Listing of Research Projects by Year

Maine Sea Grant supports scientific research that addresses issues of importance to Maine’s coastal communities. Proposals are requested through a biennial research competition. We also provide project development funds for seed or pilot projects throughout the year. See the Funding page for more information. View a searchable list of projects.

 2022
2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014
2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008
2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004

Maine Sea Grant Research Symposium

2022 Research

R-22-23-Mills Access and adaptation in Maine’s marine fisheries

R-22-23-Kerr An ecosystem context for fisheries decision-making in Maine coastal waters

R-22-23-Johnson Methane emissions and carbon sequestration in tidally restricted salt marshes

R-22-23-Aeppli Composition and transport of forever chemicals (PFAS) in Maine’s estuaries

2020 Research

R-20-01 Identifying Seed Source Populations Supporting the Culture of Atlantic Sea Scallops in Coastal Maine

R-20-02 Market development as mitigation strategy for ecosystem damage and predation by invasive green crab

R-20-03 Examining Spatial and Temporal Variability in Soft-Shell Clam Recruitment: Establishing a Coastwide Monitoring Program

R-20-04 Industry-established food safety guidelines for post-harvest handling of edible seaweed towards a more resilient coastal community

R-20-05 Rapid detection of Vibrio of oyster management

2020 Development

DV-20-02 A tagging study to understand sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) growth and movement in the Lower Penobscot Bay rotational management area

DV-20-03 Linking ecological and social resilience in coastal communities

DV-20-04 Are lobster habitats changing as an indirect effect of climate change?

DV-20-05 Quantifying Soft-Shell Clam Fecundity Across Two Regions of the Maine Coast

2019 Development

DV-19-05 Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates in marine mammals found in the Gulf of Maine adjacent Canadian waters: relevance to human health

DV-19-06 Effects of microplastic fibers presence and ingestion on American lobster larvae

DV-19-07 Shell Day: Marine Monitoring Blitz

DV-19-08 Examining the efficacy of methods to enhance soft-shell clam recruitment along the Maine coast

DV-19-09 Boat modifications and haulable longlines to improve efficiency and safety in seaweed harvest

DV-19-12 Alternative lobster bait attractant testing

DV-19-16: Aquaculture in Maine Classrooms – Making Connections

DV-19-17: The who, how, and why? A deep dive into understanding Maine’s fishermen-farmers

DV-19-18: New pathogen discovery in wild blue mussels from the Gulf of Maine

DV-19-19: The Lobster Gangs of Maine in a changing fishery

2018 Research

R-18-02 Reconciling multiple stakeholders in rockweed habitats: Science to help achieve the intersecting goals of a fishery and coastal wildlife

R-18-03 The return of Maine’s kelp forests: patterns, drivers, and implications for industry

R-18-04 Understanding climate impacts on the Maine coastal fish and invertebrate community through synthesis of the Maine-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl

R-18-05 From paleoceanography to policy: Applying historical coastal pH baselines from long-lived shells and skeletons to contemporary shellfish aquaculture

2018 Development

DV-18-01 Compared growth and physiology of American lobster and green crab under elevated temperature

DV-18-02 Bagaduce Estuary fish population surveys

DV-18-07 How can the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program access fish from the Portland Fish Exchange?

DV-18-08 Building a Maine Midden Minders Network for statewide citizen science

DV-18-10 Investigating Maine’s changing water cycle through a cultural lens

DV-18-11 Selection in response to short-term temperature stress in early larval lobster stages

DV-18-12 Data compilation, analysis and visualization training for citizen scientists

DV-18-13 Determining causes of replicate variability in levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Eastern oysters in order to improve the efficacy of a cold water pathogen reduction process

2017 Development

DV-17-01 Estimating nitrogen loads in Casco Bay, Maine

DV-17-02 Healthy and happy lobsters: maximizing profit and quality in the supply chain

DV-17-03 Investigating the viability of a soft-shell green crab industry in Maine

