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Delaware Sea Grant

OUR MISSION

SCIENCE SERVING DELAWARE


Delaware Sea Grant helps Delaware communities wisely use, manage, and conserve our state's valuable coastal resources by fostering sustainable coastal economies, developing resilience to coastal hazards, and preparing the next generation of coastal leaders.

WHAT WE DO

FOCUS AREAS

A group of researchers from CEOE and COE are working on a project looking at how installing living shorelines--specifically, oyster reef habitat--in the Delaware Bay can protect shoreline against sea level rise and more intense storm surge events. The project is called Developing Engineering practices using Ecosystem Design Solutions for Future Army (Military DEEDS Project): Building Coastal Community Resilience with Nature-based Shoreline Solutions. It is funded through an appropriation and is a collaboration among the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), UD and Louisiana State University. The project is led at UD by Jack Puleo and looks to inform the Army on land-use management designs to enhance the resilience of military missions and operations in present and future terrains by using ecosystem services to address threats posed by climate and coastal hazards. The project is being managed by Ed Hale and graduate students Brendan Campbell, a postdoctoral researcher in Hale’s lab, and Rileigh Huddock, a master’s level student in CEOE. They have installed a living shoreline test site in the Delaware Bay near the Hugh R. Sharp campus. [UDaily]

Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

Paving the way for a thriving and sustainable ecosystem and maritime economy from ocean to table

 

Resilient Communities and Economies

Preserving Delaware’s coastal heritage through adaptive community development

 

CEOE-Coast_Day-2017-EK-100117

Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development

Engaging students and teachers in innovative marine science learning programs

 

Graduate students, faculty, and staff with the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and Delaware Sea Grant working in Rehoboth Bay to clean up to clean up "ghost" (derelict and abandoned) crab pots which litter the floor of the Bay. A previous survey found over 300 pots which have been lost or abandoned that can nevertheless still trap and kill wildlife that come across them, as well as pose a risk to boaters and swimmers. Once the pots have been removed from the bottom they are cleaned up and made available for repair and reuse or broken up and recycled.

Healthy Coastal Ecosystems

Leveraging community science to sustain coastal research and support the Delaware coast

 

DESG Crab Pot Quest: youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=com.synechron.udel.models.functions.SubstrAfter

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

CRAB POT QUEST


Interested in helping to clean up Delaware's Inland Bays? Watch our three-part video tutorial on how use side-scan sonar, safely retrieve gear, and collect important data. 
 

Learn more about derelict crab pots

NEWS & EVENTS

  • Master's student Rileigh Hudock

    Oysters and Living Shorelines

    October 07, 2025 | Written by Adam Thomas
    Rileigh Hudock, a master’s student in the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, recently evaluated the growth and mortality of two strains of farmed oysters.

  • Sharing environmental knowledge

    September 25, 2025 | Written by Adam Thomas
    UD undergraduate Abigail Young reflects on summer with Delaware Sea Grant, spreading environmental knowledge

  • Science communication

    July 21, 2025 | Written by Adam Thomas
    Delaware Sea Grant hosts workshop to help scientists learn how to communicate their research to the public

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Robinson Hall, Newark, DE 19716-1304   marinecom@udel.edu Phone 302-831-8083 Fax 302-831-2005