Time and Tide

If you could capture this moment along New Hampshire’s coast in one image, what might it look like? Maybe a quiet morning on a summer beach day, just before the crowds roll in and the roadwork begins. A farmers' market in a small New England town, with local seafood being sold to both transplants and generational granite staters. Or it could be an underwater snapshot of species old and new in an eelgrass meadow. One through line through all of these moments is that the Gulf of Maine is experiencing change from many angles. Have you ever wondered what research is being done to study these changes along New Hampshire’s coast? New Hampshire Sea Grant has recently awarded $1.2 million to fund six coastal research projects over the next two years. These projects, approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will address topics of particular importance to the state and region, including PFAS contamination, coastal flooding, seafood safety and management, salt marsh restoration, and the northward expansion of marine species. On today’s episode of Time and Tide, guest host Kylie Marozsan will be breaking down these research projects into bite-sized stories, with a roundtable of our New Hampshire Sea Grant team. Guests Erik Chapman, Lindsey Williams, and Steve Jones relate these six research projects to the experiences of anyone who lives, works, or plays along the seacoast. Learn why they are optimistic that these changes might also bring opportunity. Full episode transcript is available below. Guest Speakers: Dr. Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant and UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering Dr. Lindsey Williams, Associate Director and Assistant Director for Workforce Development, New Hampshire Sea Grant Dr. Steve Jones, Associate Director and Assistant Director for Research, New Hampshire Sea Grant Hosted by: Kylie Marozsan, Science Communication Doyle Fellow, New Hampshire Sea Grant Produced by: Brian Yurasits Further reading: New Hampshire Sea Grant Current Research: https://seagrant.unh.edu/research/current-researchBiennial Request for Proposals: https://seagrant.unh.edu/funding/biennial-request-proposalsNew Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

What happens when the growing marine economy meets efforts to protect threatened and endangered seabirds? Elizabeth Craig and her team are mapping the journeys of common and roseate terns (Sterna hirundo and Sterna dougallii) to ensure both conservation efforts and development can move forward together in the Gulf of Maine. Join us in the bird blind on this episode of Time and Tide as we uncover how seabird researchers are able to track the movements and feeding behaviors of terns in the Gulf of Maine, and why these movements matter to us. Act 1: Step onto White and Seavey Islands with Elizabeth Craig, Director of Seabird Science at Shoals Marine Laboratory, as she describes the threats faced by common and roseate terns in a changing Gulf of Maine, and why we as humans should care about the fate of these agile birds that spend their lives at sea. We dodge dive-bombing birds, and side-step freshly hatched chicks while discussing the importance of data-driven conservation efforts and her team's latest Sea Grant-funded research. We also address hard-hitting questions such as: why do seabird researchers wear wide-brimmed hats? And what is seabird poop bingo? Act 2: We join Caitlin Panicker, an undergraduate student at Bowdoin College, in the bird blind to learn what it's like to live on the Isles of Shoals for a summer, watching the same birds fly in and out of a nesting colony. Caitlin explains what a tern 'neighborhood' looks like and shares some advice for college students looking to gain field experience. Act 3: So, where does all of this information go, and how does it impact us non-birds? We sat down with Katy Bland, a Research and Engagement Manager working with Sea Grant and NERACOOS, to talk through the uses of Elizabeth's tern research with us. Katy focuses on the interaction between coastal communities and offshore renewable energy development in the Gulf of Maine. Making her the perfect guest to help us understand how Liz’s seabird research can be used to inform decisions about how we use our ocean. Guest Speakers: Dr. Elizabeth Craig, Director of Seabird Science, Shoals Marine Laboratory Affiliate Faculty, Department of Biological Sciences, UNH. Caitlin Panicker, undergraduate student intern currently attending Bowdoin College. Katy Bland, Research and Engagement Manager, NERACOSS, New Hampshire Sea Grant, Maine Sea Grant. Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant. Produced by: Brian Yurasits Further reading: Seabirds as Indicators of New Hampshire’s Fisheries The Science of Seabirds – Seacoast Science Center NERACOOS New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

