NOAA Fisheries has recommended awarding USD 5.5 million (EUR 5 million) in grant funding to 22 projects under a program designed to help various species in U.S. waters recover.
The recommendations are not final and will need to be reviewed by both the NOAA Grants Management Division and the U.S. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Law Division before funding is distributed.
The projects would be distrubuted through NOAA's Species Recovery Grants Program, which provides financial support to state and tribal projects that help conserve threatened or endangered species.
Most of this year’s funding will be used in support of 16 ongoing projects that were awarded grants in prior years. Still, USD 1.2 million (EUR 1.1 million) was recommended for six new projects, including;
- USD 501,000 (EUR 461,000) to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to reduce threats to endangered false killer whales among the main Hawaiian islands;
- USD 97,000 (EUR 89,000) to the Maine Department of Marine Resources to address management priorities for Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine;
- USD 144,000 (EUR 132,000) to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to develop an integrated species distribution model for leatherback sea turtles in the Northeast Shelf;
- USD 149,000 (EUR 137,000) to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks to evaluate how off-bottom oyster culture influences the habitat use of Gulf sturgeon;
- USD 241,000 (EUR 221,000) to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for the Soundwatch Boater Education Program’s efforts to protect southern resident killer whales; and
- USD 100,000 (EUR 92,000) to the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe for its Mattaponi Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon Assessment.
A full list of Species Recovery Grants Program projects can be found on NOAA Fisheries’ website.
