Maine Sea Grant

Project Title: Atlantic Salmon Freshwater Assessments and Research of Mutual Interest to
Maine DSRFH and NOAA
Project Location: Jonesboro office of the Maine Department of Marine Resources Bureau of
Sea-run Fisheries and Habitat, 317 Whitneyville Road, Jonesboro, ME (In-Person)
Project Leader: Ernie Atkinson (ernie.atkinson@maine.gov)
Project Time Frame: May 2026 – August 2026 (flexible with student/mentor schedules)
Total Hours: up to 480
Pay Rate: $19.25/hour

Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon are the last wild populations in the USA and are listed as
endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Continued management-based research and
assessments are necessary to document population responses to management action and
habitat improvements and restoration.

ME-DMR Bureau of Sea-run Fisheries and Habitat works with NOAA-Fisheries to preserve
Atlantic salmon within the Gulf of Maine. Under this agreement, ME-DMR staff conduct smolt
trapping operations and operate adult salmon traps. MDMR also works with other partners on
habitat connectivity and restoration projects. This intern would be exposed to a variety of
fisheries techniques and management over the course of their term. A clean driving record is a requirement as there may be a need to use a State of Maine vehicle
for project needs.

The intern will assist MEDMR in trapping out migrating salmon smolts and trapping adult sea-
run salmon on the Narraguagus River.

The intern will be involved in conducting habitat assessment surveys in the Narraguagus River,
Maine. This work will involve conducting stream substrate sampling, water temperature
monitoring, recording stream velocities, and other work focused on identifying key habitat
variables that will be associated with ongoing habitat modeling efforts. Data entry and analysis
will be part of this work as well as working with the site mentor to establish a survey
plan.Ideally, a summary report of the trends and observations for these surveys and data will
be completed by the end of the internship period.

Along the way, the intern will learn land navigation, database management and will be
introduced to Program R as the analysis portion commences. The intern will work closely with
the project leader to finish this work. The intern will also experience other aspects of Atlantic
salmon management as noted below.

The region that this work will take place is sparsely populated providing a “wilderness”
experience. Most of the field work takes place off paved roads in remote settings. Access to
sites varies and may involve canoeing and hiking as well as driving on logging roads. Comfort
working in remote locations is essential to success with this position.

The intern would assist in:

• Spring stocking operations
• Operation of rotary screw traps for the purpose of enumerating out-migrating Atlantic salmon smolts in the Narraguagus River
• Operation of an adult trapping site on the Narraguagus River in Cherryfield, ME.
• Surveying habitat quantity and abundance in the Narraguagus River in the Downeast SHRU to be used later to enumerate rearing habitat for juvenile salmon.
• Assist in habitat connectivity and habitat restoration projects such as coarse wood additions and other habitat manipulations.

Opportunities include:

• Getting to know and work with scientists from state, federal, and non-governmental agencies.
• Exposure to fisheries science and enumeration techniques.
• Exposure to stream habitat rehabilitation work and the reasons for doing this.
• The ability to apply database, GIS and statistical methods to a practical application while summarizing the water temperature data.
• Practical experience in fisheries techniques like stream monitoring, trap counts and habitat surveying.
• Further data exploration and summarization in a future capstone research project.