State Sen. Michael Nozzolio announced Friday that he secured a $500,000 state investment in the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.

This latest grant was included in the 2008-2009 state budget and brings the total amount of state aid that Nozzolio has helped secure for the institute to more than $2.4 million, according to a news release.

“Preserving and protecting the quality of the Finger Lakes and promoting their appeal is the key to revitalizing our communities and creating new opportunities for the future,” Nozzolio said in the statement. “Under the leadership of Hobart President Mark Gearan, the Finger Lakes Institute has become a recognized leader in environmental research and preservation. I am extremely proud to partner with President Gearan on working to make the Finger Lakes Institute a world-class facility.”

Nozzolio said the institute has seen success in its efforts to reduce pollution and improve the water quality of Owasco Lake. The institute also helps coordinate the efforts of local governments, lakeshore property owners, organizations, grassroots watershed protection groups, and other regional environmental research centers in protecting the ecology of the Finger Lakes and overseeing development along the lakes.