Spring is in the air. As the days get longer and plants emerge from thawed soil, big landscaping decisions loom ahead. What plants should you add or remove from your yard this year? Are there any big landscaping projects that you’re feeling brave enough to tackle? But for every landscaping decision you make, there is one thing you should consider: clean water.

In this episode of Time and Tide, we’re following the journey of a water droplet to learn how landscaping decisions that you make on your property can affect the health of local water bodies. In this story, that water can either sink slowly into the ground as nature intended or attain a need for speed as it flows across hard, man-made surfaces, picking up contaminants along the way.

Today, we're helping you make Spring landscaping decisions with clean water in mind. We’ll focus on a recent training hosted for landscaping professionals, called Landscaping for Water Quality, and the lessons learned about designing landscapes that are attractive, ecologically functional, and healthy for local water bodies.

In Act 1, we speak with Amy Papineau from UNH Cooperative Extension who explains why blueberry plants are a delicious and sustainable addition to your backyard. We’ll dig into the science behind soil in the Granite State, which is more complex than you’d think, and leave you with the base of plant knowledge to impress any horticulturist.

In Act 2, Julia Peterson from NH Sea Grant digs into why it can be so tough to find science-backed answers in a world of information overload. Cut through the nonsense with us and find the reliable answers you’re looking for, through a little thing called ‘extension’.

Finally, we hear from local landscapers who participated in this year’s Landscaping for Water Quality training. Is there a market for more sustainable landscaping practices, and is it possible to have a beautiful yard that also helps wildlife?

Full episode transcript is available below.

Guest Speakers:

Amy Papineau, Extension Field Specialist in Landscape and Greenhouse Horticulture, UNH Cooperative Extension Food & Agriculture Program

Julia Peterson, Extension Program Leader, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Daisy Chinburg, Designer, Site Structures Landscape

Patrick Shannon, Miracle Farms Landscaping

Timothy Sicard, Town of Hampton Falls, NH

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Executive Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

New Hampshire Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater Management: https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt341/files/documents/2020-01/homeowner-guide-stormwater.pdf

Directory of Landscape Professionals Trained in Ecological Landscaping for Water Quality Protection: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/directory-landscape-professionals-trained-ecological-landscaping-water-quality-protection

Landscaping for Water Quality 2026: https://extension.unh.edu/event/2026/03/landscaping-water-quality

Green Grass and Clear Water: https://seagrant.unh.edu/our-work/water-quality/water-quality-lawn-care-outreach-materials

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

A century ago, vast reefs of Eastern Oysters, Crassostrea virginica, stretched across Great Bay cleaning the water, sheltering fish, and forming one of New Hampshire’s most important coastal habitats. Today, a fraction of those wild oyster beds remains. But across the bay, a quiet movement is underway to bring them back one shell and a few baby oysters at a time.

In this episode of Time and Tide, we’re focusing on a small animal with an outsized impact, the Eastern Oyster. We’ll start with the basics: what oysters are, how they live, and why they matter so much to estuaries like Great Bay. From there, we look back in time at the natural history of oysters in granite state waters, to understand why they’ve experienced a 90% decline.

But don't worry, this is ultimately a story about restoration. Brianna Group and Kelsey Meyer from The Nature Conservancy describe how in classic New Hampshire fashion, people from all walks of life are working together to see oysters thrive. Researchers, farmers, volunteers, restaurants, nonprofits, and consumers are all part of the restoration equation.

Some of these oyster restoration projects are big, requiring a football field worth of oyster shells. Dave Beattie and Dale Pike from the Coastal Conservation Association of New Hampshire explain how restaurants can turn their waste into the foundation for tomorrow’s reefs.

In the final act of this story, we hear why restoring wild oysters matters to two sisters working in the oyster business. Laura Brown and Krystin Ward are part of this restoration network and enjoy being able to provide their large, ‘ugly’ oysters for a greater purpose.

Full episode transcript is available below.

