Yes, Penn State University works directly on technologies and practices that will enable the marine industry to minimize and prevent damage to aquatic ecosystems through research and community engagement projects. Examples include:
- Engaged scholarship projects focused on stormwater management.
- Extension materials, workshops and webinars on water resource management. They cover topics such as Master Watershed Training, riparian buffers, and watershed-friendly native planting.
- Riparia Center, a center where science informs policy & practice in wetlands ecology, landscape hydrology & watershed management, conducts research and has tools for conservation and restoration of wetlands, wildlife, and aquatic resources.
- Riparia’s four major areas of research, and associated outreach and education activities, are:
- Wetlands and Watersheds: Long-term studies of the ecology and management of wetlands, streams, and riparian areas on a watershed basis.
- Ecological Indicators: Development and testing of ecological indicators for wetlands, streams, and forests with an emphasis on assessments across spatial scales from site to landscape.
- Conservation Science: Applying the principles and practices of natural sciences and social sciences to foster the conservation of biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems, with an emphasis on wetland-dependent wildlife.
- Ecological Restoration: Development of design principles and monitoring protocols for wetland creation and restoration sites based on a set of reference wetlands.
- Riparia’s four major areas of research, and associated outreach and education activities, are:
- Pennsylvania Sea Grant funds research that gathers input and data from partners across the Commonwealth to ensure that research topics focus on critical issues that impact our Great Lakes, coastlines, and watersheds. This research has the potential to yield solution-based results to assist decision makers, address pressing coastal and watershed issues, and develop or update statewide ecosystem management strategies. Sea Grant also provides resources such as educational materials, fact sheets, maps, manuals, and reports.
- The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Discovery Map was developed by the Penn State WEF-Nexus strategic initiative program. It aids in fostering comprehensive sustainable development projects around the globe by providing filterable research and data visualization that allows users to locate areas of need, growth, partnership, and action.
Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.
