A multi-million-dollar grant given to UMaine by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been abruptly terminated.
The Bangor Daily News reports that the 4-year Maine Sea Grant Omnibus Award, which was on its second year, was deemed “no longer relevant to the focus of the administration’s priorities and program objectives” by a letter sent from NOAA official Timothy Carrington late Friday night. The letter also told the university the funding termination was immediate.
The Maine Sea Grant, founded in 1971, is a federal-state partnership program, with half of the Sea Grant’s budget funded by NOAA, and the other half funded by local entities like UMaine and the state government. NOAA has been one of several agencies targeted by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, with 800 of its staff members being laid off this past week. The recent cuts leave 20 employees and the Sea Grant’s programming with an uncertain fate.
“Thanks to Maine Sea Grant support, Maine’s fishermen, coastal communities and marine economy are experiencing employment and earnings growth and are increasingly well-positioned to lead and innovate for a more resilient future,” said Maine Sea Grant Director Gayle Zydlewski. “This notice is devastating for our team and countless partners, the University of Maine and the entire state.”
If the program’s funding were to continue, the organization would’ve received $1.5 million in 2025 and a total of just over $4.5 million through January 2028.
To read the original Bangor Daily News article, click here.
To read more about the Maine Sea Grant, click here.
