Yes, Penn State offers educational programs and outreach for local or national communities on sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.

As a Sea Grant university, the mission is “to enhance the use and conservation of Pennsylvania’s coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources to create a healthy environment, resilient and inclusive communities, and a strong and sustainable economy.”

The 2024-2027 Pennsylvania Sea Grant Strategic Plan plans to address the following:

  • Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development
  • Healthy Coastal Ecosystems
  • Resilient Communities and Economies
  • Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

A core value of the program is dedication to sustainability, which focuses on “Advancing environmental stewardship practices and communicating the value of the services that the coastal, watershed, ocean, and Great Lakes ecosystems provide to the nation.” Facilitating an informed public by promoting and delivering educational practices that engage participants in stewardship- and place-based learning is another core value of the Pennsylvania Sea Grant program.

The Sea Grant program collaborates with state, regional, and national programs to improve Pennsylvania’s coastal community resiliency and environmental literacy, and protect and restore its coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources. These efforts serving on and participating in a variety of boards, committees, and organizations which include:

  • Chesapeake Bay Invasive Catfish Workgroup
  • Chesapeake Bay Regional Communications Committee
  • Community Resilience Action Network of Erie
  • Delaware County Coastal Zone Management Task Force
  • Erie County Coastal Zone Management Task Force
  • Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species
  • Governor’s Invasive Species Council
  • Lake Erie Region Conservancy
  • Lake Erie Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area
  • Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Invasive Species Panel
  • Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for Environmental Education
  • Pennsylvania Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals
  • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Statewide Coastal Advisory Committee
  • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Water Resources Advisory Committee
  • Pennsylvania Environmental Literacy Steering Committee
  • Pennsylvania Green and Healthy Schools Partnership Advisory Committee
  • Pennsylvania Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Taskforce
  • Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association
  • Pennsylvania Master Watershed Stewards Statewide Advisory Committee
  • Pennsylvania Meaningful Environmental and Watershed Educational Experience Task Force
  • Penn State Water Team
  • Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center External Advisory Committee
  • Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development
  • Regional Outdoor Learning Network
  • Regional Science Consortium Executive Board
  • Schuylkill Action Network – Stormwater Subgroup
  • School District of Philadelphia Green Futures Education for Sustainability Committee
  • Sea Grant communities of practices, such as:
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
    • Green Infrastructure
    • Hazardous Material Transport Outreach Network
    • Marine Debris

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.