<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Contact: Meredith Haas                                                                 </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">t: 401-874-6019                                                                                               January 2, 2019   </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">e: <a href="mailto:mmhaas@uri.edu" target="_blank">mmhaas@uri.edu</a></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Rhode Island Sea Grant to invest over $2 million for research proposals</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">NARRAGANSETT––Rhode Island Sea Grant is now accepting pre-proposal submissions for research projects to </span><span style="color:rgb(76,76,76);font-family:Arial;font-size:13.3333px;white-space:pre-wrap">help improve understanding and management of Rhode Island’s coastal and marine ecosystems.</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(67,67,67);font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;white-space:pre-wrap"> Projects will be funded from February 1, 2020 to January 1, 2022.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Over $2 million will be allocated towards research projects focused on the effects of ecosystem change: from ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms to the impacts of rising water temperatures and microplastics on shellfish and changes to the seafloor ecosystem in Narragansett Bay.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(67,67,67);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Proposals receive </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(76,76,76);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">extensive peer review to ensure funded projects are of high scientific caliber and are relevant to stakeholders.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(76,76,76);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Applicants are encouraged to use the mesocosm facilities at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography for experimentation. Although their use is not required, mesocosms have been shown to be useful in mimicking the ecology of Narragansett Bay and its responses to various changes.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(76,76,76);font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pre-proposal submissions are due by 4:00 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2019.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(76,76,76);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">For more information please visit <a href="https://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/research/" target="_blank">https://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/research/</a>.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(76,76,76);font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Rhode Island Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs nationwide and is based at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography. Rhode Island Sea Grant is a partnership among URI, the National Sea Grant College Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the state of Rhode Island. The program’s mission is to improve understanding and management of Rhode Island’s coastal and marine ecosystems to achieve vibrant, healthy coastal communities, economies, and marine environments that are resilient in the face of change.</span></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">Monica</font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">______</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Monica Allard Cox</span><br></div><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">Communications Director</font></div><div><font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">Rhode Island Sea Grant</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><font size="1">Coastal Institute Room 34</font></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:x-small">URI Graduate School of Oceanography </span></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:x-small">Narragansett, RI 02882</span></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><font size="1">Tel: 401.874.6937</font></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:x-small">E-mail: <a href="mailto:allard@uri.edu" target="_blank">allard@uri.edu</a></span></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:x-small">Web: </span><a href="http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu" target="_blank"><font size="1">seagrant.gso.uri.edu<br></font></a></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>