The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has invested a combined amount of $171 million in 72 projects that aim to address the effects of climate change.
NOAA said Tuesday that it issued grants to fund these projects that universities, research institutions and government-partnered entities will work on over the next five years.
The investment's overall scope includes environmental justice, ocean observations, COVID-19's effects on air quality, flood resilience planning and how NOAA can improve climate models.
“These new NOAA investments are essential to improve understanding of how to mitigate these impacts and bolster community resilience to climate change," said Rick Spinrad, NOAA administrator.
The agency's Climate Program Office (CPO) selected the awardees via a peer review based on quality and equity standards. CPO's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments program, one of the efforts supported by the investment, has added the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to its geographical coverage.