Maryland Sea Grant is seeking applications for our Assistant Director for Communications and an Aquaculture Projects and National Extension Coordinator. More details.
Our Research Priorities
Support for sound scientific research and those who undertake it is at core of Maryland Sea Grant's mission. With a special focus on the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Sea Grant has a tradition of fostering innovative scientific inquiry and analysis. We emphasize projects that offer practical applications for the protection and restoration of Maryland’s coastal resources. This work promotes the sustainability of Maryland’s environment and economy.
- Our funding opportunities: Every two years, we award scientists approximately $1 million in research grants using a rigorous, competitive peer review process. Smaller Program Development grants are often available between biennial cycles to address urgent or emerging needs with high relevance to society.
- Our research focuses: We choose priority research topics through a collaborative strategic-planning process that engages scientists, our advisory board, our partners, and the public. Currently these topics are:
- Our results: The research we have funded at institutions throughout Maryland has led to improved knowledge and new tools that are informing issues of critical importance to the state, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the nation. These projects have examined topics such as coastal and estuarine function, ecosystem restoration, ecosystem-based fisheries management, aquaculture, and seafood technology.
- Our outreach: We expect research projects to include public outreach and engagement components to ensure that the results of cutting-edge science will be put to work on the ground -- and in the water.
- Our funding sources: Our funding comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the state of Maryland. Additionally, our efforts are supported by our administrative home, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Questions? Contact Michael Allen, Ph.D., Associate Director for Research & Administration, (301) 405-6372 or mallen@mdsg.umd.edu.
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Featured Fellow
Leone Yisrael is a cephalopod-loving scuba diver, cook, and loves to try new activities. She conducts genetic analysis and fieldwork at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center through the Coastal Disease Ecology Lab.
Featured Research Project
Exploring the Use of Benthic Microbial Fuel Cells to Remove Sulfide While Harvesting Energy from Oyster Aquaculture Biodeposits
Oyster aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry in Maryland’s Chesapeake waters which stimulates economic activity and may provide a host of ecosystem benefits. A potential concern associated with the intensification of the oyster aquaculture is the local production and accumulation of oyster biodeposits, which can lead to a porewater sulfide accumulation and declining bioturbation, symptoms of declining ecosystem function. Sulfide is naturally removed from the seafloor by the interactions between bioturbating infauna and sulfide oxidizing bacteria.