DV-17-04 A comparison of farmed versus wild American eel products

DV-17-05 International Pectinid Workshop

DV-17-06 Optimizing depuration methods of the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the Eastern oyster

DV-17-07 International Conference and Workshops on Lobster Biology & Management

DV-17-08 Testing the effectiveness of eel life cycle study methods in Downeast Maine

DV-17-09 Developing and assessing a method to analyze the effects of access on local ecological knowledge of commercial fishermen

DV-17-12 Field testing a new genetic marker on spawning scallop populations

DV-17-13 Engaging partners to build an ecosystem-level understanding of Cobscook Bay and Western Passage

DV-17-14 Medomak River Task Force Water Quality Improvement Phase II

DV-17-15 Expanding the Phytoplankton Monitoring Volunteer Program

DV-17-16 Measuring concentrations of brominated flame retardants in microplastic from Penobscot Bay

DV-17-17 Transmission dynamics of green crab parasites on the Maine coast

DV-17-18 Growth and physiological sensitivity of early stage Gulf of Maine crustaceans in response to ocean warming

DV-17-20 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Annual Meeting

DV-17-20 Developing consistent methods to collect biological data at field stations across the Gulf of Maine

DV-17-21 Midcoast Maine Water Quality for Our Communities

DV-17-22 Bagaduce Watershed Monitoring

2017 Education

E-17-01 Sustainable post-harvest processing and value-addition of cultured seaweed

E-17-02 Large-scale culture methods for blue mussel seed production in Maine and the Northeast: experimental laboratory & field trials

2016 Research

R-16-02 Deepwater lobster settlement across thermal gradients in the Gulf of Maine

R-16-04 Improving assessment of critical habitat for Atlantic salmon in a rapidly changing climate

R-16-05 Lost to the sea: ancient coastal heritage

2016 Development

DV-16-01 Sea-level rise adaptation in New England marshes

DV-16-04 The 45th Benthic Ecology Meeting

DV-16-06 Developing a genetic toolkit to detect spawning events of giant sea scallops

DV-16-07 Northeastern Coastal Station Alliance intertidal temperature monitoring proof of concept: What can Tidbit data loggers tell us about coordination and collaboration?

DV-16-08 Training for Observation and Research of Coastal Habitats

DV-16-09 Downeast Whale Watch Training Program

DV-16-10 Developing a fishery for softshell green crab by improving molt detection

DV-16-11 Northern Maine Children’s Water Festival

DV-16-12 Impact of claw removal on Jonah crab survival

DV-16-13 Assessing the ecological and economic impacts of Chondrus crispus: the rise of Maine’s new foundation species

DV-16-14 International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy Symposium

DV-16-16 Medomak River Task Force Water Quality Improvement Project

DV-16-22 Student shellfish aquaculture and ecological monitoring initiative

DV-16-23 The Coastal Science Academy

DV-16-24 Engaging shellfish stakeholders in assessing ribbon worm damage and identifying solutions

DV-16-25 Northeast Aquaculture Conference

DV-16-26 Assessing possible mercury contamination in juvenile river herring in the Penobscot Estuary

2016 Education

E-16 Arctic surf clam: A new candidate species to diversify and advance sustainable domestic aquaculture in Maine and the Northeast U.S.

2015 Development

DV-15-01 Nor’easter Bowl

DV-15-04 The range, prevalence, and abundance of codworm in the Gulf of Maine

DV-15-07 Maine Seaweed Festival 2015

DV-15-08 Sediment flux of nutrients and trace metals associated with marine aquaculture

DV-15-10 Building knowledge to benefit Maine’s working waterfronts: scallop aquaculture

DV-15-11 Lobstering & the Maine Coast at the Maine Maritime Museum

DV-15-12 Linking ocean acidification factors to the development of American lobster

DV-15-13 Evaluating the impacts of climate change on suitable habitat and reproduction of northern shrimp in the Gulf of Maine

DV-15-14 Maine Science Festival

DV-15-15 Oceanic Scales

DV-15-16 Comparative Genetics of Soft-Shell Clams in Penobscot Bay & the Gulf of Maine

