognizing these challenges, the project builds on WSG’s decadeslong efforts to deeply and sustainably engage and promote the resilience of Washington’s coast. Initiatives such as the WSG-led Washington Coastal Resilience Project have focused on increasing local access to sea level rise information and planning capacity, as well as capital investment in coastal restoration and infrastructure. WSG has also supported the ongoing development and rollout of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) to help coastal planners and decision-makers understand their communities’ flood risks. These and similar efforts are all the more important given the threats posed by ocean and climate change are only projected to grow.
The WSG project also aims to promote resilience in Washington state fisheries. In particular, the project will leverage new funding to hire a new fisheries specialist, expanding staff capacity beyond Seattle and the Pacific Coast to northern Puget Sound. Other activities will include providing new trainings to help build a skilled fishing labor force; expanding or reviving trainings on sea safety and survival, first aid at sea, reading and responding to marine weather, and servicing and maintaining diesel engines; and continuing to support the direct marketing and sale of seafood from fishers to consumers. New funds will also help WSG support the Makah Tribe’s Food Sovereignty Program through increasing seafood access and distribution.
This project is made possible through NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Adaptation and Resilience institutional funding. NOAA Sea Grant awarded a total of $4 million to Sea Grant programs nationwide to further their work or act on new opportunities in the coastal resilience landscape.
Learn more about the other selected projects here.
###
Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, helps people and marine life thrive through research, technical expertise and education supporting the responsible use and conservation of coastal ecosystems. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Join the conversation: instagram.com/waseagrant and Facebook.com/WaSeaGrant.
JAN
2024