Senator Collins Announces Increased Funding for National Sea Grant Program, Lobster Research Clears Key Senate Hurdle
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $71 million – a $6 million increase – for the National Sea Grant College Program as part of the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill. Senator Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, voted in favor of the FY 2019 CJS bill, which was advanced by a vote of 30-1 and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
“The National Sea Grant College Program plays a vital role in Maine’s coastal communities, making significant investments that benefit small businesses, fishermen, and researchers,” said Senator Collins. “This increased funding for the program will help build on our work to support the health of coastal communities for generations to come. The specific support for lobster research is especially critical at a time when the industry is adapting to number of environmental and economic challenges.”
Within the increased funding for Sea Grant, Senator Collins was able to secure $2 million to support partnerships between states agencies, academia, and industry to address American lobster research priorities in the Gulf of Maine. This research will focus on stock resilience in the face of environmental changes, including life history parameters, distribution and abundance, and species interactions with the purpose of informing future management decisions.
"American lobster has been the most valuable species landed in the U.S. for the last two years. The support of Senator Collins and the Appropriations Committee recognizes not just the regional, but also the national implications of understanding the potential impact of changing environmental conditions on this critically important fishery," said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Pat Kelliher.
“These funds will help fill critical gaps in our understanding of how lobsters are responding to changing environmental conditions in the Northeast, and will help to ensure that Maine's marine economy will continue to thrive. We look forward to working with lobster scientists, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Maine lobster industry, and our Sea Grant and resource agency partners throughout the region to make sure that the funds will help answer the most urgent research questions and inform future management," said Beth Bisson, Interim Director of the Maine Sea Grant Program at the University of Maine.
The National Sea Grant College Program is funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support research, education, and outreach efforts done on behalf of coastal communities. The University of Maine is one of 33 institutions of higher education designated as NOAA Sea Grant Colleges.
In Maine, the National Sea Grant College Program supports a team of professionals based in coastal communities from Wells to Eastport who conduct critical marine and coastal research. From examining the impact of environmental changes on soft-shell clams and other commercially-important species, to coordinating monitoring programs for harmful algae blooms, lobsters, beach water quality, shoreline erosion, and climate change, Sea Grant programs have advanced science that is vital for better understanding and managing our coastal resources for more than 40 years.
In April, Senator Collins co-led a letter with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) that was signed by a bipartisan group of 26 Senators, including Angus King (I-ME) to the Senate CJS subcommittee leadership in support of the program.
