March 23, 2023

Manchin Announces $300K for Ecological Research at West Virginia University

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $300,591 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for West Virginia University (WVU). The funding will support critical research into coastal and island ecosystems, which will inform conservation efforts and help protect public drinking water.
 
“West Virginia University continues to make our state proud with important scientific research projects,” said Senator Manchin. “I’m pleased the National Science Foundation is supporting our hardworking students, faculty and staff involved with analyzing coastal and island ecosystems around the world. This critical project will help inform our efforts to protect public drinking water, as well as bolster conservation efforts for these unique environments. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to support scientific research across the Mountain State.”

Coasts and islands are at the epicenter of two compounding challenges: variability in climate and the impact of development. Assessing the full scope of these challenges requires going beyond what is physically visible or on the surface of these environments. This is especially the case in coastal and island environments with karst, landscapes in which water forms a distinct topography including caves, sinkholes, and groundwater aquifers. While 20% of the United States is karst, it is the source of 40% of the American public’s drinking water. West Virginia University will collaborate with the American Geophysical Union to complete the research.