The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will receive $2 million for facility improvements as part of a federal spending bill.

The funding will be used for repairs and updates to its San Francisco visitor center and overall educational experience, according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, whose district includes the marine sanctuary.

The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects the waters and wildlife for almost 3,300 square miles, spanning from the area around the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco, then northward to Manchester Beach in Mendocino County.

Funding comes from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which granted $3.3 billion to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for agency improvements and climate initiatives. Of that, $2.6 billion will be used for projects for regional coastal resiliency and conservation projects, which includes the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary improvements.

Deidre Foley is an intern at Bay City News and an MA candidate at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, where she specializes in data journalism and health & science reporting. Previously she was managing editor for the San Francisco Foghorn and has bylines in the NYCity News Service, Byklner and the Nagazasshi. Deidre is interested in using data and visuals to tell social justice and human interest stories.