CoastalScience@Work Updates from the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium - Issue 21 July 2, 2021 Message from the Executive Director Welcome to this issue of CoastalScience@Work! As you may have heard, Rick DeVoe retired in December 2020 after serving 40 years with the Consortium, 22 of those years at the helm. The Consortium will forever benefit from his legacy. I’m grateful for the agency Rick developed and nurtured, and for hiring me as the assistant director for development and extension over six years ago. I look forward to working with our talented staff, Board of Directors, Program Advisory Board, and partners to continue the agency’s exceptional work. If you have any questions about the Consortium or need additional information about our activities, please feel free to email or call me at (843) 953-2075. In the meantime, enjoy the articles below! --Susan Lovelace, Ph.D.

South Carolina State University President Clark Re-Elected as Board Chair South Carolina State University (SCSU) President James E. Clark has been re-elected chair of S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s Board of Directors, and he began the one-year term on January 1, 2021. Clark, who became SCSU president in July 2016, earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science and a master’s degree in management/marketing, both from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has worked for business giants General Electric, Gillette, Exxon International, and AT&T. His experience at Fortune 500 companies shaped his belief that a data-driven, results-oriented business approach launches and drives positive outcomes. READ MORE

Staff News The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium has welcomed several new staff members, and Matt Gorstein, previously the Consortium’s Coastal Economics program specialist, was selected as assistant director for Development and Extension. The new staff are Brooke Saari, Coastal Environmental Quality program specialist; Roger Real Drouin, science writer; Sarah Pedigo, Shellfish Aquaculture program specialist; Brita Jessen, Interdisciplinary Research and Partnerships lead; and Louis “Louie” Heyward, Sr., executive assistant/office manager. Interns Caitlin Bolger, Project Management graduate assistant, Shelly McComb, S.C. Clean Marina Program intern, Amanda Namsinh, Coastal Outreach intern, and Emmi Palenbaum, Extension graduate assistant, also joined the Consortium. Annette Parker (formerly Annette Dunmeyer), executive assistant/office manager retired at the end of June 2021 after 35 years with the Consortium. We wish Annette all the best in retirement, and we will always remember her dedication, enthusiasm, and valuable contributions to the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, State of South Carolina, and National Sea Grant College Program. READ MORE

Nearly $1.5 Million Awarded for Red Snapper Count An interdisciplinary team of university researchers, government scientists, and a business specializing in ecological modeling was selected through a competitive review process organized by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium to conduct research to estimate the number of red snapper in U.S. South Atlantic waters from North Carolina to south Florida. Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a highly sought commercial and recreational reef fish whose annual harvest levels are dependent on fishery management decisions based on stock assessments. READ MORE

Consortium Assists Town of McClellanville with Preserving Working Waterfront Since 2017, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium has collaborated with the Town of McClellanville, its citizens, industry partners, watermen, and local nonprofit organizations to develop and implement a comprehensive master management plan and viable business model to protect and sustain the cultural and economic values of the town’s working waterfronts. The town reached out to the Consortium for assistance with the “Preserving McClellanville’s Working Waterfront Initiative.” The Consortium and partners collaborated to leverage funding and resources from two Municipal Association of South Carolina Hometown Economic Development grants and a Catch Together grant, combined with the Consortium’s S.C. Coastal Communities Initiative mini-grant program. Input from community visioning sessions and recommendations from the waterfront master plan were used to achieve additional goals. READ MORE

New Grant to Assess Direct Marketing of Seafood In response to the impact of COVID-19 on the South Carolina mariculture industry, the Consortium and researchers at Clemson University are launching an investigation into consumer preferences for at-home seafood consumption. Traditionally, seafood has been sold directly to restaurants, but the pandemic necessitated that shellfish farmers consider alternative avenues for sales. The research team will interview members of the mariculture industry, implement consumer surveys, and determine consumer preferences and willingness to pay for South Carolina seafood products. READ MORE

S.C. Educators Receive Environmental Education Certification Thirteen formal and non-formal South Carolina educators received Palmetto Environmental Education Certification (PEEC), which is the first environmental education certification program in the state. PEEC is coordinated by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium in partnership with a 15-member advisory committee comprised of classroom teachers, non-formal educators, eco-tourism staff, and college professors in South Carolina. The certified environmental educators represented K-12 schools, science museums, and local parks. The PEEC program is approved by the S.C. Department of Education as a “Renewal Course Provider” for 120 renewal credits—the maximum number needed for any South Carolina formal educator to renew their teaching certificate. READ MORE

Report Wins Notable State Document Award Assessing South Carolina’s Ocean Economy was selected as one of 12 publications and websites honored by the South Carolina State Documents Depository System as Notable State Documents of 2020. The Notable State Documents award calls attention to the most informative documents produced by state agencies. The annual awards program began in 1991 to recognize exemplary state publications, honoring notable documents released in the previous year. The 2020 awards were announced and presented in April 2021 during a virtual ceremony hosted by the South Carolina State Library. READ MORE

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