The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have announced eight grants totaling $7.7 million in support of projects designed to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and improve habitats for fish and wildlife.

Awarded through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), the grants will support projects in Hawai‘i, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. These early grants were announced ahead of the fund’s annual award announcement so communities experiencing increased coastal hazards due to climate change would have funding to spend toward resilience projects. Awarded projects will build upon previously funded NCRF projects to restore and enhance coastal habitats—including wetlands, dunes, and tidal rivers—that are vital to the survival of many fish and wildlife species and provide natural buffers for communities against storms and other coastal hazards.

Established in 2018, NCRF is a partnership between NFWF, NOAA, Shell, TransRe, and Occidental, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Bezos Earth Fund, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. NFWF anticipates investing approximately $140 million through the fund in November.

“As coastal communities face growing threats including coastal flooding and hurricanes, communities need resources immediately to help them reduce threats and increase resilience,” said NFWF executive director and CEO Jeff Trandahl. “The foundation has worked extremely hard to provide this funding as quickly as possible to help these communities bolster their natural defenses to current and future storms, while also enhancing the coastal habitats that are so vital to both communities and wildlife.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Joesboy)