Shaheen Celebrates University of New Hampshire and NOAA Center of Excellence, Delivers Remarks at Beam Signing Ceremony

(Durham, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee , celebrated the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) decades-long partnership with a beam signing ceremony at the future site of the UNH and NOAA Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping. Since 1999, UNH and NOAA have collaborated on the operation of the Joint Hydrographic Center and Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. Located on the UNH campus, the facility has mapped over one million square kilometers of ocean floor, contributed to advances in autonomous vehicle ocean mapping and supported the federal government in disaster response efforts. Photos from today’s event can be found HERE . Since Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23), Senator Shaheen has secured $30 million to support UNH and NOAA’s ocean mapping partnership, with a portion of the funding Shaheen secured directly contributing to the construction of the new Center. The state-of-the-art facility will create new employment opportunities in the Granite State, expand educational opportunities for students and promote new research—ensuring UNH remains a global leader in ocean floor and coastal mapping, which is critical to safe navigation, disaster preparedness and national security. “For decades, the University of New Hampshire and NOAA have maintained a partnership that has advanced critical research and expanded educational opportunities for students in the Granite State. I’m proud of the work I have done to support this key relationship, including securing funding that will support construction of this new, cutting-edge facility,” said Senator Shaheen. “From fostering new opportunities for students to promoting critical research, the Center of Excellence will be a hub of scientific innovation while powering our coastal economy with new jobs.” Shaheen is the former chair and current senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds NOAA. Along with securing $30 million in federal funding to support the partnership between UNH and NOAA, Shaheen has delivered millions in funding for NOAA. In bipartisan FY 26 Appropriations legislation , Shaheen helped ensure NOAA had the resources it required for key programs to support New Hampshire’s fisheries, ocean research and conservation efforts. ###