Articles & Events

U.S. National Science Foundation: NSF selects 15 finalists to advance to the next round of its second Regional Innovation Engines competition

“NSF announces teams that will move on to the next stage of competition under its major NSF Engines initiative, aiming to build and scale new innovation clusters to accelerate the development of critical technologies and grow regional economies nationwide”

NSPIRE and our partners are making headlines for groundbreaking work to drive technological innovation, strengthen regional economies, and translate research into results. This coalition of leading universities, industry partners, and community organizations is helping shape the future of the seafood industry. These are the stories of NSPIRE and the seafood industries we serve.

• National Fisherman: Lobstermen’s knowledge offers critical insight into the Gulf of Maine
  Maine’s lobster fishery brought in more than half a billion dollars in revenue last year, but the long-term health of the fishery remains under pressure as warming waters reshape the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, according to reporting from Northeastern Global News.

• Rhody Today: Aquaculture training course to cover best practices and business strategies
  For the second year, Rhode Island Sea Grant will offer an intermediate-level aquaculture training course titled “Beyond the Basics for Businesses and Practitioners.”

• SeaMaine – Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine: Cooperative Seafood Logistics and Cold Storage Needs Assessment Across Coastal Maine
  By synthesizing testimony from 40 stakeholder interviews with analysis of cold chain, processing, transportation, regulatory, cultural, and financial barriers, this report identifies specific initiatives, proposed regional locations, and the organizational steps required to build a modern, efficient, and climate-ready seafood supply chain across coastal Maine.

• National Fisherman: $1.2M awarded to boost Massachusetts commercial fisheries
  “Massachusetts is home to a nation-leading seafood industry and thriving blue economy. Investing in the strength and resilience of our commercial fishing industry is crucial to sustain our local economies and coastal culture,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We are proud to support our commercial fishers, who provide us with healthy, delicious seafood, all while finding ways to advance innovative research.”

• CAI: Can robots improve New England’s commercial fishery?
  Imagine a troller headed out to sea in search of its catch. Logbooks and experience tell the captain where to look. But ocean conditions are changing, and so is fish behavior. Historical knowledge is not as helpful as it once was. Today’s fishermen need more information, according to Melissa Sanderson.

• New Hampshire Chronicle: AquaFort fish project aims to produce more local fish, help local fishermen
  The AquaFort is a community-based seafood system we developed at UNH, which grows steelhead trout. For about five years, the team has raised thousands of steelhead trout in two netted pens.

• Bartholomewtown URI’s Dr. Brennan Phillips Talks His Work in Oceanographic Research
  Bill Bartholomew and Dr. Brennan Phillips discuss the types of technological innovation being developed at URI.

• Rhody Today: URI part of finalist team selected by National Science Foundation in Regional Innovation Engines competition
  Aquaculture/Fisheries Professor Marta Gomez-Chiarri is leading efforts at the University of Rhode Island to help position New England as a national leader in the seafood industry, hoping to secure final funding through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. URI joins a consortium of regional partners, collectively known as NSPIRE, selected as finalists in the national competition.

• WGBH: Four Things to Know
  A group of fisheries, researchers, government workers and technology businesses are finalists for a National Science Foundation program. The group, one of 15 finalists for the prize, calls itself the New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement, or NSPIRE for short.

• CAI: Regional collaborative NSPIRE aims to revolutionize New England seafood industry
  A collaboration between New England fisheries groups, universities, research institutions, government agencies, blue tech businesses, and others is working to level-up the region’s seafood industry. The New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE) is in the running for a big boost from the National Science Foundation.

• CapeCod.com: Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance pushing for supply improvements
  The collaboration is called the New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE) engine aiming to strategically improve the fishing industry. The application is led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS).

• UNH TODAY: UNH Contributes to Two Teams Chosen as Finalists for NSF Innovation Program
  The New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE), led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aims to bring disruptive technological innovation to the seafood supply chain in New England to increase the volume, quality, consistency, variety and value of seafood products.

• Gulf of Maine Research Institute: NSPIRE: Bringing Technological Innovation to Fisheries and Seafood
  NSPIRE, led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), will address the economic, environmental, and policy challenges threatening New England’s seafood industry through technological innovation that strengthens boat-to-plate initiatives and collaborative science across the supply chain.

• NSF News: NSF advances 29 semifinalists in the second NSF Regional Innovation Engines competition
  NSF announces the list of teams that will advance to the next stage of its major initiative aiming to advance critical technologies and grow regional economies nationwide.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: The Hand That Holds The Line

Fishermen live a life that’s deeply connected to nature, shaped by the rhythm of the tides, the temperament of the sea, and the unpredictability of the catch. Geoff C. Bassett and Kim Roderiques shine a light on Cape Cod fishermen who have devoted their lives to one of the most challenging and dangerous professions in the world in their upcoming documentary.

Press: For media inquiries, please contact Brenda Darroch.