WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) $789,659 in grant funding to examine the impact of a warming climate on growth and population patterns in cod and lobster. The study will also document marine habitat shifts across the northwest Atlantic caused by rising temperatures.

“The health of Maine’s coastal ecosystems are central to the beauty of our coastline and to the livelihoods of people throughout our state,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This funding will aid the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in its work to better understand and mitigate the impacts of changing ocean conditions on our communities, marine ecosystems, and economy.”

GMRI is a nonprofit organization that researches the complex marine ecology in the Gulf of Maine and studies the many challenges of ocean stewardship and economic growth in the region. The institute provides students and teachers with science education resources and engages fishermen in collaborative research.

The grant funding is awarded through the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE).