FISM 3rd Annual Fishers Island Eelgrass Boat Tour
July 18, 2025 @ 8:30 am - 10:30 am
Join the Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition for its 3rd Annual Eelgrass Boat Tour with guest speaker Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut.
WHEN: Friday, July 18, 2025, @ 8:30 -10:30 am
LOCATION: Fishers Island Ferry District (CT attendees can come over on the charter from New London!)
TICKETS: $50/per person – plus processing fees
We will board at the Fishers Island Ferry Dock and cruise to some of our island’s best eelgrass locations. Dr. Vaudrey will discuss eelgrass around Fishers Island, its importance in the Long Island Sound ecosystem, and what threatens its survival. Learn to identify and distinguish these amazing plants from salt marsh grasses, widgeon grass, and seaweeds. Discover the newest methods scientists are using to restore and protect Long Island Sound eelgrass! Attendees will take home a special FISM gift to commemorate this can’t-miss experience.
Seating is limited to 28 people, so reserve your spot today!
About Our Speaker:
Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D.
Dr. Vaudrey’s research interests are in ecosystem dynamics in the coastal zone, specifically in the effect of land use on the coastal environment and how anthropogenic changes to the landscape may change our coastal ecosystems. She is specifically interested in the relationship between human activities and the expression of eutrophication in large systems (Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound) and small embayments of these larger systems. She also has an interest in seagrass systems as indicators of a desirable state of water quality and inputs to coastal systems. She has been involved with a variety of seagrass projects throughout New England, including assessing the genetic diversity of eelgrass, evaluating restoration projects, and developing a model to assist with the siting of restoration projects.
Vaudrey received a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Philosophy from Wellesley College, MA, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut. She is currently a research faculty member in the Department of Marine Sciences at UConn and has recently been the UConn lead for the establishment of a National Estuarine Research Reserve in Connecticut, which opened its doors in July 2022.
