Sustainability Forum: Advancing the North Shore Blue Economy Initiative

The North Shore’s history, economic base, and culture are tied to the ocean and the quality of life it provides. Fishing, seafood processing, recreation, tourism, boatbuilding, and other traditional maritime industries have shaped the regional identity. Today, new and emerging industries like marine robotics, sensor technologies, offshore wind, and coastal resilience design engineering and construction are expanding how we think about the maritime environment. The Blue Economy is a pioneering approach that views our ocean not just as a resource to generate economic growth, but as a powerful way to improve ecosystem health and long-term regional prospects. The goal of the North Shore Blue Economy (NSBE) initiative is to build and implement a resilient, sustainable, equitable, and integrated network that leverages our strengths and positions the region to capitalize on emerging opportunities. A Phase I NSBE report was released in late 2021. Katie Kahl, UMass Amherst Gloucester Marine Station faculty and NSBE lead, will discuss the report highlights and share new efforts underway for NSBE Phase II.

Katherine Kahl, Ph.D., Extension Assistant Professor, Coastal Resilience & Sustainable Fisheries, University of Massachusetts Amherst Gloucester Marine Station

Katie is a faculty member with UMass Amherst, based at the University’s Gloucester Marine Station. Her work bridges University capacity with regional partner needs. She guides strategy development at the Gloucester Marine Station, building partnerships, financing strategies, and research opportunities focused at the intersection of the Blue Economy, Sustainable Seafood, Marine Ecology, and Coastal Resilience. Katie leads the North Shore Blue Economy initiative in collaboration with a team of regional leaders to build and implement a resilient, sustainable, equitable Blue Economy network on the North Shore, which builds upon strengths and positions the region to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the Blue Economy. Katie also co-leads a multi-state Salt Marsh Working Group of over 80 coastal researchers and practitioners from state, federal, nonprofit, and research institutions.

This is a free event.