The Virginia Institute of Marine Science receives a grant from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for its feasibility of offshore wind farm areas as multi-use platforms for lower trophic aquaculture. According to the Gazette-Journal the grant is funded with the support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Institute is one of 5 aquaculture pilot projects along the Atlantic Coast to receive funding. The projects selected all explore promising, but less commercially developed, technologies for finfish and shellfish aquaculture.