Guest Speakers:

Kelsey Meyer-Rust, Ph.D., Coastal Conservation Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy New Hampshire

Brianna Group, Great Bay Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy New Hampshire

Capt. David Beattie, Oyster Recycling Coordinator, Coastal Conservation Association

Dale Pike, Secretary, Coastal Conservation Association and Ocean Conservationist Volunteer with the Nature Conservancy

Laura Brown, Owner and Operator, Fox Point Oysters

Krystin Ward, Laboratory Research Supervisor at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and Owner of Choice Oysters

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Executive Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

Restoring Oyster Reefs in New Hampshire’s Great Bay – The Nature Conservancy

Oyster Recycling Project - Coastal Conservation Association

New Hampshire Sea Grant – Oyster Aquaculture

Fox Point Oysters - Laura Brown

Choice Oysters - Krystin Ward

University of New Hampshire Oyster Research

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

Here in New England, Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) is woven into the fabric of our coastal history. For centuries, this species has fueled economies, fed communities, and even left its mark on the map — a testament to the powerful connection between cod and the region it helped define.

But just as cod shaped New England, human activity has shaped cod.

Today, this historically significant fishery is tightly regulated in an effort to rebuild depleted stocks. And yet, effective management depends on understanding something researchers are still uncovering: not all cod are the same.

In this episode of Time and Tide, we explore how scientists, fishers, and managers are rethinking what we know about Atlantic Cod in the Gulf of Maine. Managing fisheries has often been compared to managing a forest, except the trees are invisible and constantly on the move. When it comes to cod, that challenge is even more complex.

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) are leading a Sea Grant–funded study examining two distinct stocks of Atlantic Cod in the western Gulf of Maine. Principal Investigator Adrienne Kovach and Co-Investigator Linas Kenter share how winter-spawning and spring-spawning cod differ biologically, and why those differences matter as ocean temperatures change.

In Act Two, we hear from longtime fisherman David Goethel, who brings decades of experience on the water to the conversation. He reflects on how groundfishing in the Gulf of Maine has changed over time and why collaboration between scientists and fishermen is critical to sustaining both the resource and the communities that depend on it.

Finally, Renee Zobel, Marine Program Supervisor with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, connects the dots. What do these scientific discoveries mean for the future of fisheries management in New England, and how can management respond to a changing ocean?

Whether you cast a line offshore or order a fish sandwich at your favorite local spot, this episode dives into more than cod biology. It’s a story about the enduring ties between coastal communities and the sea.

Guest Speakers:

Linas Kenter, Ph.D., Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Scientist, New Hampshire Sea Grant and University of New Hampshire

Adrienne Kovach, Ph.D., Professor Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire

David Goethel, Commercial Fisherman, Research Biologist and Fisheries Manager

Renee Zobel, Marine Program Supervisor, New Hampshire Fish and Game

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Executive Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

Understanding differential climatic and exploitative impacts on two Atlantic cod stocks in the western Gulf of Maine

Endangered Species: Chronicles of the Life of a New England Fisherman and the F/V Ellen Diane

Atlantic Cod – NOAA Species Directory

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

Surfing has become an increasingly popular way to recreate here along the seacoast, and across the US as a whole. During the summer, it’s hard to drive anywhere without seeing a longboard strapped to the roof of a fellow commuter’s car.

But why has surfing become so popular in recent years? From 2019 to 2020, the surfing population in the US grew an astounding 28 percent, and over the past five years the sport has experienced 8% average annual growth.

On this month’s two-part episode of Time and Tide, we’re paddling into the lineup with local legends of surfing to look back at the sport’s past along NH’s coastline, attempt to understand who today’s cold-water surfers are, and unpack what coastal issues New Hampshire surfers care about most?

In part two, we explore how the sport of surfing can create community, a sense of responsibility to protect the natural world, and monetary value for coastal towns. What is the value of clean water? And just because you surf, does that mean you’re more likely to support healthy coastal ecosystems?

