DURHAM — Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter is pleased to announce the University of New Hampshire was selected as the recipient of a $6 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“The University of New Hampshire is a national leader in oceanic research, and these grants demonstrate the extraordinary value of its efforts,” Shea-Porter said. “I applaud UNH for its important work.”

The grant, worth $6,030,198, was awarded to the University of New Hampshire’s Joint Hydrographic Center. The Center excels in hydrographic, ocean, and coastal mapping sciences that will serve NOAA and the nation through research, training, and the development of state-of-the-art ocean mapping technologies. These tools help support the nation’s commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound marine transportation. The NOAA grant will help the center develop approaches to demonstrate the value of hydrographic, and ocean and coastal mapping data for many other purposes including fisheries management, national security, environmental and archaeological studies, ocean exploration, and coastal and marine spatial planning.