James Ammerman serves as New York Sea Grant's Director. Dr. Ammerman, an aquatic microbial ecologist and biogeochemist, received his Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He has been a member of the faculty at Texas A&M University and the research staff at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. 

Dr. Ammerman served as an Associate Program Manager in the Biological Oceanography Program at the National Science Foundation and as Science Director of NOAA’s Undersea Research Center at Rutgers University. He left his research faculty post at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers to take on the mantle of New York Sea Grant Director in mid-October 2008. Dr. Ammerman is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the Lindeman Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.

Says Dr. Ammerman, “New York Sea Grant’s motto has long been ‘Bringing Science to the Shore.’  Now, more than ever, it is important to ensure that the best available scientific information is brought to bear on the coastal decision-making that impacts both the economy and the environment of New York State. Through its education and outreach efforts and its support of coastal research, NYSG will continue to enhance its leadership role, benefitting all New Yorkers. By deepening its partnerships with stakeholders and the public, NYSG will meet the 21st century challenges facing New York’s coastal economies and environments.”