Becs O’Brien and Christina Dubin are two surfer friends who have formed a community of female surfers along the seacoast and are actively involved with marine conservation organizations, including Surfrider New Hampshire and Beyond Plastics. In an age where our screen-time is quickly outpacing our face-time with one another, we discuss how the antidote might just be something as simple as floating on boards with friends in the ocean. Becs and Christina also share their thoughts on how to meaningfully engage the surfing community with the issues facing our coast.

Last but not least, Scott Lemos, a Research Economist and Senior Lecturer at University of New Hampshire, gives us a lesson on surf-onomics. How much money is clean water worth, and how can a sport like surfing impact a local economy? Scott also coins the term ‘positive localism’ as we speak about how surfing can become less extractive from the natural world and leave people with a lasting connection to the natural world instead.

Full episode transcript is available below.

Guest Speakers:

Becs O’Brien, Volunteer, Surfrider New Hampshire

Christina Dubin, Major Gifts Manager, Beyond Plastics

Scott Lemos, Research Economist and Senior Lecturer, University of New Hampshire

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading

Surfrider New Hampshire

Beyond Plastics

Scott Lemos’ Research

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

Surfing has become an increasingly popular way to recreate here along the seacoast, and across the US as a whole. During the summer, it’s hard to drive anywhere without seeing a longboard strapped to the roof of a fellow commuter’s car.

But why has surfing become so popular in recent years? From 2019 to 2020, the surfing population in the US grew an astounding 28 percent, and over the past five years the sport has experienced 8% average annual growth.

On this month’s two-part episode of Time and Tide, we’re paddling into the lineup with local legends of surfing to look back at the sport’s past along NH’s coastline, attempt to understand who today’s cold-water surfers are, and unpack what coastal issues New Hampshire surfers care about most?

In part one, we paint a picture of what surfing’s past and present looks like along the seacoast. We kick things off with Ralph Fatello, a local photographer and surfer who runs a weekly surfing blog called Ralph’s Pic of the Week and has been doing so for the past 21 years. Ralph has been surfing and photographing New Hampshire waves since the 60’s, and has seen the sport, and how surfers are using our coast, change through time.

Next, Brayden Rudert shares his perspective from the water angle. Brayden is a professional photographer who helps shed light on what surfing culture looks like today, and how surfing can connect coastal communities with the ocean. We dig into the question of whether a connection to the ocean through surfing is enough to inspire surfers to protect these coastal places.

Full episode transcript is available below.

Guest Speakers:

Ralph Fatello, Surfer and Photographer, Ralph’s Pic of the Week

Brayden Rudert, Surfer and Photographer, Vision Lagoon

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

Ralph’s Pic of the Week (Blog)

Follow Ralph on Instagram

Follow Brayden on Instagram

Brayden’s Photography – Vision Lagoon

Surfrider New Hampshire

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

From major storms to daily tides, the sandy shores of New Hampshire are constantly moving — gaining sand in some places and losing it in others. But how do scientists and volunteers actually track those changes over time?

In this episode of Time and Tide, we dig into the world of beach profiling — a simple yet powerful method that measures the contour of the shoreline month after month to reveal patterns of erosion and accretion along our coast. By taking regular measurements of beach elevation and slope, the NH Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program contributes to long-term coastal monitoring efforts that inform local decision-making, coastal resilience planning, and scientific research.

Learn how citizen scientists — also referred to as participatory scientists — use two measuring poles to collect this important data, while researchers interpret the meaning of this for your favorite New Hampshire beaches.

What better way to explain beach profiling, than to take you for a walk along the beach in Seabrook, NH, where a small group of researchers and volunteer citizen scientists meet on a windy winter day to measure the beach.

Guest Speakers:

Alyson Eberhardt, Ph.D., Coastal Ecosystems Extension Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Larry Ward, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Wells Costello, Citizen Science Program Manager, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Rachel Morrison, Research Assistant, UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

Beach Resilience Data

Citizen Science in Shifting Sands (StoryMap)

Storm Report Series

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

For those who can’t imagine a day without the smell of salt air, the rumble of waves, or the chatter of gulls overhead, a coastal career feels like a natural calling. But knowing you belong near the ocean isn’t the same as knowing where you fit within it—and the world of marine careers is far more diverse than many people realize.

