UMass Amherst and MassTech Celebrate $3 Million Investment in Gloucester Marine Station
The University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), and state and local officials gathered today at the university’s Gloucester Marine Station to celebrate $3 million in capital funding for resilient infrastructure upgrades and strategic initiatives at the station.
The funding, composed of $2 million from MassTech’s Collaborative Science and Tech Research and Development Matching Grant Fund and a $1 million match from UMass Amherst, will support a range of upgrades at the station including new outdoor research and education space, installation of a living seawall, dock and crane, and concrete repairs. The $2 million is part of a jobs bill passed by the state Legislature in early 2021.
Construction is expected to begin next spring and be completed by fall 2025.
“I often say that we need to bring more of the community to UMass, and more of UMass to the community. The work happening at the Gloucester Marine Station is a perfect example of this,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes. “Our Extension faculty are studying the impact of coastal change along the Massachusetts North Shore. Through this work they are partnering with the community and state and federal agencies to help build coastal resiliency and protect marine ecology. Investments in the marine station help to put us a position to continue this urgent and important work in an equitable and innovative way.”
“Gloucester is uniquely positioned to lead the future of blue tech as a vital marine access point on the North Shore,” said MassTech CEO and former Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk. “MassTech has partnered with UMass and committed state resources to support the Gloucester Marine Station because we recognize its potential to advance sustainability and enhance research and development.”
“The UMass Marine Station is playing a pivotal role in addressing issues of sustainability for our fisheries, our coastal resources and economic development,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “This major investment will fuel the station’s continuing evolution in playing a leadership role in many of the most pressing issues facing our natural environment, our coastal communities, and our economy.”
State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) commented, “The UMass Amherst Marine Station Gloucester is a unique asset, integrating research, teaching and engagement in fields central to our history as a coastal community and key to its future. The funding announced today will enable Cape Ann to remain a leader in the blue economy and conduct the research necessary for sustainable and resilient communities. Thank you to the UMass Amherst administration, the team at the Marine Station and MassTech for the investments and vision that have brought us here today.”
Sarah Stanton, undersecretary of economic strategies in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, said, “When we look at our beautiful coastline, like the one surrounding us now, we are reminded of how crucial it is to both protect and preserve this ecosystem, marine life, and the communities that rely upon it, like Gloucester, and the incredible research work of UMass Amherst.”
“This funding will provide a foundation for students, faculty and our partners to tackle applied research and seek collaborative solutions around climate resiliency, fisheries and marine ecology issues impacting coastal communities in the commonwealth and beyond,” said Katie Kahl, director of strategic initiatives at the Gloucester Marine Station and extension assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass Amherst. “It gives us ocean access for hands-on research, a setting for outdoor instruction and community engagement, and a new living seawall to study the changing marine environment in real time. This investment adds to the momentum we’re seeing on the North Shore toward positioning a resilient blue economy and ensuring a strong, sustainable seafood industry for generations to come.”
Located in the birthplace of commercial fishing in the U.S., the Gloucester Marine Station provides an ocean-based facility for hands-on learning. Researchers from the commonwealth’s flagship campus and their partners collaborate to develop science-based solutions to address critical challenges facing the state’s coastal communities and the world, including climate resilience, sustainable fisheries and seafood, and marine ecology. The facility is also a key research hub for the state’s blue economy, supporting emerging tech and innovation startups focused on offshore wind, aquaculture, marine transportation and marine construction.