Support Pennsylvania Sea Grant Today!
Send a strong message to Congress to support Sea Grant
Add your name to our letter below!
Dear Pennsylvania congressional delegations:
We, the undersigned constituents from Pennsylvania, are writing to urge your support for federal funding for the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) in fiscal year (FY) 2026.
Sea Grant is funded in the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill and is in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Operations, Research, and Facilities (ORF) Account within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).
As one of the 34 Sea Grant programs, Pennsylvania Sea Grant receives a portion of the annual appropriation to Sea Grant. Pennsylvania Sea Grant partners with local, state, regional, and national organizations to meet the legally required match of $1 dollar for every $2 federal dollars, which increases the impact of every federal dollar. In addition, Pennsylvania Sea Grant leverages a combination of state, federal, and private funds to expand support for the program – generating over $2 for every dollar received from Sea Grant. Pennsylvania benefits from this, as this money is invested in Sea Grant staff and their work in local communities.
In 2023-2024, $1.7 million in funding from the National Sea Grant College Program to Pennsylvania Sea Grant generated $4.2 million in economic value for the Commonwealth. This impact was the result of Pennsylvania Sea Grant activities including:
- Hosting no-cost professional development workshops for K-12 educators and environmental literacy programs for K-12 students.
- Engaging graduate students in fellowship opportunities, increasing their earning potential.
- Conserving open space with public access for fishing and passive recreation.
Additional programming, activities, and successes from 2018-2023 include:
- Healthy Coasts and Watersheds: 3,682 acres of habitat were protected, enhanced, or restored
- Workforce Development: 130 undergraduate and graduate students supported, 272 resource managers used ecosystem-based approaches, 65 students became employed in a career related to their degree, 13,440 people participated in outreach events and trainings, 87 Sea Grant organized meetings or workshops
- Environmental Literacy: 174,159 K-12 students reached, 1,074 educators trained, 107,390 people were engaged in informal education programs
As constituents and beneficiaries of Pennsylvania Sea Grant, we cannot overstate the value Sea Grant brings to Pennsylvania. In addition, coastal communities around the country are protected and supported thanks to the national Sea Grant network’s important activities around building resilient communities and economies, developing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems, and promoting environmental literacy and workforce development.
We respectfully request you support funding the National Sea Grant College Program in FY 2026 appropriations. Thank you for your consideration, and please reach out if we can be of further assistance.
Respectfully,
