PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island -- The University of Rhode Island (URI) said it will use a $25-million federal grant to help improve the Philippines' struggling fishing industry.

The Coastal Resources Center at URI's Graduate School of Oceanography will implement the five-year project to increase fish stocks by improving fisheries management and building the resilience of fishing communities. It's expected to benefit up to two million people.

URI said Monday it's the single largest grant in the university's history.

It said the fishing industry in the Philippines is in peril, largely because of destructive fishing practices, typhoons and coastal degradation.

The center has partnered with the US Embassy in the Philippines' US Agency for International Development and a consortium of universities and non-governmental organizations. It is also working on fisheries projects in Africa and Central America. (AP)