SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE $167,019 FOR NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE RESEARCH

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced $167,019 in federal funding to the University of Southern Maine to research the impact of environmental contaminants on the North Atlantic Right Whales off of Maine's coasts. The federal grant is awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"Marine mammals are a vital resource to Maine's coastal tradition that need to be preserved for future generations," Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement.

The University of Southern Maine will study the genetic effects of the ocean's environmental contaminants on the reproductive systems of the North Atlantic Right Whale. This research will assist scientists, policymakers and the public in understanding the process to protect marine ocean life.

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