KINGSTON, R.I.—Dec. 12, 2023—The University of Rhode Island will celebrate its Partnership for Research Excellence in Sustainable Seafood (PRESS) Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus’ Coastal Institute.
Research teams will present work on issues confronting the local sustainable seafood industry. For example, one effort is examining whether laser scarecrows can keep birds away from farmed shellfish; another project is testing whether commercial squid fishing can be improved with “jigging” machinery. Another effort is studying how to incorporate traditional Japanese methods—ikejime—into cleaning and preparing fish for sale and consumption.
The first hour of the event will enable research and outreach teams awarded PRESS funds to briefly share project progress through presentations in the Coastal Institute auditorium; the second hour consists of an informal lunch in the institute’s Studio Blue. Reporters and photographers are welcome to interact with the research teams, advisory committee, and attending guests during lunch, and browse tables featuring project visuals and information. Researchers will be on hand to answer questions.
WHAT: Launched this year, and led by Marta Gomez-Chiarri, professor of aquaculture/fisheries in the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences. The partnership provides funding to projects proposed by teams of industry members and researchers that seek to solve challenges facing sustainable seafood production in Rhode Island. Each proposal is reviewed by an interdisciplinary advisory board and funding is distributed rapidly to respond to urgent issues. The program is managed by the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, with connection to the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, via the URI Coastal Resources Center, and is administrated by Rhode Island Sea Grant. PRESS is a $1 million, four-year grant secured from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. US. Sen Jack Reed played a key role in securing the funding. See initial media announcement.
WHO: URI researchers, industry leaders and public officials
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: URI Bay Campus, Coastal Institute, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett. Parking will be available in the upper and lower lots.
TO ATTEND, Contact Sue Kennedy at skennedy@uri.edu or 401.450.2666. REPORTERS, PLEASE NOTE: This advisory is aimed at encouraging POST-EVENT coverage; we are not able to accommodate a large number of attendees, so please refrain from producing pre-event coverage.