NOAA Awards $500,000 To Louisiana Sea Grant College Program

NOAA AWARDS $500,000 TO LOUISIANA SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $506,229 to Louisiana State University to support programs and research conducted by the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, a cooperative effort of Louisiana universities and laboratories. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The omnibus award through NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program supports core functions of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program in the areas of research, education, extension and communication relating to marine sciences in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Funding from this grant will support 22 projects focused on sustainable aquaculture technology, coastal fisheries, seafood technology, coastal community development, environmental studies and coastal engineering.

“Louisiana relies heavily on its marine resources as a major part of its economy. This NOAA grant provides funding to ensure that decision makers will have the necessary science to best manage marine issues in Louisiana through research and education activities,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA and the Bush Administration are committed to working with the academic community to improve our understanding of the environment.”

Established in 1968 at Louisiana State University, Louisiana Sea Grant belongs to a 30-member network of university-based programs with similar missions and is maintained by NOAA. By serving as a gateway to relevant and reliable scientific information, Sea Grant helps assure that individuals can make informed choices about their use and stewardship of marine resources.

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth’s natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property, and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 years.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA, please visit http://www.noaa.gov.