Senator Coons joined Senator Tom Carper and Representative John Carney today to announce $679,000 in federal funding for coastal and marine research in Delaware. Part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Delaware Sea Grant program, this funding will help researchers at the University of Delaware’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes and at its main campus in Newark investigate ways to benefit the public through the effective use, conservation, and management of coastal and marine resources. A major goal remains education and outreach activities that benefit the public.
“Delaware’s beaches are some of the state’s most important assets, both economically and ecologically,” the three members of Delaware’s Congressional delegation said in a joint statement. “This funding will provide educators with the necessary resources to conduct research that improves the health and wellbeing of our state’s marine areas. Each year millions of tourists visit our beaches, generating much-needed revenue for Delaware and creating jobs for thousands in the area. Because of this, it’s imperative that we continue to preserve the beauty and richness of our coastline.”
The University of Delaware became our nation’s ninth Sea Grant College in 1976. Sea Grant Colleges, now in every state, are modeled after the “land grant” colleges of the nineteenth century that focused on agricultural studies, and they conduct research on marine and coastal habitats, seafood safety, beach erosion, and similar subjects. Delaware’s beach communities are an integral part of our state’s economy, and the studies conducted under the Delaware Sea Grant program continue to help us achieve a sustainable environmental balance that benefits those living along our coast.
Click here for more information about the Delaware Sea Grant program.