Rhode Island Sea Grant

09/03/2026

Shoreline access FAQ #2!

Conditions at shoreline rights-of-way can change naturally over time. Ruth Avenue in Portsmouth, a CRMC-designated ROW, was once overgrown. Now, it has been mowed and pruned and is accessible once more.

This brings up a question many people have: Who is responsible for maintaining ROWs?

While a ROW might be designated by CRMC, the maintenance of the ROW is generally up to the municipality where it is located. Sometimes neighbors maintain ROWs as well. Some things to know about ROW maintenance:

While volunteers are encouraged to clean up litter at ROWs, they should contact CRMC or the city/town before attempting to remove any vegetation. Some vegetation may be stabilizing a bank or serving as a buffer to prevent erosion and maintain water quality.
To report a ROW overgrown or otherwise naturally obstructed (e.g., by a fallen tree), contact the municipality.
To report a ROW intentionally obstructed (e.g., by a fence, planting, or placed boulder), contact CRMC at [email protected]. Please include any photos you may have of the suspected violation.

To find shoreline access sites across Rhode Island’s coast, visit shoreline-ri.com or https://www.crmc.ri.gov/shorelineaccess/index.html.

09/01/2026

How can Rhode Island best prepare its communities and businesses to insure property effectively when risks and costs are rapidly increasing?⁠
⁠
Join us at the Marine Affairs Institute's Marine Law Symposium, where we will examine the availability and affordability of insurance for communities and businesses facing increasing environmental risks. Learn from experts in insurance, mapping, coastal resilience, and law.⁠
⁠
🗓️September 18⁠
⌚️12-3PM⁠
📍Online⁠

Learn more and register at the link in comments!
⁠
Sponsored by the Marine Affairs Institute, Roger Williams University School of Law and Rhode Island Sea Grant

08/31/2026

What happens when the choices we make at the seafood counter reach far beyond the dinner table?

For University of Rhode Island Ph.D. candidate Aida Pauls, that's the question at the center of her research.

Aida is one of just five fellows selected this year for the highly competitive NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service–Sea Grant Joint Fellowship in Marine Resource Economics. Through the fellowship, she is studying whether consumer choices can help create stronger local fisheries, support more sustainable seafood practices, and encourage more ethical seafood supply chains.

Her research explores questions surrounding ikejime, a Japanese harvesting method that can improve seafood quality, as well as whether consumers would be willing to pay more for seafood certified as free from forced labor.

At the heart of her work is a simple idea: consumers have more power than they may realize.

Read more about Aida's research, her fellowship, and how the choices we make as seafood consumers could help shape the future of fisheries.

08/21/2026

Want to try recreational shellfishing in Rhode Island?

Whether you’re interested in digging for quahogs or just curious about the shellfish living in Rhode Island’s coastal waters, recreational shellfishing is a great way to connect with the Ocean State’s marine environment, and a tradition that has been part of Rhode Island’s coastal communities for centuries.

Shellfish are also an important part of healthy coastal ecosystems. Many species filter particles from the water, while shellfish reefs provide habitat for other marine life.

Rhode Island residents can recreationally harvest shellfish for their own consumption without a license, but there are important rules to follow.

Ready to learn more? Our Beginner’s Guide to Recreational Shellfishing in Rhode Island covers shellfish species, responsible harvesting, regulations, and resources for getting started, including Sea Grant’s shellfishing videos and RIDEM’s Come Clam With Me program.

