Maine Sea Grant Newsletter
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Message From the Director
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As we round the corner toward this year’s Maine Fishermen’s Forum, I’m especially reminded of one of Maine’s greatest strengths: our culture of showing up for one another. It’s something you can feel in our coastal communities and in the halls of the Forum itself.
At Maine Sea Grant, we are so privileged to have the opportunity to serve Maine and work alongside all of you to do so! As you know, we work closely with so many of you to identify needs, respond to challenges, and create new opportunities. In the last year, our programs and services helped generate an estimated $20.2 million in economic benefits for businesses and communities; we provided training and support for 489 new and expanded jobs, and 283 new or sustained businesses; and worked to support 60 coastal communities to help improve their resilience, among many other activities. To learn more about our latest impacts, visit our Maine Sea Grant By the Numbers document.
You can help us continue this work. This year, we’re asking our friends to complete a short form if they agree with the statement “I value Sea Grant.” AND please share this link with others!
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Additional ways to support Maine Sea Grant:
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- Forward our newsletter to someone who cares about Maine’s coastal communities
- Make a gift – A tax-deductible donation of any amount will be used to provide field trips and hands-on learning; undergraduate scholarships; graduate fellowships; critical research projects, and seed funding
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Undergraduate Scholarship in Marine Sciences
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Maine Sea Grant will soon open applications for its annual Undergraduate Scholarship in Marine Sciences. The scholarship is open to undergraduates completing their second or third year at participating Maine institutions. Applications open March 2, 2026, and close April 27, 2026.
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The 2026 Maine Fishermen’s Forum
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Maine Sea Grant Marine Debris Symposium – Save the Date
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Maine Sea Grant is excited to host the 2026 Marine Debris Symposium at the Wells Conference Center in Orono, Maine, on September 21–22. Supported by a NOAA National Sea Grant Marine Debris Challenge Grant, the event will showcase research findings and product prototypes developed by University of Maine researchers and Sea Grant partners to reduce single-use plastics using biodegradable materials from forests, oceans, and agricultural by-products.
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Congratulations to Ruby Krasnow
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Ruby was selected as a 2025 NMFS‑Sea Grant Joint Fellow through the National Marine Fisheries Service & NOAA Sea Grant program! This prestigious fellowship supports emerging scientists advancing quantitative approaches to marine ecosystem science and fisheries management. Read more about the 2025 projects here.
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Recently funded Program Development Projects
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- Monique Coombs, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association – Updating Maine’s Shellfish Handbook to Address Water Quality and Access
- Elizabeth Michaud, Green and White Hope, Inc. – Community Orchestration Pilot Guide
- Anna Vinton, University of Maine. Presque Isle – Evolutionary modeling for Atlantic salmon restoration: A pilot study on genetic trade-offs and life history diversity
- Jesse Minor, Maine Department of Marine Resources – Testing ROV video transect methods for seafloor habitat assessment
- Josh Stoll, University of Maine – Understanding the linkage between Maine’s seafood economy and food security
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Extension and Community Engagement
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Strengthening Aquaculture Ties with Japan
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In October, Maine Sea Grant’s Dana Morse traveled to Japan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Maine–Aomori sister-state relationship and participate in a scallop farming technology exchange. Alongside growers and scientists from Maine and Canada, Morse met with Japanese scallop farmers, equipment manufacturers, and processors in Aomori and Hokkaido—continuing a long-standing collaboration that has helped advance Maine’s scallop aquaculture industry. Read more about Dana’s trip here.
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Working Waterfront Resilience Series Wrap-up
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In early February, Maine Sea Grant hosted the Working Waterfront Resilience Workshop Series. The workshops brought together over 200 municipal officials, waterfront property owners, harbor masters, regional planners, fishing and aquaculture industry members, and community volunteers to explore strategies, tools, and resources to strengthen waterfront infrastructure and resilience.
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Aquaculture Siting and Sustainability Workshop
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The 2026 Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition
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Maine Sea Grant participated in the Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition (NACE/MAS 2026), held January 7–9 in Portland, Maine. The biennial conference brought together aquaculture producers, researchers, educators, and industry partners from across the region to share knowledge on shellfish, seaweed, finfish, and emerging aquaculture practices..
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Education and Workforce Development
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Maine Sea Grant 2026 Knauss Fellows
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Maine Sea Grant is excited to announce that Kelsey Davis and Sarah Vogel have been selected as 2026 Knauss Fellows! This prestigious fellowship places early-career professionals in Washington, D.C., where they contribute scientific and technical expertise, providing emerging leaders with a unique opportunity to shape ocean and coastal policy. Meet the 2025-2026 cohort here.
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Maine Sea Grant in the Spotlight: Learning by Doing (& Sometimes Failing)
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Maine Sea Grant’s Annie Fagan is featured in Edible MAINE’s article “Learning by Doing (& Sometimes Failing)”. The piece highlights Annie’s role in launching Maine’s first Aquaculture Bootcamp. Annie’s work exemplifies the collaborative, community‑driven spirit at the heart of Maine Sea Grant’s efforts to support resilient coastal economies and a thriving aquaculture sector.
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- Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Announce $2 million in new NOAA awards to support innovative American lobster research and outreach, UMaine News
- A Little Goes a Long Way: How Small Programs Are Educating Communities About Farmed Seafood, NOAA Fisheries
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- 51st Annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum, March 5–7, 2026
- Reducing Marine Debris at the Source: Embracing Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic Food Packaging, March 17, 2026
- Maine Sustainability and Water Conference, March 26, 2026
- Maine Science Festival, March 25-29, 2026
- 2026 Blue Ocean Symposium, March 27, 2026
Tune in to WERU Community Radio (89.9 FM in Blue Hill and streaming online at WERU.org) from 4:00 to 4:30 PM the fourth Friday of each month for Coastal Conversations, a public affairs program hosted by Marine Extension Program Leader Natalie Springuel that explores current issues facing Maine’s coastal communities through conversations with people who live, work, and play on our coast. Coastal Conversations is supported by Maine Sea Grant, in partnership with Schoodic Institute and The First Coast.
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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.
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Please do not reply directly to this email. This was sent from an address that cannot accept responses. For questions or assistance, please contact the office.
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Maine Sea Grant 5741 Libby Hall, Orono, ME, 04469
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Maine Sea Grant is a federal-state partnership program based at the University of Maine and one of 34 NOAA Sea Grant programs throughout the coastal and Great Lakes states. We receive funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is matched by the state of Maine and other non-federal sources. Since 1971, we have promoted science and education for the sustainable development, management, and stewardship of Maine’s marine and coastal resources. We continue this mission today by supporting marine and coastal research, education, and outreach via a marine extension team with individuals located in coastal communities from Wells to Eastport.
The University of Maine System is an equal opportunity institution committed to nondiscrimination.
Maine Sea Grant’s work across Maine, from the Piscataqua River to Passamaquoddy Bay, is carried out on the lands and waters of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi’kmaq. We thank them for their stewardship and continued strength and resilience in protecting it. We support efforts for healing and protecting the land and water we share.
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Maine Sea Grant
