NOAA 2002-R923 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David Miller 10/1/02

NOAA News Releases 2002 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs

NOAA ANNOUNCES $2.6 MILLION IN GRANTS TO MISSISSIPPI The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $2.2 million grant to the University of Mississippi for continued development of the National Institute of Undersea Science and Technology. The program will be administered in cooperation with NOAA’s National Undersea Research Program (NURP), in conjunction with the University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute of Marine Sciences. NOAA has also awarded $408,360 to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The mission of the University’s Institute is to bring together academic or other research organizations to promote, conduct, and lead integrated, multidisciplinary undersea research responsive to NOAA and national needs. Activities will include developing an ocean biotechnology center and repository, establishing and enhancing remote seafloor observatories, and developing undersea remotely operated vehicles. “The Bush Administration and NOAA are proud to make this award to the state of Mississippi,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Through these grants, we promote collaboration between academic and NOAA researchers enabling hundreds of outstanding scientists around the world to work cooperatively with our agency in research to improve understanding of the Earth’s oceans.” The grant funding to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is for operations, education, stewardship, and monitoring at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA will award over $800 million in grants during 2002 to members of the academic, scientific, and business communities to assist the agency fulfill its mission which is 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. Our goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for 32 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 and its grants programs, please visit http://www.noaa.gov.