NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) has awarded more than $1.2 million in competitive grant funding to the Alliance for Coastal Technologies, a NOAA-funded partnership of research institutions, resource managers, and private sector companies. ACT will oversee the development and adoption of effective and reliable sensors and sensor platforms for environmental monitoring and long-term coastal ocean resources stewardship.
The ACT grant will be coordinated through the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The funding will support demonstrations of ocean acidification sensors and systems for detecting harmful algal blooms and their toxins.
ACT is one recipient in a series of nationwide IOOS grant-funded projects, totaling $21 million this year. The goal of each regional observing system is to maintain and enhance ocean and coastal observations in the area, making data easier to access and giving planners and policymakers the information needed to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. Data from each region will also be available to researchers throughout the country via the national IOOS.
"This award represents NOAA's commitment to implementing the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act of 2009 which recognizes the IOOS regional systems as key components of the national effort," said Zdenka Willis, NOAA IOOS program director. "These projects are crafted to meet local customer needs while also contributing to the success of the national effort."
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.
On the Web:
NOAA IOOS:
http://www.ioos.gov
Alliance for Coastal Technologies:
http://www.act-us.info