Two million dollars in federal funds will help fund a wide range of Gulf of Maine research projects aimed at advancing the understanding of the American lobster and create a regional lobster extension program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program will allocate the funds, according to members of Maine’s congressional delegation.

Among the projects to receive funding are research on lobster migration and growth, early biology, and on increasing understanding of a lobster’s life cycle.

“Generations of Maine families have made their living from this fishery, and its enduring success is due in part to the research that has informed decision making and supported stewardship,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine,  said in a statement. “These new research projects will help us develop and improve best practices to ensure that Maine’s lobster industry continues to thrive.”

“These investments from the Sea Grant program will help the industry continue to flourish in the face of the warming waters brought on by climate change,” Senator Angus King, I-Maine, added.