October 7, 2019 — The University of Maine has been awarded $1.6 million to help research Atlantic Marine Species.
The grant is made possible from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.
The funds will support a research project on tuna and shark species in the Gulf of Mexico and the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Data researches hope to collect includes growth, age, and migratory behavior.
Maine’s Congressional Delegation made the following statements:
“Maine’s coastal communities depend on Highly Migratory Species fisheries as an economic engine, sustaining and creating jobs as well as driving coastal tourism and recreation year after year,” said Senator Collins. “In order to better understand and maintain the health of HMS fisheries, more research is needed. This funding will assist researchers at UMaine as they work with partner institutions to fill the knowledge gaps about the history and biology of HMS fisheries.”