Science and So Much More: Putting science into practice through the coastal training program

NOAA Science Seminar Series

Title: Science and So Much More: Putting science into practice through the coastal training program

Presenters: Mike Shelton, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; Jessica McIntosh, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; and Margo Posten, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Matt Chasse is hosting this webinar series.

Sponsor: NOAA/NOS Science Seminar Series and NOAA/NOS Office of Coast Management (OCM) and NOAA/NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS).

Seminar Contacts: Matt Chasse (NOAA/NOS/OCM) and Tracy.Gill@noaa.gov 
(NOAA/NOS/NCCOS) are coordinators of this science  seminar series.

Remote Access: Register here: 
https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/coastaltraining/event/registration.html
After registering, you will receive an email with a login link.

You may enter via a browser or the Adobe Connect app. PC/Windows users should use Chrome or Edge browsers and Mac users should use Safari or Chrome. Do not use IE.

Attendees are muted during the webinar and audio is over the computer, so adjust the volume on your computer speakers or headset. 

If you want to enter via the Adobe Connect app you must download it ahead of time.
1. If you have downloaded and used Adobe Connect recently, you do not need to download but you can test it here.
2. If you have NOT used Adobe Connect, you must download Adobe connect ahead of time to use it, and your IT staff may need to do it. The download is here. After downloading Adobe Connect, it is important to TEST your ability to use Adobe Connect, well before the webinar, here.
3. After downloading and testing Adobe Connect, register here:

Accessibility: Closed Captioning will be provided

Abstract: The National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) in the Gulf of Mexico work to protect people from harmful floods. Each NERR in the Gulf of Mexico has a coastal training program that partners with communities to increase resilience to flooding. The coastal training program at the Weeks Bay Research Reserve in Alabama has played a key role in creating the South Alabama Flooding Engagement Team (SAFE-T). The SAFE-T partners to train and provide technical support to decision-makers and communities to address flooding issues. Solutions
the group focuses on can be structural like alternative shoreline protection and low impact development practices, or nonstructural like floodplain planning or open space mapping.
SAFE-T trains municipal and county floodplain managers, engineers, emergency managers, surveyors, insurance agents, and realtors from coastal communities. Training topics have included government versus private market flood insurance, drone usage to communicate
post-disaster conditions, planning strategies in the face of rising seas, flood map revisions, environmental justice, CRS updates and the performance of FORTIFIED™ structures during Hurricane Sally. Overall, this webinar will explain what the coastal training program does,
how to effectively partner with key community members, and provide a case study from coastal Alabama to improve floodplain management. 

Bios: 

Mike Shelton (Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources) Since starting at Weeks Bay NERR in 2001, Mike has worked with agencies, decision-makers and residents for protection, restoration and planning for better use of water resources in the Weeks Bay watershed. Duties include technical and community education, water quality monitoring and research and assisting watershed stakeholders with on-the-ground pollution prevention and restoration projects. Mike earned a Masters Degree in Biology at Emory University.

Jessica McIntosh (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) is the Coastal Training Program Coordinator at the Rookery Bay Research Reserve in Naples, Florida. In this role, she connects diverse stakeholders with environmental research by facilitating training workshops and collaborative research groups. Jessica has worked on a variety of coastal management issues, ranging from invasive lionfish in the Cayman Islands to bioremediation for oil spills in
salt marshes in Louisiana, and has held positions with academic, non-profit, and government groups.

Margo Posten (Mississippi Department of Marine Resources) is the Coastal Training Program (CTP) Coordinator at the Grand Bay Research Reserve in Moss Point, MS. She works to develop programs to communicate Grand Bay science to local stakeholders, develop and provide technical assistance, works with partners to improve coastal management using various approaches, and interacts with local governments and decision-makers regarding their needs
for information, training, and science. Currently, her focus is community resilience and incorporating green infrastructure into stormwater management as a flood mitigation tool and
to reduce nonpoint source pollution. Margo has a varied background including municipal solid waste and non-point source pollution in Texas and soil erosion control using terrace farming in the Philippines. Margo also gained experience coupling economic development and environmental protection in South Africa using eco-tourism.

Slides / Recording: Slides, recording and summary of chat will likely be shared with all who register for the webinar. Or email matt.chasse@noaa.gov or tracy.gill@noaa.gov if interested.

Accessibility: Closed Captioning will be provided.

NOAA Science Seminar Series weekly email: Send an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word 'subscribe' in the subject or body. Visit the NOAA Science Seminar Series website for more information. We welcome your comments and ideas!

{Mike Shelton, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; Jessica McIntosh, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; and Margo Posten, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve}