Moira Harrington, Communications Director, Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
From UW Showcase September 2013
In this millennium, freshwater has been termed the new oil, offering the global community a vital natural resource that, literally, sustains life and drives commerce, manufacturing, recreational opportunities and cultural wealth. With the world's largest freshwater system at its borders—the Great Lakes—Wisconsin, is located alongside a commodity as priceless as any Middle-Eastern oil field. The University of Wisconsin-Madison-based Sea Grant Institute promotes the sustainable use of this valuable asset.
In this talk, explore the basics of Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Great Lakes themselves and get some details on leaping Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species, the prehistoric lake sturgeon and a few of the 51 Wisconsin shipwrecks that have been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.
Moira Harrington joined the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute in 2010 as the communications manager. She holds a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her major areas of professional expertise encompass publications editing, writing and strategic planning. She has won national communications awards. Prior to joining Sea Grant, Harrington worked as a reporter for newspapers, a capitol-based news service and for trade magazines; as the press secretary and then state director for United States Senator Russ Feingold; and the promotion manager for Wisconsin Public Television.
