Projects

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) raise fish in closed tanks that reuse most of their water, allowing high production with limited waste. Conditions are tightly controlled, disease risks are lower, and facilities can be located almost anywhere—driving rapid growth in the U.S. and globally. Hydroponics grows plants indoors without soil and is now widely used to produce herbs and leafy greens sold in grocery stores. These crops grow quickly—often in just a few weeks. Aqua

Sargassum is a free-floating brown seaweed that supports marine life in the open ocean and gives the Sargasso Sea its name. In recent years, however, massive blooms have expanded across the tropical Atlantic—forming the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, a 5,000-mile stretch from West Africa to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico—driven by warmer waters and nutrient pollution. While beneficial offshore, excess sargassum can be destructive when it reaches land. It clogs beaches, dama

Growing public concern over forest management and timber harvesting practices led to the development of certification programs that identify wood products sourced from forests managed in environmentally and socially responsible ways. Originating in response to unsustainable logging in the tropics, the certification concept was later adapted to encourage improved forestry practices in the United States. To promote market-driven change, The Pew Charitable Trusts funded several

Founded in 1996 within Allegheny College’s Department of Environmental Science and Studies, the Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED) was created to expand experiential learning opportunities for students while helping community and regional leaders integrate economic development with environmental stewardship to revitalize northwest Pennsylvania. Building on the existing French Creek Environmental Education Project, CEED launched a diverse portfolio of ini

The Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization (CRCPO) launched Stream Stewardship Programs in the Big Creek and Yellow Creek watersheds to reduce nonpoint source pollution as part of the Cuyahoga Remedial Action Plan. The long-term goal was to build self-sustaining, community-based stewardship programs that could be replicated throughout the Cuyahoga River watershed. TerrAqua evaluated the effectiveness of both programs by assessing their success in increasing public awa

Goal: To assess the needs for a new Appalachian forest protection project, and opportunities for joint grantmaking throughout the region. TerrAqua reviewed the environmental and demographic characteristics of the northern Appalachian region, and governmental, NGO and other private sector activities. Drawing from existing studies, we characterized the ecological base, ecological health, sources and causes of environmental degradation, resource use, historical and present depen

For decades, Cleveland’s Upper East Side neighborhoods suffered from chronic underinvestment despite being home to nearly 100,000 residents. Compared with the rest of the region, these communities faced significantly higher poverty and unemployment rates and substantially lower per capita incomes, limiting opportunities for economic growth and neighborhood revitalization. To address these challenges, the Urban Ecological Entrepreneur Program was developed through a partnershi

More than 22,000 desalination plants operate in 177 countries, collectively providing about 1% of the world’s drinking water. Although desalination technologies have been available for decades, the traditionally high costs associated with converting sea water to drinking water have prevented their more widespread adoption. Cost-saving innovations in seawater desalination technology are expected to increase its adoption worldwide. After retiring as a theoretical physicist at L

Goal: To evaluate the importance of jellyfish as predators of zooplankton in Prince William Sound. Prince William Sound, Alaska was the site of an extensive oil spill in March 1989. Many of the vertebrate populations (fishes, birds, mammals) that were seriously damaged by the oil spill have still not recovered. We examined whether the lack of recovery of zooplanktivorous fishes, such as herring, was due to competition for food with jellyfish, which have large populations in t

Goal:To explore how marine pollution and environmental degradation affects fisheries and ecosystems, and its significance to environmental managers. In the 1990s, fisheries science largely treated fish populations, habitat, and pollution as separate disciplines. Stock assessments focused primarily on fishing mortality and reproduction, while ecotoxicology and habitat research proceeded on parallel tracks with few connections to resource management. Recognizing the need for a

Several decades ago, following the dramatic loss of about one-fifth of Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing jobs, Cleveland turned to the academic community for help in analyzing the region’s economic problems. Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Regional Economic Issues (REI) was created to help economic recovery. REI seeks to improve the economic welfare of the nation’s regions through a unique program of policy research, education, and decision support. REI’s studies ha

Goal: To influence the implementation of Pennsylvania’s 1996 law for restructuring the state’s electric utility industry to protect consumers and the environment. The Heinz Endowments invested in a partnership aimed at giving environmental advocates an effective voice in the debate about electric utility restructuring in Pennsylvania. In 1996, the state legislature passed the Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act which fundamentally altered an industry th

Goal: To evaluate the current state of green buildings in the US, and to plan a shared green office building for nonprofit organizations in Cleveland. Green or “smart” buildings are designed, renovated or constructed, and operated with environmental and energy efficiency, and to be healthy for their occupants. We documented and evaluated a number of representative green buildings around the country (especially those that house nonprofits), to determine their locations, their

Indoor recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer a sustainable alternative to traditional fish farming in ponds, raceways, and floating net pens. Because these closed systems continuously filter and reuse water, they minimize pollution, avoid conflicts with coastal users, and can operate virtually anywhere using artificial seawater—including warehouses and other facilities in economically disadvantaged urban areas. Their proximity to consumers also allows fish to be harve

Goal: To broaden the adoption of IPM practices nationwide, thereby reducing pesticide risks and promoting a healthy environment. Integrated pest management (IPM) benefits the environment by preserving natural enemies of pests, delaying pesticide resistance and reducing ecological and human health risks by reducing pesticide use. Despite such benefits, IPM adoption in the US has been far below potential. One reason is the failure of the marketplace to demand IPM-produced goods

In many coastal communities, commercial fishermen, no longer able to obtain a livable income from shellfish harvesting, have had to find other sources of income. These traditional fishermen and their trade are key components in the ambience of coastal communities. Without them, seaside towns lose much of their identity. Wild shellfish stocks have declined in many areas, and coastal lands have become expensive. Small-scale shellfish aquaculture may provide marine-based livelih

Goal: To help local watermen communities develop sustainable, small-scale oyster farming and, in a small way, restore oysters to Chesapeake Bay. The approximately 1,200 residents of Smith Island, Maryland, and Tangier Island, Virginia, are descendants of British settlers who established these isolated Chesapeake Bay communities in the mid-1600s. For generations, their economy and culture have depended on harvesting blue crabs and oysters. As wild oyster populations declined,

Several years ago, Calvert County Watermen’s Association members began receiving technical support from Morgan State University’s Estuarine Research Center and other entities to farm oysters in the Patuxent River, a Chesapeake tributary. These Maryland watermen and others are interested in growing oysters in Chesapeake Bay to help restore the formerly abundant resource, currently at one percent of its historic level. In December 2010, CCWA members harvested their first farmed

Goal: To evaluate the potential for integrated desert aquaculture and agriculture on several southwestern U.S. sites. In integrated aquaculture and agriculture, aquaculture effluent is recycled to irrigate greenhouse or field crops. Irrigating crops with aquaculture effluent conserves water, fertilizer and other resources, and lowers production costs. Israeli researchers and growers have developed commercial integrated intensive aquaculture and agriculture in the Negev Desert

In an effort to improve agricultural ties—R & D, technology and agricultural biotech transfer, scientific and marketing exchange—between Ohio and Israel, TerrAqua and the Negev Foundation developed a preliminary overview to help Israeli and Ohio entities and growers better understand the abilities and needs of each, and opportunities for increasing future cooperation. With that in hand, the Foundation has begun working with government and academic entities and individuals in