U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced Wednesday that a $241,030 grant has been awarded to the Mystic Aquarium from the National Science Foundation.

According to a release, the funding will support a 10-week training program for eight students at the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus interested in marine biology. The program will support three years of the program, a collaboration between the aquarium and UConn Avery Point that focuses on the impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems.

In the release, Courtney said this grant is typical of the targeted grants awarded by the NSF for scientific endeavors across the country.

"Mystic Aquarium and the UConn-Avery Point campus have a long history of excellence in the fields of marine biology and conservation," he said. "This federal funding will allow them to provide a select group of students a hands-on, immersive experience in preserving our oceans."

The Day in March reported that the aquarium had requested the grant.