Wednesday June 7, 2023
Monterey Herald —
A new National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) office will be built on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay.
The office will be located within the university’s science center and create a permanent home for NOAA adjacent to research laboratories, teaching spaces and faculty offices. NOAA plans to collaborate with the university in its applied programs including seafloor mapping, kelp forest restoration, agriculture businesses and sustainable tourism. The office is expected to enhance collaboration between NOAA and CSU Monterey Bay on conservation and research efforts for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. It is also expected to create hands-on learning opportunities for students.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, secured $7 million for the construction of the office. The federal funding is a significant amount of the historic $50 million investment for the construction of new NOAA Marine Sanctuary facilities across the U.S. that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
“The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and CSU Monterey Bay have developed a close working relationship over the past few years, creating breakthroughs in our understanding of this vital marine ecosystem,” said Panetta in a press release. “Through this federal funding of this office, we will accelerate the partnership needed to protect the wellbeing of the sanctuary and train the next generation of scientists to become future stewards of this national treasure. I’m proud to have fought for this critical federal investment which will further CSUMB’s partnership with NOAA and its efforts as one of the world’s leading institutions for marine science research and conservation.”