Summer 2023 Newsletter
Message from the Director
End of summer, really!? As we end the summer and welcome the new academic year and the fall season, I want to thank all those who support the Maine Sea Grant program in so many different ways. A very important and active group we work with is our Program Advisory Committee. Over the last few years we have leaned into our cross-cutting principle of Championing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA) to bring on new advisory members. We have lasting gratitude for those who have served Maine Sea Grant for many decades and are stepping away from the Advisory committee. We thank them for their service and continue to welcome their input to the work that we do. Over the last two years we have been thrilled to welcome members bringing new expertise and experiences from the fields of education, tourism, planning, fishing and aquaculture businesses, municipal government, and indigenous cultural heritage. We look forward to our work together guiding the program.
Speaking of transitions and new opportunities – our Communications Manager, Hannah Robbins, has taken a new Science Writer position with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD! This is an exciting opportunity for her. We look forward to seeing her flourish in that position and thank her for all she has done for Maine Sea Grant!
—Gayle Zydlewski
Program Updates
NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal and Great Lakes States, Tribes, and Territories Initiative
Sea Grant and the NOAA Climate Program Office, with support from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, seek to establish programs aimed at placing people across the country into jobs that advance climate resilience. Information about the workforce and webinar dates can be found here.
Reflection from a Program Advisory Committee member
Jay McCreight, former Program Advisory Committee ex-officio member as Chair of the Marine Resources Committee, shares her thoughts about her time on the PAC. Read more.
Maine Sea Grant Program Development Funds
Each year Maine Sea Grant allocates part of its budget for Program Development funds to enhance their strategic plan goals. Guidelines and instructions for interested applicants can be found here.
Research
UMaine Graduate student completes Maine Sea Grant-Native American Programs Collaborative Research Assistantship
Krissa Davis recently completed her Maine Sea Grant-Native American Programs Collaborative Research Assistantship, during which she worked to build research collaborations with Maine Sea Grant and the Wabanaki Tribal Nations in what is now Maine. Read more.
Bates students research blue carbon in Maine’s marshes
Maine Sea Grant co-funded a research team that was led by Bates Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences Beverly Johnson, examining blue carbon in Maine’s marshes. Read more.
Research into American lobster reproduction
A new interactive StoryMap highlights projects from the Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative. Read more.
Sea Grant-funded intern: Navigating the Ocean Uncommons
Emma Polhemus authored a blog about her experience as a summer research intern at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center studying ocean renewable energy. Read Emma’s blog here.
Extension and Community Engagement
Maine Sea Grant hosts 2023 National Seaweed Symposium
Seaweed farmers, regulators, educators, researchers, students, and culinary professionals from around the country convened in Portland, Maine this April for the 2023 National Seaweed Symposium. Read more.
Education and Workforce Development
Meet the 2023 sea-run fish interns
Maine Sea Grant and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center invited undergraduate students from across the country to participate in the Undergraduate Internships in Diadromous Ecosystem Research Program. Rory Hannnon, Gretchen Ramlo, and Lillian Warwick were this year’s interns.
Building aquaculture systems in Maine classrooms
Brian Will shares his experience working to support the Aquaculture me! program as a 2022-2023 Maine Sea Grant undergraduate intern. Read more.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Sea
University of Maine graduate student, Logan Kline, shares her experience as a Knauss Fellow in her blog, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Sea.
Getting hyped for seaweed education
Maine Sea Grant, the University of Maine, the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, the World Wildlife Fund, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and Maine Agriculture in the Classroom collaborated to create a book sharing information about kelp aquaculture with Maine students. Learn more.
In the News
Dana Morse and Jaclyn Robidoux discussed what’s new, upcoming, and innovative in the aquaculture industry on Maine Calling.
Jessica Brunacini spoke with News Center Maine to discuss the fight against climate change on Maine’s coasts.
Maine Sea Grant Director shares 10 facts about sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine at a celebration of a new mural in Belfast on the Bangor Daily News.
Mark Your Calendars
- Maine Sea Grant and Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center are co-hosting the Maine Seafood Educator’s Summit on October 6, 2023. Registration required.
Want to Connect?
Maine Sea Grant supports the responsible use and conservation of coastal resources to sustain diverse, thriving coastal communities and ecosystems. Our work requires building partnerships and collaborations with organizations and individuals across the coast and beyond. If you have questions or ideas, or if you’d like to connect, please feel free to reach out to anyone on our team.