UMass Dartmouth to break ground on marine science building in N.B.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH looks to have a groundbreaking for a 76,000-square-foot expansion of its School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford on Oct. 23. / COURTESY UMASS DARTMOUTH
THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH looks to have a groundbreaking for a 76,000-square-foot expansion of its School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford on Oct. 23. / COURTESY UMASS DARTMOUTH

NEW BEDFORD – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth expects to break ground on Oct. 23 for a $55 million expansion of its School for Marine Science and Technology.

The groundbreaking will lead to a collaboration with the state Division of Marine Fisheries at the 76,000-square-foot facility and help create a marine science campus in New Bedford.

Combined with the existing school, the expansion will serve one of the nation’s top fishing ports and could be a base for offshore wind energy development, the university said in a press release.

The School for Marine Science and Technology is the largest marine science program in the UMass system. Its expansion will link faculty, students and staff with the state marine fisheries division. Combined, they will engage in education, research and policy related to commercial fishing, coastal preservation, ocean observation and climate change.

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The combined economic impact of the coastal and marine economies of Massachusetts has been estimated to exceed $130 billion and directly employs more than 1.3 million people.

“The work of our faculty, students and alumni has helped the Commonwealth, from New Bedford to Gloucester, sustain its fishing industry, preserve our fragile seashore and advance our understanding of climate change,” said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman. “This new facility will accelerate and expand the impact of the science conducted [there].”

Mass. Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, D-New Bedford, said the city of New Bedford will add jobs, too.

“This is an important milestone for our city as we continue our work to make New Bedford a world leader in marine research and technology,” he said.

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