In this episode of Time and Tide, we dive into the many paths available in marine science, policy, and education. Whether you’re a student just starting to explore your options or a professional looking to pivot into coastal work, we offer practical guidance for navigating the opportunities along New Hampshire’s small—but mighty—stretch of coastline. We also highlight the training programs and graduate pathways within the Granite State that can launch careers nationwide.

Act 1: We speak with Lindsey Williams, New Hampshire Sea Grant's very own workforce development expert, who helps us give career advice to four imaginary students facing very real decisions. From hands-on science roles to community-focused education jobs, Lindsey helps untangle what matters most when choosing a coastal career path.

Act 2: Next, we head to Washington, D.C., for a conversation with Ana Silverio and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Martin, two current Knauss Marine Policy Fellows. Ana and Lizzy share what it’s like to transition from fieldwork to grant-making and policy roles, offer insight into working across political divides, and reflect on the value of sitting down for a “coffee chat” with colleagues.

Full episode transcript is available below.

Guest Speakers:

Lindsey Williams, Ph.D., Associate Director & Assistant Director for Workforce Development, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Ana Silverio, Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Lizzy Martin, Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

Doyle Undergraduate Fellowship

Graduate Student Fellowships

University of New Hampshire Professional Development and Training

University of New Hampshire Career and Internship Fair

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement

Show notes:

Beneath the thin blue line of the ocean’s surface lies an underwater meadow of grass. In Great Bay and coastal New Hampshire, these flowing fields of green are nurseries for young fish, an anchor for sediments, and a sign that our ecosystems are healthy. However, these life-supporting aquatic pastures face new threats. Here, in the constantly moving waters where rivers meet the sea, scientists, students, and communities are working together to bring back one of New Hampshire’s most vital—but also fragile—coastal habitats: eelgrass.

These underwater meadows once stretched far and wide across the bay, but recently, storms, changing water temperatures, and pollution are having an impact on our local eelgrass species, Zostera marina.

A new restoration project—backed by local towns, oyster farmers, and researchers at the University of New Hampshire—is testing innovative ways to help these plants return and thrive. From transplanting shoots to exploring seed-based restoration, the work happening here could shape the future of eelgrass recovery across the country.

Act 1: What’s slender like an eel, and requires clear, cold water to thrive? Explore eelgrass 101 with Trevor Mattera, Habitat Program Manager with the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), as he takes us through the past, present, and future of Zostera marina in New Hampshire waters.

Act 2: Strap on your snorkel and float through an eelgrass meadow with Matthew Allen, New Hampshire Sea Grant’s Undergraduate Doyle Fellow, who spent this past summer spending as much time as humanly possible in a wetsuit, assisting Trevor and the team at PREP with their Great Bay Estuary Oyster & Eelgrass Restoration project. Experience a day in the life working to restore eelgrass and hear a harrowing story about mating horseshoe crabs.

Act 3: You can’t have thriving eelgrass without clean water. Gretchen Young, the Deputy Director of Technical Services at the City of Rochester, New Hampshire, explains how this restoration project came to be funded, and why municipalities are joining forces to address nitrogen pollution in Great Bay.

Guest Speakers:

Trevor Mattera, Ph.D., Coastal Ecosystems Extension Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Matthew Allen, Undergraduate Doyle Fellow, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Gretchen Young, Deputy Director of Technical Services, City of Rochester, New Hampshire

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

Doyle Undergraduate Fellowship

Municipal Alliance for Adaptive Management

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu

The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) is a collaboration-driven, local organization and National Estuary Program. Through community collaboration with NH and Southern ME Towns, researchers, and local organizations, they work to monitor, restore, and protect the health of the lakes, rivers, streams, and the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook estuaries in the Piscataqua Region Watershed.

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. UNH, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and New Hampshire counties cooperating. Direct inquiries to unh.civilrights@unh.edu.