NOAA Awards Grant Money To SMAST for Fisheries Research

UMass Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology is the recipient of four grants totaling more than $900,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The money comes from the Saltonstall-Kennedy grant program to fund research on the oceans and fishing stocks.

The grant money is a positive sign, because in the past SMAST and NOAA have disagreed over science in the New England fishery.

"We've been working with NOAA to really try to reach common ground that will help us try to improve the science," said Dr. Steven Lohrenz, Dean of the School of Marine Science and Technology.  Lohrenz believes NOAA now recognizes the need for improved science when it comes to the fisheries.

NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan says the grants will help create jobs, increase economic opportunities for fishing communities and improve the data that's collected to determine the health of the nation's fisheries.