How NOAA Sea Grant is Investing $4.25 Million to Further a Resilient Future
Sea Grant’s work in coastal adaptation and resilience includes research, education, technical assistance and outreach to support more resilient communities and economies across the nation.
January 16, 2025 | NOAA Sea Grant (Katrina Lewandowski & Hallee Meltzer)
Amid extreme and frequent weather events and risks to coastal economies, families and communities, the need to address related challenges is critical. In response to this need, Congress appropriated funding to NOAA Sea Grant with the goal of strengthening resilience across coastal and Great Lakes communities. NOAA Sea Grant allocated $125,000 to each of the 34 Sea Grant programs in 2024, for a total of $4.25 million, to further build upon and extend coastal resilience work with communities. The funding is being used to enhance engagement, technical assistance, education and research investments to address climate and weather impacts in local communities. These investments will be instrumental in achieving more resilient communities and economies across the nation.
This essential funding will be leveraged by Sea Grant programs and combined with 50% match funding from collaborative partners to establish or expand projects that address resilience needs throughout the U.S. Funded projects include investments in hazard assessment and preparedness, nature-based solutions, local and regional resilience planning and implementation assistance, and increasing staff capacity to improve resilience education and engagement opportunities. Collaboration and co-production are pillars of Sea Grant’s approach to working alongside communities and partners, including Tribal, Indigenous, and economically disadvantaged groups.
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MIT Sea Grant is advancing an initiative to create novel artificial reefs with unprecedented wave energy dissipation capacity, by expanding the design, testing and scalable implementation in Massachusetts to protect the shore from storms, reduce erosion and provide habitat for marine life. MIT Sea Grant is conducting testing in the MIT wave tank and has discussed the project with constituents from Salisbury, Salem and towns on the upper Cape.
