2024 2024: UMass Dartmouth to deploy $8M in state funding to support Blue Economy Initiatives

Funding to enhance the university’s role and positive impact on the regional blue economy and the sustainability of vital coastal and ocean resources

In collaboration with Senator Michael Rodrigues and the local legislative delegation, UMass Dartmouth secured $8M in funding to support the University’s Blue Economy core research facilities, education and workforce development, and technology development and commercialization initiatives. These strategic investments are designed to support established and emerging blue economy industries and areas of regional opportunity including commercial fishing and aquaculture, offshore wind, autonomous underwater vehicles, marine materials, and electronics, including the marine “Internet of Things”.

“I appreciate UMass Dartmouth’s leadership in the Blue Economy and related industries,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (D-Westport). “Our region has quickly become a national leader in these emerging industries that impact both climate resiliency and economic development.”

The investment funds new equipment and technology to advance understanding of coastal and ocean environments and ecosystems, support advanced technology development, and facilitate technology transfer. They also create meaningful opportunities to support student learning and the development of career-relevant skills and experience that will position them for successful careers in regional blue economy industries.

“UMass Dartmouth is committed to growing the impact of our region’s natural and technological strengths in the Blue Economy through teaching, learning, and research,” said Chancellor Mark Fuller. “We appreciate the support of Senator Rodrigues, the legislature, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for making these awards possible.” 

“The projects that would benefit from these capital equipment will enhance the university’s role and impact on the sustainability of coastal and ocean resources, the economic resilience and competitiveness of our regional blue economy, and the economic opportunities available to our region,” said Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian.

Blue Economy Initiatives capital funding of $5 million in awards are as follows:

Biodegradability Lab Core Facility Expansion - Dr. Micheline Labrie

A $350k award to support the acquisition and deployment of expanded Columbus Instruments Micro-Oxymax respirometry systems to extend the capacity of the lab to provide marine/freshwater sediment, wastewater, and household compost testing environments for industry partners and other internal and external users.

Real-time trawl monitoring equipment - Dr. Kevin Stokesbury 

An award of $393,000 to acquire cutting edge video technology to improve fisheries stock assessment. Advanced cameras will be used to identify and enumerate fish as they pass through the net and support sustainable commercial fishing. This equipment will strengthen the collaborative research partnership between UMass Dartmouth scientists and commercial fishing operators and regulators.  

Blue SWELL Lab - Dr. Banafsheh Seyedaghazadeh 

An award of $1.6 million to establish the Seawater Wind-Wave-Current Environmental Testing Laboratory (SWELL Lab) at SMAST East in New Bedford. Funding will support the acquisition and technical support for a cutting-edge flume tank equipped with combined wind-wave and current flow capabilities, specialized seabed erosion test equipment, and a state-of-the-art quantitative flow measurement tool, Stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (Stereo-PIV). This core research facility will provide direct support to scientists, engineers, and a diverse set of industry partners including those working in and around commercial fishing, aquaculture, offshore wind and marine renewable energy, naval defense, and advanced materials.

Instrumented Autonomous Underwater Vehicles - Dr. Pingguo He

An $885k award to support the acquisition and deployment of three state-of-art fully instrumented autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) which can be used to support 1) sustainable capture fisheries, 2) aquaculture, 3) impact of offshore wind energy development on ecosystem and fisheries, 4) coastal environment monitoring related to river discharge and coastal pollution, 5) seabed mapping, and 6) plastic pollution, especially the impact of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). 

Marine Materials Fabrication equipment - Dr. Vijaya Chalivendra

An $859k award to support the acquisition and deployment of equipment and instrumentation to fabricate and characterize marine materials. The equipment will facilitate opportunities for students to engage in relevant interdisciplinary research that spans the fields of Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering and facilitate industry collaboration and technology development in the wide variety of emerging and established industries working in marine environments.  

Marine IoT Test and Development Laboratory - Dr. Mohammad Karim

A $339k award to support the acquisition and deployment of technology to facilitate development of a compact, energy-efficient underwater sensor network for real-time monitoring of oceanographic data, such as temperature, salinity, relative humidity, light intensity, and pressure. A research core facility, the lab will provide internal and external users, including industry partners, with an invaluable resource for supporting senor testing and related technology development.

University Pier Instrumentation Suite - Dr. Pia Moisander

A $335k award to support the acquisition and deployment of technology to facilitate continuous water quality measurements on the UMass Dartmouth pier on Clark’s Cove in Buzzards Bay. A data portal displaying current Bay conditions will be created and made available to the public and full access will be available for team members, their students, and collaborators, including industry partners. 

Dual Channel Ion Chromatography System - Dr. Sukalyan Sengupta

A $136k award to support the acquisition and deployment of a dual channel ion Chromatography system to facilitate student research directly and indirectly supporting regional aquaculture operators, cranberry growers and other farmers, and support cutting-edge battery technology research activity.  

SMAST Prototyping and Fabrication Center 

A $52k award to support the acquisition and installation of a state-of-the-art CNC milling machine, an SLA (stereolithography) 3D printer, welding equipment, and fabrication tools. Establishing a prototyping and fabrication facility at SMAST is designed to foster innovation, facilitate research and technology development, and provide students with access to and training in cutting-edge technology.

A review of concept papers submitted in response to utilizing the remaining $3 million in Blue Economy Initiatives is expected in Fall 2024.