Senator Collins Receives Sea Grant Association Award

Award recognizes her work to restore funding for Maine Sea Grant last year.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Sea Grant Association (SGA) presented Senator Collins with its Association Award at the SGA's annual meeting in Washington. The award recognizes her work last year to restore funding to the Maine Sea Grant after the Department of Commerce announced plans to defund the program. Maine Sea Grant Director Dr. Gayle Zydlewski and Sea Grant Association President Dr. Erik Chapman presented Senator Collins with the award - the first time the SGA has given the Association Award since 2018.

"The National Sea Grant program plays a vital role in strengthening our nation's coastal economies, supporting fishermen and marine businesses, and sustaining our working waterfronts. When the Maine Sea Grant program's future was in doubt last year, I worked with federal officials and Maine stakeholders to ensure its work could continue," said Senator Collins. "I am particularly grateful to Maine Sea Grant Director Dr. Gayle Zydlewski for her leadership and partnership in that effort. Together, we will continue supporting the research and outreach that help Maine's coastal communities thrive."

"I met Senator Collins in 2019, after I became Director of the Maine Sea Grant program, and I felt as soon as I walked in the room, that she knew all about Sea Grant, loved Sea Grant, and we were in good hands. Senator Collins' commitment to Maine Sea Grant and to the people of Maine has never waned and we are so grateful for her enduring support. Last year was unprecedented and Senator Collins was three steps ahead of all of us when we really needed her. Her extraordinary efforts to restore funding to Maine buoyed the entire Sea Grant network. We are incredibly grateful for her support," said Dr. Gayle Zydlewski, Director, Maine Sea Grant.

After an announcement last February from the Department of Commerce that the Maine Sea Grant program was being defunded, Senator Collins contacted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to explain all that is at stake for Maine's coastal communities with the loss of Sea Grant funding. At the urging of Senator Collins, Secretary Lutnick directed NOAA to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the work to be performed by Maine Sea Grant to ensure that it focuses on advancing Maine's coastal economies, working waterfronts, and sustainable fisheries, and the program's funding was restored.

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