The National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) is a federal-university partnership administered by NOAA that integrates research, extension outreach, and education. Sea Grant forms a national network of 34 programs in all U.S. coastal and Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Lake Champlain Sea Grant faculty, staff, extension specialists, and supported researchers collaborate with a wide range of partner organizations, reaching thousands of individuals each year to address freshwater and coastal issues, strengthen community resilience, promote environmental literacy, and support workforce development. Because the Lake Champlain Basin spans more than 8,234 square miles across two states and the U.S.-Canada border, partnerships extend beyond state lines. LCSG is a cooperative effort of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont (UVM) and the Lake Champlain Research Institute at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. LCSG operates through partnerships with UVM Extension, state and local government agencies, and numerous other local organizations.
Lake Champlain Sea Grant was established in 1999 as a project of New York Sea Grant and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2002, an independent Lake Champlain Sea Grant program was created with strong support from Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, who advocated for an amendment that would include Lake Champlain in the National Sea Grant Program. In 2018, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Sea Grant College Program granted Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute status. The Institute designation gives the program increased national recognition and an enhanced ability to support research throughout the region.
The Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute collaborates with other university-run, federally-funded research programs including the Vermont Water Resources and Lake Studies Center and the regional Northeastern States Research Cooperative.
For media inquiries and other questions, please write seagrant@uvm.edu or call +1-802-656-4277.