Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) has announced that the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) has been awarded $233,600 to further develop research and educational programs to ensure that New Jersey coastal communities are resilient to the impacts of climate change, as well as future storms.
Sea Grant is a nationwide network administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of 33 programs based at top research universities that help build resilient coastal communities.
“ This latest grant for research and education at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is good news for our coastal communities, especially after the devastating impact Superstorm Sandy had on our region ,” said Pallone. “ NJSGC conducts great ocean science research, and its work will continue to help us better understand our marine environment so that we can mitigate adverse effects of disasters like Sandy on our economy and ecosystem .”
NJSGC is headquartered in the Sixth Congressional District on Sandy Hook, a unit of Gateway National Recreation Area that falls under the National Park Service’s (NPS) jurisdiction. NJSGC conducts research and hosts educational programs to further understanding of the state’s marine and coastal environment.
This latest grant comes in addition to a $567,776 grant awarded to NJSGC in October 2014 and will help fund a two year project to develop research and education initiatives to protect the coastline from future storms and the impacts of climate change.
This includes natural dune building to protect inland areas, developing models to better understand the consequences of storms and sea level rise on coastal communities and businesses, and providing educational resources to help New Jersey’s residents and visitors better understand and appreciate the state’s marine environment.
Funding for this larger project is being awarded incrementally as federal funds are made available.
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