To support efforts to protect fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that NOAA has issued awards totaling of $16.7 million from its RESTORE Act Science Program. This year, the awardees' proposed projects support research into bluefin tuna, blue crabs, Mississippi oyster farmers, and other parts of the Gulf ecosystem.

The RESTORE Act authorized NOAA to establish and administer the RESTORE Act Science Program which funds programs assisting research monitoring Gulf's recovery and protecting the long-term sustainability of local fisheries to ensure that American jobs are secure far into the future. Awards will go to researchers and resource managers from 37 institutions including universities, federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organizations. A list of the 15 awarded projects and their organizations can be found here. The competition focused on living coastal and marine resources and their habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the 15 projects, 13 are being led by institutions located in the Gulf of Mexico region. In total, 78 researchers and resource managers will be involved, with 58 of them located in the region. The awards range from $231,671 to $2,312,275. These projects were selected following a rigorous and highly competitive process, which included a review by a panel of outside experts.

For more information contact Julien.Lartigue@noaa.gov