New York Marine Sciences Consortium Annual Conference

The New York Ocean Action Plan: Progress and Priorities

October 21, 2017

Weill Cornell Medicine Building

First Floor, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021

8:30 – 9:00 Registration/Coffee

9:00 – 9:30 Welcome and Introductions Griffis Lounge

Marie de Angelis, Chair NYMSC: Introductions
Dr. Daniel McCloskey, CUNY: Words of Welcome
Sherryll Huber Jones, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: Introductory Remarks on the
NYS Ocean Action Plan

9:30 – 10:30 Plenary Speakers I Griffis Lounge

OAP Goal 1: Ensure the ecological integrity of the ocean ecosystem
“New York: The Sea That Never Sleeps”
Speaker: Merry Camhi, Wildlife Conservation Society

OAP Goal 2: Promote economic growth, coastal development and human use of the ocean in a manner
that is sustainable and consistent with maintaining ecological integrity
“New York State’s Coastal Management Program”
Speaker: Wilhelmina Innes, New York State Department of State Department, Office of Planning,
Development, and Community Infrastructure

10:30 – 10:50 Coffee Break & MARCO Portal Demonstration

10:50 – 11:50 Plenary Speakers II Griffis Lounge

OAP Goal 3: Increase resilience of ocean resources to impacts associated with climate change
“Coastal Resilience – The Practice and the Process in an Engaged Community”
Speaker: Adam Parris, Executive Director, Science and Resiliency Institute at Jamaica Bay

OAP Goal 4: Empower the public to actively participate in decision-making and ocean stewardship
“Supporting Public Engagement, Awareness and Affinity for New York Harbor through Oyster Restoration
and Research”
Speaker: Peter Malinowski, Executive Director, Billion Oyster Project

11:50 – 1:30 Lunch (brought in)

NYMSC Board Meeting
Provided in the cafeteria area
Griffis Private Dining Room

1:30 – 2:30 Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session A: Griffis Dining Room

“Empowering Participation in Stewardship through Citizen Science: Challenges and Successes”
Facilitators: Christina Colón (Kingsborough CC)
Speakers: Russell L. Burke (Hofstra University), Susan Elbin (New York City Audubon), Holly Porter-
Morgan (LaGuardia CC), Gregory O’Mullan (Queens College), Paul Sieswerda (Gotham Whale)

Breakout Session B: Uris faculty Room

Action 36 of the NY Ocean Action Plan: “Identify essential ecosystem services in the NY Bight and assess
their vulnerability to impacts from human activities and climate change.”
Facilitator: Philip Orton; Speakers: Philip Orton (Stevens Institute of Technology), Naomi R. Fraenkel
(USACE), Anthony Dvarskas (SUNY Stony Brook University)

Breakout Session C: Griffis Lounge

“Developing Biological Indicators of Ocean Health for the New York Bight Ocean Ecosystem: A
Continuation”
Facilitator: Mike Judge; Speakers: Mark Botton (Fordham University), Chester Zarnoch (CUNY-Baruch), Mike Judge
(Manhattan College)

2:30 – 3:30 Coffee Break & Poster Session

3:30 – 4:00 Panel Discussion Griffis Lounge

Panel discussion: Summaries of Breakout Sessions and Steps Forward
Moderator: Lawrence Swanson, Dean School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
(SUNY Stony Brook)

4:00 – 4:30 Award ceremony for poster competition Griffis Lounge

4:30 Concluding remarks from NYSMC,

Lawrence Swanson
Griffis Lounge