NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (AP) — An oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island is receiving federal funds to help collect data on the health of Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound.
The university announced the $2 million grant on Wednesday. The money will be shared by URI marine research scientist Al Hanson and scientists in other parts of New England.
URI says the money will fund the deployment and operation of new sensor buoys that record ocean nutrients used to gauge the health of ocean ecosystems.
Hanson says the buoys employ new technology that eliminates the need for scientists to collect water samples for later analysis in a lab.
Data collected from the sensors will help scientists and government agencies understand the health of the ocean.
