October 23, 2026 — A University of Rhode Island professor with a global portfolio of work and a marine research associate in URI’s Coastal Institute are joining a multi-million dollar project funded by the U.S. Department of State, utilizing their expertise in international fisheries.

Professor Austin Humphries, Chair of URI’s Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, and Lauren Josephs M’17 in the University’s Graduate School of Oceanography are part of a team recently awarded a State Department grant in a project being led by Mississippi State University. The award is up to five years with up to $8 million in the first year.

A fisheries scientist, Humphries studies how ocean health and human well-being are linked. He’s led interdisciplinary research across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. His research programs have attracted more than $150 million in collaborative funding. He and Josephs are teaming up to implement research that engages policy-makers to curb illegal fishing.

Humphries will lead the marine fisheries component of the project, as part of MSU’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish to advance research and innovation that strengthens global aquatic food systems while creating benefits for U.S. agriculture, industry, and food security. The project will be managed by MSU’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security and builds on the previous Fish Innovation Lab, which supported multidisciplinary research in 10 countries.

The new Fish Innovation Lab will focus on solutions that can move from development to practice, including opportunities to open international markets for U.S. products and technologies, and strengthen the protection of U.S. aquaculture from emerging disease and biosecurity threats.

Read the full article at The University of Rhode Island