SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE NEARLY $6 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR OCEAN RESEARCH

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded $5,928,687 to institutions in Maine for ocean-related research.. "Maine's coast provides vital recreational, aesthetic, and economic opportunities to residents of the state," said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "NOAA's recent funding awards will allow us to conserve and research some of the state's most essential resources."

Spinny Creek Shellfish, Inc. will receive $550,000 in funding for a fisheries finance program.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources will receive $141,878 for a multi-species resource monitoring and assessment project targeting American lobster, Atlantic herring, Northern shrimp, sea urchins, halibut, green crab, sea scallop, ocean quahog, monkfish, menhaden, and groundfish. The biological, catch/effort and socio-economic information derived from these investigations will continue to provide a sound basis for assessment and management for these Gulf of Maine resources.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources will receive $224,749 for compliance with the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.

The Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System will receive $1,825,762 for their Coastal Services Center. This center deploys and maintains the infrastructure needed to support a broad array of user needs for data and information about the Gulf of Maine.

Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve will receive $632,134 for coastal zone management

The Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission will receive $1,182,788 to monitor adult Atlantic salmon returns and redd counts in Maine rivers.

The Association of US Delegates to the Gulf of Maine Council will receive $739,242 to continue research, outreach, and education activities that focus on protecting and restoring coastal and marine habitats.