2014 Research

R-14-01 Supporting Sea Vegetable Aquaculture in Maine

R-14-02 Evaluating Performance of Stock Assessment Models for Northern Shrimp and Atlantic Herring

R-14-03 Coastal Flooding and Erosion from Severe Storms in a Changing Climate

R-14-04 Variation in Habitat Use by Juvenile River Herring

R-NERR14-1 Coastal Hazards and Northeast Housing Values (Regional Project)

R-NERR14-2 A Comparative Assessment of Approaches to Employing Public Funding to Vulnerable Coastal Properties (Regional Project)

2014 Development

DV-14-01 Gulls in Two Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Gull Populations in the North Atlantic

DV-14-02 Metal Accumulation by Seaweeds at the Callahan Mine Superfund Site

DV-14-03 Identifying hake species in Maine markets

DV-14-05 Assessing the diversity, distribution, and abundance of new shrimp invasions in the Northeast United States

DV-14-06 Whole-animal and molecular responses of blue mussels exposed to municipal effluent: application of a bioenergetics framework

DV-14-07 Student presentations at American Fisheries Society meeting

DV-14-09 Maine Seaweed Festival

DV-14-10 Public shoreline access in Maine: evolving laws and lessons

DV-14-12 Spatial dimensions of Maine sea scallop reproduction: presentation at the International Pectinid Workshop

DV-14-13 Climate Solutions Mapping Project

DV-14-14 Maine Coastal Observing Alliance regional monitoring pilot project

DV-14-15 Port Clyde Fisheries Project

DV-14-16 Establishing educational kelp aquaculture at UMaine Machias and the Downeast Institute

DV-14-17 Testing diets for American eel aquaculture

DV-14-18 Representing Maine at the International Harmful Algal Bloom Conference

2014 Education

E-14-EA-2 Aquaculture site prospecting: Developing remote sensing capabilities for the aquaculture community of Maine

2013 Development

DV-13-01 New England Estuarine Research Society Meeting

DV-13-03 Developing wildlife monitoring capabilities for weather buoys in the Gulf of Maine

DV-13-04 Downeast Smelt Fry

DV-13-06 Effects of Alexandrium saxitoxins on the life history of green sea urchin

DV-13-07 Assessing halibut life history and habitat preferences

DV-13-08 Developing statewide research priorities on ocean acidification

DV-13-11 Green Crab Summit

DV-13-12 Developing an ultrasound telemetry tag for marine crustaceans

DV-13-13 Food Web Dynamics in Cobscook Bay

DV-13-14 Invasive Green Crab Impacts on Salt Marshes

2012 Research

A-12-04 The American Lobster in a Changing Ecosystem: A US-Canada Science Symposium

R-12-01 Spatial and temporal variation in the growth of the soft-shell clam along the coast of Maine

R-12-02 General circulation and exchange between isolated regions in Casco Bay

R-12-03 Maximizing the utility and impact of the American Lobster Settlement Index database

R-12-04 Fish distribution in relation to tidal hydropower in Downeast Maine

R-12-05 The Seafood Links Project: Promoting sustainable seafood in Maine’s inland areas

R-12-07 Decision support for the economic analysis of trade-offs in coastal and marine spatial planning for the US Northeast

R-12-08 Coastal infrastructure resilience in a changing climate

R-12-09 Social and economic impact assessment of catch share management in the Northeast multispecies fishery

R-12-10 The governance role of local authorities in marine spatial planning: a legal assessment of prospects and problems

R-12-11 Climate change adaptation and ecosystem service resilience in Northeast coastal communities

R-12-12 From capture to culture: adding value to the sea urchin fishery with aquaculture

R-12-13 The role of wild and farmed fish in modulating the infectious pressure of the sea louse