A new workshop called Living With Water is designed to help realtors navigate these turbulent times, by equipping them with resources on flood risks in New Hampshire.Show notes: The housing market is a hot topic in the Granite State and across the US, to say the least. A part of this conversation relates to how insurance companies are dropping coverage for homeowners due to the increased risk of natural disasters. In New Hampshire, flooding risks are of particular concern, from the White Mountains to the Gulf of Maine. A new workshop called Living With Water is designed to help realtors navigate these turbulent times, by equipping them with resources on flood risks in New Hampshire. Learn from the workshop's creators about how realtors can navigate flood risk with their clients, and why conversations during the home buying and selling experience are a great time to talk about stewarding the future of our natural spaces.Act 1: Turning ideas into reality with Lisa Wise and Lynn Vaccaro, both members of the New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup. When realtors in the seacoast community identified the need to learn more about flood risks, this dynamic duo stepped up to the challenge. Act 2: Talia Sperduto shares her personal journey from sustainability to real estate, and why flooding has become an everyday concern in her work. Guest Speakers: Lisa Wise, Coastal Resilience Extension Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant and UNH ExtensionLynn Vaccaro, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and NH Fish and GameTalia Sperduto, owner of Whole Heart Homes, real estate professional specializing in coastal and historic home sales in the communities of greater Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME. Member of the Seacoast Board of Realtors.Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant.Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant.Produced by: Brian YurasitsFurther reading:Living With Water: Resources for RealtorsNew Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.eduUniversity of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

A preliminary study by Dr. Paula Mouser and her team of researchers and citizen scientists in New Hampshire has found that foam on the surface of water can contain elevated levels of PFAS contamination, compared to the surface water below. Show notes: PFAS are contaminants of emerging concern and have rapidly become a focal point for everyone working in the field of clean water. These ‘forever chemicals’ are impactful in very small amounts (parts per trillion), have negative impacts on humans, and are present within a wide variety of consumer products.Because PFAS are odorless, tasteless, and microscopic, it is difficult for people to visualize this threat to human health. However, residents in New Hampshire have recently expressed concern that surface foams forming in known PFAS-contaminated water bodies may contain elevated levels of these ‘forever chemicals’. This prompted a team from University of New Hampshire, Temple University, and local citizens to join together in testing foam from these locations. Here, we discuss their preliminary findings, and what will come next.Act 1: Dr. Paula Mouser describes the story behind exploring PFAS concentrations in surface foam at sites known for their PFAS exposure. Act 2: Gabby Deangelis, a Master’s student at UNH, shares her personal experience being affected by PFAS, and her creativity in developing methods to sample surface foams. Gabby also shares her experiences as a graduate student working in the field of environmental science. Act 3: Andrea Amico discusses her family’s exposure to PFAS, and how this sparked her journey to raise awareness and take action to address this contaminant in our waters. Andrea describes her work as a citizen scientist with Paula’s team while explaining the impact of including community members in research. Guest Speakers: Paula Mouser, Ph.D. Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New HampshireGabby Deangelis, Graduate Student in Environmental Engineering, University of New HampshireAndrea Amico, Clean Water Activist, Citizen Scientist, Founder of Testing for Pease, and Portsmouth, NH ResidentHosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant.Co-Hosted by: Lauren George, Graduate Student, University of New HampshireProduced by: Brian YurasitsFurther reading:UNH Research Team Finds Concentrated PFAS in Watershed FoamsNew Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.eduUniversity of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

Time and Tide is a new podcast from New Hampshire Sea Grant, based at the University of New Hampshire, that explores the science, stories, and people behind our changing coastlines.Show notes: What does the saying – time and tide wait for none – mean to you? Those with a connection to the coast understand that tides are a certainty in life; they are something that we have no control over, just as time is always fleeting. It’s a familiarity that connects all of us, and sometimes, is a starting point for conversation. Time and Tide is a new podcast from New Hampshire Sea Grant exploring the science, stories, and people behind our changing coastlines.Hosts Brian Yurasits and Erik Chapman share one story each month, covering the coastal and marine topics that you might read about in your local news. These stories are told by both researchers and community members in a way that anyone can relate to. Whether you’re a surfer, fisher, seafood lover, enjoy long walks on the beach, or simply someone who cares about the future of our coastal places—this podcast is for you.In this introduction, you'll hear why talking about the tides is a great ice-breaker, learn why you should care about the issues facing the Granite State’s small, but mighty coastline, and take a trip down memory lane with Brian and Erik. Float along with us as we navigate these tides of change together. Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant.Co-hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant.Produced by: Brian Yurasits with assistance from Talia Katreczko, New Hampshire Sea Grant Doyle Fellow.New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.eduUniversity of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement