The National Science Foundation has awarded more than $1.7 million to Mote Marine Laboratory.

The foundation issued the amount out in two different awards. ABC-7 reports the first was around $277,000 for a project under Dr. Erin Muller’s direction to research coral disease susceptibility.

The second is for nearly $1.5M for a project to strengthen “well-prepared, highly-qualified students from underrepresented minority groups in the Sarasota area who pursue careers or graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”