R-12-14 Aquaculture in Shared Waters

2012 Development

DV-12-02 DeepCwind Consortium’s Windstorm Challenge

DV-12-03 Northeast Algal Society Annual Meeting

DV-12-04 Sea scallop production trials

DV-12-05 Restoring eelgrass by planting seeds: a novel experimental method

DV-12-06 Monitoring water quality in the Georges River

DV-12-07 Baseline health assessment of the European oyster

DV-12-08 Preliminary sampling of sea lice on wild fish from Cobscook Bay

DV-12-09 Silent Spring revisited: bringing science to life through local libraries

DV-12-10 Nor’easter Bowl

DV-12-11 Downeast Smelt Fry

DV-12-12 National Summit on Community-Supported Fisheries

DV-12-13 Feasibility of genetic fingerprinting to determine scallop lineage

DV-12-14 Determining habitat use by juvenile blueback herring using natural tags

DV-12-15 Science and technology feature in The Working Waterfront (Fathoming Year 3)

DV-12-16 Sea gulls as potential bioindicators of ecosystem health in the Gulf of Maine

DV-12-17 Microplastics pollution monitoring project

DV-12-23 Evaluating a new energy future for Isle au Haut

2011 Research

R-11-NSI Early Detection and Rapid Response Plan for the Invasive Chinese Mitten Crab

2011 Development

DV-11-01 National Marine Educators Association Annual Conference

DV-11-02 Diving for Science: AAUS Annual Symposium

DV-11-04 Developing a nearshore predictive tool for shellfish toxicity

DV-11-05 Science and technology feature in The Working Waterfront newspaper

DV-11-06 Mitigating invasive ascidian impacts on Maine’s shellfish aquaculture industry

DV-11-07 Biodegradable transplant grids for efficient eelgrass restoration

DV-11-08 International Pectinid Workshop

DV-11-10 Ensuring the safety of Maine’s edible seaweeds

DV-11-11 Coastal States Organization Annual Meeting

DV-11-12 Improving spatial resolution of marine mammal behavioral observation data at Mount Desert Rock

DV-11-13 Molecular genetics and habitat characterization of juvenile cod in Frenchman Bay

2010 Research

R-10-01 The critical leading edge of Gulf of Maine salt marshes

R-10-02 A comparative study of monitoring programs for coherence in quantifying the dynamics of American lobster fisheries in Maine

R-10-03 Restoration of anadromous fishes: the effects of dam removal and habitat conditioning in spawning streams

R-10-04 Assessing vulnerability and resilience in Maine fishing communities

R-10-05 Mapping Maine’s working waters

R-10-06 Using technology to assess the invasive sea squirt, Didemnum vexillum

R-10-07 Mitigating risk to whales from lobster fishing

R-10-08 Aquatic animal health ecology of an industry-deployed integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system

R-10-10 Emergency surveillance monitoring for MSX disease

2010 Development

DV-10-01 Fathoming: An in-depth science news feature

DV-10-02 Creating dialogue on the Maine lobster fishery through lessons from lobster fisheries around the world

DV-10-03 Identifying foraging habitat of breeding Atlantic puffins in Maine

DV-10-04 Characterization of the Maine scallop fishery

DV-10-05 Penobscot River Revival

DV-10-06 People and nature adapting to a changing climate

DV-10-07 Development of autogenous Vibrio vaccine for Atlantic cod

DV-10-08 Nor’easter Bowl 2010

DV-10-09 Symposium on National Ocean Policy

DV-10-10 Preliminary comparison of mercury concentrations in wild and farm-raised shrimp

DV-10-11 Sedgeunkedunk Stream Symposium & Celebration

DV-10-12 Stinson Sardine Cannery Documentary

DV-10-14 Energy Efficiency Improvement in Maine Fisheries

DV-10-21 Columbia Falls Fisheries Heritage Center

DV-10-22 Jump starting an ecosystem: reintroduction of forage fish to North Haven

2009 Development

DV-09-001 Determining the winter range and behavior of Atlantic puffins

DV-09-002 Factors affecting egg quality in American lobsters, Part II

DV-09-003 Penobscot River Revival 2009

DV-09-004 Wind energy leader speaks at UMaine

DV-09-005 Exploring fine scale ecology for groundfish in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank

DV-09-006 Maine Coastal Waters Conference

DV-09-007 Movin’ on up after dam removal: the effects of sea lamprey spawning in Atlantic salmon nursery streams

DV-09-008 A Sentinel Fishery for Downeast Maine: Developing Local Seafood Supply & Demand

DV-09-009 Use of a novel technique to assess the DOC benthic flux in the Penobscot River Estuary, Maine

DV-09-010 Herring Gut Egg-to-Plate Initiative

DV-09-011 Spring Running 2009

DV-09-012 Lobster Settlement Index 20th Anniversary Workshop

DV-09-013 Muscongus Bay Circulation Study

DV-09-014 Assessing a community-based fisheries stewardship education program

DV-09-015 Ecology of Marine Wind Farms

DV-09-016 A comparative study of morphology and dynamic buoyancy in cetaceans

DV-09-018 Northeast Region Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Conference

2008 Research

R-08-01 Growth and long-term abundance patterns of the bloodworm (Glycera dibranchiate)

R-08-02 The benefits and risks of increased spatial resolution in management of New England groundfish stocks

R-08-03 Safety and Compliance in the Maine Commercial Fishing Industry

R-08-04 Modeling ecosystem dynamics for American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the Gulf of Maine

R-08-05 Developing Genetic Fingerprinting Techniques in Lobster Seeding Trials

2008 Development

DV-08-001 Down East Shellfish Management Project

DV-08-002 Spatial and temporal variability of Saco Bay plankton

DV-08-003 Striped bass movement in the lower Penobscot: Do they stay or do they go?

DV-08-004 Identifying biomarkers for detecting disease in Eastern Oysters

DV-08-006 Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Expo

DV-08-007 Penobscot River Revival

DV-08-008 International Conference on Shellfish Restoration

DV-08-011 A drift card study of Saco Bay: validation of a numerical model

DV-08-012 Enhancing the survival of seeded early juvenile green sea urchin

DV-08-013 Nor’easter Bowl 2009

DV-08-014 Accelerating use of seafloor maps to manage the impacts of invasive species and fishery closures

DV-08-015 CC^21

DV-08-016 Technology transfer of the dual grate system to the Northern shrimp fishery

DV-08-017 Effects of climate change and grass communities on trophic transfer of metals

DV-08-018 Status, Trends, and Conservation of Eelgrass in the Northeast

DV-08-019 The Gulf of Maine Lobster Fishery Conference: The Future of the Lobster Industry

2007 Development

DV-07-001 A preliminary study to develop and evaluate stock assessment models for cod fisheries in the Gulf of Maine

DV-07-003 Annual Conference of the National Marine Educators Association

DV-07-004 Spring Running Festival

DV-07-005 Stable Isotope Signatures of Marine Fish Predators and their Prey

DV-07-008 Coastal Fishes of Southern Maine and New Hampshire

DV-07-009 Factors affecting egg quality in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the Bay of Fundy

DV-07-010 Discovery of natural anticancer compounds from a marine mollusk

DV-07-011 Maine lobster fishery climate change impact assessment

DV-07-013/14 Centennial Meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association

2006 Research

R-06-01 Effect of bloodworm harvesting on tidal flat fauna and ecosystem function

R-06-02 Are Maine’s marshes drowning? Determining the life cycle of salt marsh pannes

R-06-03 Integrated mariculture with Porphyra (“nori”) to achieve sustainable aquaculture and new food products

R-06-04 Developing and evaulating biological reference points for the american lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery management

2006 Development

DV-06-002 Enhancing Capacity for Economic Research on Marine Industries of Eastern Maine

DV-06-003 A Pilot Study to Determine the Use of Three Tools to Monitor Toxicity in Bloom Dynamics in Harpswell, Maine

