New Delaware Sea Grant funding supports Rehoboth Beach business

In Delaware scientists and officials celebrated on Monday a new grant that will take wildlife research in the First State to a new level. 

A new 685,000 federal dollars grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was awarded to the Delaware Sea Grant College Program.

The new funding announcement makes the total Delaware Sea Grant funding for the year at 2.1 million dollars. 

This is good news for a couple who owns the Sun Otters Tours in Rehoboth Beach. They say the Delaware Sea Grant College Program helps them to stretch their tours beyond their tour operator location. 

"Even though we're based out of Rehoboth, we travel into all the coastal areas," said Sun Otters Tours Owner Steve Dengler.

"I would say that we are fortunate because we are able to touch so many counties," said Dengler. 

The grant not only paves a new path for the couple, but also for researchers at the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment.

According to the Dean of the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, the award helps take research to new heights. 

"It's uniqueness is that it's not basic research where we find something very exciting and interesting as scientists and publish them," said the Dean Dr. Estella Atekwana. 

"It allows us to apply that research to a particular problem in the community," said Atekwana.