Congress has approved spending another $2.6 million to research putting Asian oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.

The money is part of the omnibus appropriations bill that passed Saturday and is awaiting President Bush's signature. It comes as Gov. Robert Ehrlich asked the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop its scientists from calling for more research.

The governor has said he hopes studies now being funded by the state will allow a decision in February, long before the new federal money will be available.

Also on Monday, state officials said Maryland Natural Resources Secretary C. Ronald Franks would announce on Tuesday a new advisory panel that will review the foreign oyster research under way.

DNR spokeswoman Heather Lynch said Franks formed the panel because of a widespread "misunderstanding" about the department's intentions and to reiterate that, despite the aggressive timetable, the state has not yet made a decision to put Asian oysters in the bay.

The National Academy of Sciences and others have called for at least five years' research before a decision is made on whether to introduce a reproductive Asian oyster into the bay. But the Ehrlich administration, which began studying the issue a year ago, says the state needs to move faster to replace a native oyster population that has been all but wiped out.

The legislation earmarks $600,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help prepare the environmental impact statement now under way. The remaining $2 million will go to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which will give grants to scientists who can study the risks and benefits of putting the non-native species in the bay.