Inflation Reduction Act Boosts Delaware Coastal Research Funds

Delaware Benefits from Biden-Harris Administration’s Marine Technology Funding

Delaware will benefit from part of the $16.7 million investment in marine technology innovation awarded by the Biden-Harris Administration through the Inflation Reduction Act. The funds are allocated to promote sustainable technologies and public-private partnerships aimed at equity, biodiversity, and climate adaptation.

The funding is spread across 12 awards, two of which directly benefit Delaware.

Delaware-based Awards

• The University of Delaware/Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System will receive $1,750,000. This fund will help establish a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) for the Mid-Atlantic coast.
• The Shark Research Foundation is tagged to receive $1,750,000 to widen BioTrack. This collaborative network is created by the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network and the Animal Tracking Network. It aims to monitor biodiversity hotspots where marine megafauna share habitat.

The initiative is directed by the Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It comes under the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System’s Marine Life and Ocean Technology Transition programs. The grants given will offer communities the necessary tools and data to improve coastal resilience.

According to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, “These awards will advance new technologies needed to gain critical insights into the status and health of our coastal ecosystems.”