A project that is rebuilding 50 acres of oyster reefs in the Pamlico Sound and around coastal North Carolina has been hailed this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through whose offices funding for the work has been granted.
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – known colloquially as the Stimulus – the NOAA has provided USD 167 million for marine and coastal habitat restoration. The North Carolina Estuary Habitat Restoration is one of 50 habitat restoration projects selected by NOAA for this funding.
John Gray, director of NOAA’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, said: “The Recovery Act is making a difference here in North Carolina. Over the long term, recovering oysters will help improve water quality and will boost important recreational and commercial fisheries that bring economic vitality to coastal communities.”