WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all-Md.) today announced the award of $100,000 for the Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) program to address the impacts of COVID-19 on local aquaculture industries and assist educators through the creation of new, interactive educational content.

“Maryland Sea Grant has played a key role in preserving our local ecosystems and bolstering our regional economy with effective research, education and community outreach initiatives,” said the lawmakers. “This grant will provide MDSG with additional resources to continue providing relief to the Maryland communities and local aquaculture employers hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. Team Maryland will continue to support efforts to help our state’s leading industries recover from the ongoing pandemic.”

These funds are awarded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of a $3.4 million national investment to support U.S. aquaculture industries and coastal communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

MDSG is a University System of Maryland program administered by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. It is a part of a network of 33 National Sea Grant programs. MDSG’s mission – consistent with the objectives and standards of the National Sea Grant College Program and the University System of Maryland – is to support research that addresses key environmental management questions, enrich marine education for students of all ages and enhance outreach efforts that clarify, for key audiences, the applications of research to science-based management of the watersheds and coastal ecosystems in Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the nation.

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