Mystic — A
partnership of the University of Connecticut, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for
Exploration has been awarded a $500,000 federal
grant to train graduate students and post-doctoral
fellows in the field of oceans and human health,
the aquarium announced Wednesday.
The goal of the grant is to train scientists to
work on issues such as marine pathogens and
disease, emerging pollutants and harmful algal
blooms, the aquarium said in a news release. The
grant will fund three post-doctoral students and
one doctoral-level graduate student fellowship
through a competitive application process.
Training will begin in the spring for the selected
applicants.
Grant winners will use the resources of the
aquarium, UConn and the NOAA lab in Milford.
“This award, in collaboration with our
partners, enables us to continue our important
research on aquatic animal health, as well as
focusing on the marine environment and its impact
on human health,” said Tracy Romano, senior vice
president of research and zoological operations at
the aquarium. “In the process, we're also training
our scientists for the future.”
For information on the program, called the
Interdisciplinary Research & Training
Initiative on Coastal Ecosystems & Human
Health (I-RICH), visit www.i-rich.uconn.edu.