DV-06-004 Monitoring the Abundance and Distribution of the Invasive Asian Shore Crab, Hemigraspus sanguineus, on the Schoodic Peninsula and its Effects on Intertidal Crab and Bivalve Populations

DV-06-005 Characterization of Meiofaunal Associations in Altered Maine Sandy Beaches

DV-06-006 Improved Estuarine Passage of Atlantic Salmon Smolt in the Penobscot River via SeaReady Hatchery Preconditioning

DV-06-008 Characterizing brook trout movement in coastal waters

DV-06-011 Gulf of Maine Expedition Institute Web Site Development

DV-06-012 Ambassadors of the Bay: Vision Quest 2006

DV-06-013 Preliminary Wetland Survey of the Penobscot River and Estuary

DV-06-015 Salt Marsh and American Eel Publications

2005 Research

R-05-01 Monitoring Mercury Fluxes in Estuarine Sediment Porewaters Using Novel Reactive Membranes

R-05-02 Phytoplankton Carrying Capacity in the Damariscotta River Estuary

2005 Development

DV-05-001 Assembling the History of a Marine Invasive Species in Maine: Water Temperature as a Predictor of Green Crab (Carcinus maenas) Outbreaks from 1956-2005

DV-05-002 Diet, Nest, Attendance and Foraging Areas of Arctic and Common Terns Breeding on Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge

DV-05-004 Investigating the Efficacy of Lobster Nurseries for Stock Assessment

DV-05-007 Ecosystem Modeling of a Macrotidal Estuary

DV-05-008 Assessing the Potential for Successful Culture of the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus, in Maine

DV-05-009 Metalliferous Plants of the Callahan Mine: Plant Diversity, Heavy Metal Tolerance, and Potential for Phytoremediation

DV-05-011 Microbial Fuel Cells to Accelerate Biodegredation under Anaerobic Conditions: A Low-maintenance, Environmentally Friendly Approach to Sediment Bioremediation

DV-05-014 Sears Island Planning: Economic Analysis of an Education, Recreation, and Ecotourism Future

DV-05-016 Mapping Maine’s Working Waterfront

2004 Research

R-04-01 An Agent-based Model of the Maine Lobster Industry

R-04-02 Environmental controls on shrimp recruitment dynamics

R-04-03 Population structure of sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in two coastal embayments in Maine

R-04-04 The Effects of Herring Bait on Lobster Population Dynamics and the Benthic Community

R-04-05 Wave predictions for coastal Gulf of Maine

2004 Development

DV-04-003 Preliminary Investigation of Sediment Disturbance from Bloodworm Digging

DV-04-007 Defining the Maine Piece of the New England Invasive Species Jigsaw Puzzle: Field Site Selection Using Critical Invertebrate Areas as Sampling Locations

DV-04-011 A Survey of Waterfront Access Points in Cobscook Bay

DV-04-012 Comparitive Study on the Underwater Maneuverability of Gray and Humpback Whales: Using Electronic Tags to Understand Whale Behavior and Ecology

DV-04-017 Maine Intertidal Zone Investigation (MITZI)

MOSAC

MOSAC-02-01 Spatial Dynamics of the Lobster Fishery and Oil Spills in the Gulf of Maine, a Risk Analysis of Oil Spills on the Lobster Fishery

MOSAC-02-02 Ecological Functions of Fringing Salt Marshes Susceptible to Oil Spills in Casco Bay

MOSAC-03-01 Measuring the Economic Damages from Oil Spills to Maine’s Marine Economy

MOSAC-03-02 Three-dimensional Modeling of Cobscook Bay

MOSAC-03-03 A Field Study of Circulation Patterns in Cobscook Bay

MOSAC-04-01 Observations of Tidal, Subtidal, and Seasonal Variability in Casco Bay Circulation

MOSAC-05-01 Assessment of Nursery Habitats Within Casco Bay

MOSAC-08-01 Intertidal, soft-bottom macrofauna within and around Cobscook Bay, ME

MOSAC-08-02 Shore-based photogrammetry of surface oceanography for oil spill mitigation