Louisiana Discovery Integration and Application (LA DIA) program launched with Louisiana Sea Grant
Bill Dennison, Bill Nuttle, and Tracey Saxby from IAN have teamed up with Robert Twilley and his staff at
Maryland Sea Grant to create a program with postdoctorates and graduate students working with Louisiana Sea Grant Marine Extension Program agents and the Coastal Sustainability Studio at Louisiana State University. This project was initiated in July in Baton Rouge, LA. Four teams will be tackling issues like sea level rise in Point-aux-Chenes, visualizing Mississippi River sediment diversions, connecting community planning processes, and developing a vision for Grand Isle. A series of webinars and a science communication training session are scheduled for this summer and the teams will develop a portfolio early next year.
Members of the IAN team traveled to Baton Rouge in July (Bill Dennison and Bill Nuttle) and August (Bill Dennison and Tracey Saxby) to work with Louisiana Sea Grant to launch an innovative program called Louisiana Sea Grant Discovery, Integration and Application (LA DIA). Teams of Louisiana State University researchers and Sea Grant Marine Extension Program agents have been formed to work with different coastal communities on various issues associated with coastal restoration efforts. The IAN team had a series of science communication training sessions with the LA DIA scholars. In addition, we organized some additional training for staff from The Water Institute of the Gulf, also based in Baton Rouge.