Upcoming Webinars

Please join the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC) April 16, 2025 at 3pm EST for a webinar highlighting three exciting research projects led by Sea Grant Law Fellows! Kerry McClaughry, an Environmental Law and Policy Fellow at Maryland Sea Grant, will present on innovative law and policy solutions for climate adaptation in coastal communities. Scott Luis, a Georgia Sea Grant Legal Fellow in partnership with the Carl Vincent Institute, will share about enhancing coastal adaptation and resilience through research on existing local ordinances. Scott and Kerry’s research is partially funded by the NSGLC’s “Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Law Research Fellowship Award,” a grant established by the NSGLC to expand the Sea Grant network’s research on legal issues related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environments. Finally, Amy Kraitchman, NSGLC Ocean and Coastal Law Fellow, will discuss her research on PFAS policy and litigation in the Southeast region.

Speakers:
Kerry McClaughry, J.D.
Environmental Law and Policy Fellow, Maryland Sea Grant
kerrymcc@umd.edu

Scott Luis, J.D.
Georgia Sea Grant Legal Fellow, Carl Vinson Institute of Government
scott.luis@uga.edu

Amy Kraitchman, J.D.
NSGLC Ocean & Coastal Law Fellow
amkraitc@olemiss.edu

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Direct seafood sales play a critical role in supporting sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and resilient food systems across the country. Every state regulates such sales a little differently, with varying levels of complexity and cost. To better understand the legal landscape, the National Sea Grant Law Center conducted a comprehensive study into the regulation of direct seafood sales across the thirty coastal and Great Lakes states. In this webinar, the NSGLC will share the research findings from this study, which examined the state licensing frameworks for commercial fishing, aquaculture, and food establishments. This work offers valuable insights into best practices for supportive policies and opportunities for regulatory reform.

Speakers:
• Stephanie Otts, NSGLC Director
• Amy Kraitchman, NSGLC Ocean and Coastal Law Fellow

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Past Webinars

In this webinar, the National Sea Grant Law Center discussed the possible ripple effects of the court’s rulings on environmental regulations, agency deference, administrative hearings, interstate agreements, and more. We also revisited some major opinions from previous terms, such as Sackett v. EPA, to see how the legal and regulatory system responded. The webinar concluded with a preview of the Court’s 2024-2025 term, which included a Clean Water Act challenge filed by the City of San Francisco.

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The National Sea Grant Law Center hosted a webinar highlighting its recent research related to mariculture. Topics covered includes NSGLC resources related to the cultivation of seaweed, including resources related to seaweed food safety. The webinar also provided an overview of the mariculture Nationwide Permits and pending litigation.

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A major aspect of the National Sea Grant Law Center’s mission is to enhance the educational experiences of students interested in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes law. This summer, the NSGLC hosted four law student interns who are conducting research on an array of topics, including wetlands ordinances, seaweed regulation, and more! In addition, the NSGLC hosted an undergraduate policy intern that participated in the Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Internship. In this webinar, the students discussed their internship experiences and findings from their research projects.

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The NSGLC hosted a webinar to discuss Laws, Policies, and Practices for Plastic Reduction and Prevention in the Great Lakes. Haley Dalian, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, presented on the issue of marine debris and the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Jill Bartolotta, Ohio Sea Grant extension educator, gave an overview of plastic reduction work in the Great Lakes. Terra Bowling, Research Counsel II for the National Sea Grant Law Center, highlighted a recent memo on nationwide efforts to ban plastic bags and Styrofoam, as well as two plastic bills in Congress and the United Nations’ Global Plastics Treaty.

➜ Funding opportunities for marine debris projects (NOAA Marine Debris Program)
➜ Great Lakes Friendly Restaurants program (Surfrider)
➜ NOAA Marine Debris Program Homepage
➜ Great Lakes Page
➜ 2024 Plastic Memo
➜ Maine's Extender Producer Responsibility Law (2021)

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The NSGLC hosted a second webinar on the State Marine Aquaculture Policy Dashboard on May 29th, 2024. During this webinar, there was a brief reintroduction of the Dashboard, followed by testimonials from our Dashboard user community, and a sneak peek into our best practices research.

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The National Sea Grant Law Center at the University of Mississippi and researchers at Florida State University have developed an online dashboard of state policy data for U.S. marine aquaculture. The State Marine Aquaculture Policy Dashboard improves accessibility to marine aquaculture policy data, enabling policymakers, industry managers, farmers, and researchers to navigate U.S. marine aquaculture policies with confidence and ease.

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