A scientific services company headquartered off Mill St. has been awarded a $50 million five-year contract with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.

AIS, located on 14 Barnabas Rd., under the contract will help monitor federal fisheries across the Northeast. NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center will manage the contract.

"The work is fundamental to understanding and sustaining fisheries," said NOAA Fisheries in a press release. "AIS, Inc. is an experienced fisheries observer service company, employing people to monitor federal fisheries along the U.S. East Coast and in Alaska."

Fisheries observers work collect information on catch, both kept and discarded, as well as biological data and information on gear and fishing operations while abroad commercial vessels.

According to NOAA, the data provided by fisheries observers is used by fishery managers and researchers. This helps both understand fishery resources, other businesses, and fishing operations.