Read the full guide: https://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/a-beginners-guide-to-recreational-shellfishing-in-rhode-island/

08/20/2026

Join us Wednesday, September 9, from 1–2 PM for a webinar exploring how Photovoice & arts-based storytelling can help communities share their experiences, priorities, and visions for the future.⁠
⁠
Photovoice uses photography and other forms of art to help communities share their experiences, priorities, and stories.⁠
⁠
The webinar will be presented in English with live Spanish translation and Q&A.⁠
⁠
📅 September 9⁠
🕐 1–2 PM⁠
💻 Online⁠
⁠
Register through the link / Regístrese a través del enlace. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coastal-storytelling-through-photovoice-art-tickets-1998020651554
⁠
Únase a nosotros el miércoles 9 de septiembre, de 1:00 a 2:00 p. m., para un seminario web que explorará cómo la Fotovoz y la narración basada en las artes pueden ayudar a las comunidades a compartir sus experiencias, prioridades y visiones para el futuro.⁠
⁠
La Fotovoz utiliza la fotografía y otras formas de arte para ayudar a las comunidades a compartir sus experiencias, prioridades y historias.⁠
⁠
El seminario web se presentará en inglés, con traducción simultánea al español y una sesión de preguntas y respuestas en español.⁠
⁠⁠
Images courtesy of Alexie Rudman.

- with Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council and Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

08/19/2026

Over the past five years, Sea Grant seafood specialists from 14 programs, including Rhode Island, have collaborated to support the $70 billion U.S. seafood industry by certifying 7,785 seafood professionals in FDA‑required training for seafood processors. ⁠
⁠
Working across state lines, these specialists have shared expertise to fill gaps in training capacity, supporting programs without certified trainers and even states without a Sea Grant program, ensuring the seafood industry nationwide has access to critical food safety education.⁠
⁠
These states include: AK, CT, FL, GA, IL-IN, LA, MD, MI, NC, NY, RI, SC, TX, VA⁠
⁠
Read more through the link: https://www.seagrant.org/news/sea-grant-network-strengthens-us-seafood-safety-nationwide

08/19/2026

Introducing our new occasional series: Shoreline FAQs!⁠
⁠
Today’s question: Where can I legally walk along Rhode Island's shoreline?⁠
⁠
Under Rhode Island law, the shoreline access line is generally 10 feet landward of the recognizable high tide line. The public has the right to pass along the shore seaward of that line.⁠
⁠
Important to know:⁠
⁠
No entitlement is created for the public to use privately owned amenities. In other words, if a lawn, deck, or other private property is within 10 feet of the high tide line, the public does NOT have the right to access that privately owned area. ⁠
⁠
Prohibited activities remain so. These might include fires, alcohol consumption, dog restrictions, or disturbing the peace. Areas where sensitive wildlife are federally protected remain so, even if they are within the 10-ft area. ⁠
⁠
Learn more about Rhode Island's shoreline access rights and responsibilities by visiting the Coastal Resources Management Council of Rhode Island Shoreline Access FAQs. https://www.crmc.ri.gov/shorelineaccess/index.html

08/14/2026

Ocean science doesn’t happen in isolation. 🌊

At , our research centers bring together scientists, engineers, educators, students, and partners to advance ocean exploration, coastal resilience, marine technology, and environmental solutions.

Explore the work of the URI Coastal Institute, Rhode Island Sea Grant, STEEP Superfund, Inner Space Center, and NOAA OECI, five programs expanding the reach and impact of GSO research. 🌎

➡️ https://buff.ly/3rnFjQF

08/14/2026

As offshore energy development grows, a hidden challenge is emerging beneath the water.

Commercial fishermen have traditionally avoided naturally occurring boulder fields on the seafloor. But when larger boulders are relocated to make way for subsea cables, they can create new hazards for fishing gear, damage expensive equipment, and affect access to traditional fishing grounds.

A new report from the Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program and the Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law examines these challenges and explores ways to reduce conflicts between offshore energy development and commercial fishing.

Rhode Island Sea Grant is helping bring fishermen, developers, researchers, and regulators together to identify practical solutions—including whether relocated boulders could potentially be clustered to create artificial reef habitat
Researchers from the University of Rhode Island and the Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law examined the legal and policy considerations surrounding boulder relocation and opportunities to better involve commercial fishermen in offshore energy planning
Read more about the issue and why collaboration with fishermen is an important part of offshore energy planning.

https://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/offshore-energy-development-may-create-hidden-hazards/

📸 Credit, Utility ROV Services.
📸 Credit from Meredith Haas

08/03/2026