The Coastal Resources Center (CRC) at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) has secured $659,238 in grant funds from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for a two-year project to educate coastal and ocean professionals at home and abroad about the newest management techniques for planning the allocation of resources in increasingly busy and crowded oceans.
“The Coastal Resources Center at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography has a long and distinguished record to bring science, management and policy studies together to address important coastal and oceanic issues,” GSO Dean Bruce Corliss said. “This grant will allow CRC to help groups and institutions address critical needs in marine spatial planning and will have a significant impact on ocean sustainability in the future.”
CRC, which developed a celebrated and model ocean planning document, the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP), is providing an innovative training program based on Ocean SAMP lessons learned to a worldwide network of ocean and coastal practitioners. Results from this project will subsequently inform and enhance the entire portfolio of CRC coastal and ocean management work – knowledge made available to the public.
“This grant has been provided in large part due to the breadth of practical on-the-ground experience and knowledge CRC has attained over decades of work on marine issues. This grant will assist in disseminating best practices and helping other groups and institutions to apply innovative and proven approaches for improved governance of our oceans,” said Jennifer McCann, CRC U.S. Programs Director and Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program Extension Leader.
“Rhode Island has been a leader in marine spatial planning thanks to the efforts of CRC, which Rhode Island Sea Grant has been proud to support. I congratulate CRC on this grant from the Moore Foundation that will help this team share best practices with professionals around the world,” said Rhode Island Sea Grant Director Dennis Nixon.
Press contact: Sue Kennedy (401) 450-2666 or (401) 874-6107 or skennedy@crc.uri.edu
Pictured Above
Jennifer McCann talks with a participant at a marine spatial planning training held by the URI Coastal Resources Center and the Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. Photo by Melissa Devine.