Contact: Dane Konop FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/3/97The Department of Commerce today designated Purdue University and the University of Illinois "Sea Grant colleges" and named the joint Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant program the nation's twenty-seventh Sea Grant college program.
Speaking at the Great Lakes Commission meeting in Chicago, Ill., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere D. James Baker said, "The University of Illinois and Purdue University received their designation as Sea Grant colleges because, working together, they have developed an excellent inter- disciplinary program of research, education and outreach that addresses the needs of the Great Lakes region and the goals of the nation.
"President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Sea Grant College Program into law thirty-one years ago. Today, Sea Grant is one of NOAA's most important national research and educational efforts, one that enjoys broad, bipartisan support in Congress. I firmly believe that the Sea Grant Program is a critical link in NOAA's responsibility to document and understand the global ecosystem. This is especially important in Illinois and Indiana because of the need to foster stewardship, conservation and appropriate use of the resources of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes region."
Sea Grant college status is awarded only after a Sea Grant program has been judged to have maintained a high quality and balanced program of research, education and outreach related to ocean, Great Lakes and coastal resources. The joint Illinois-Indiana program was specifically cited for its research excellence in aquaculture and water quality and for its work on the control of zebra mussels and other nonindigenous species.
The core of the National Sea Grant College Program comprises 29 Sea Grant Colleges and institutions, which encompass a wide network of approximately 300 colleges, universities, research institutions and marine organizations. Sea Grant works in partnership with industry, the federal government and state governments to conduct coastal and marine research, education and outreach.
For more information about the National Sea Grant College Program, visit its World Wide Web site at http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/nsgo .
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