NOAA Awards $590,000 To The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $590,000 to the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in Maine to support education, outreach, research and monitoring programs. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The grant continues the operation and maintenance of the facility, the Coastal Information Training Program and the Maine Coastal Ecology Center. Wells Reserve encompasses 1600 acres protecting fields, forests, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh and sandy beach on the densely populated southern coast of Maine. Reserve facilities are located at historic Laudholm Farm, which features exhibits, research laboratories, classrooms and an auditorium open to the public.

“The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve provides a rich and diverse habitat that both researchers and the public can use to explore and learn about the environment,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This public-private partnership improves our understanding of the environment and supports NOAA and the Bush Administration’s efforts to strengthen outreach, cooperative conservation and education initiatives.”

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of protected areas established for long-term research, education and stewardship. This partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states protects more than one million acres of estuarine land and water, which provides essential habitat for wildlife; offers educational opportunities for students, teachers and the public; and serves as living laboratories for scientists. For additional information, visit the NOAA NERRS Web site, http://nerrs.noaa.gov.

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.