Completed Projects

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

Marissa McMahan Northeastern University Nahant, MA 01908 The European green crab, Carcinus maenas, is an invasive species in coastal Maine that threatens the commercially important soft shell clam (through predation) as well as lobster (through competition for shelter and food resources). In response, fishermen and resource managers throughout Maine are experimenting with ways to eradicate […]

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DV-17-05 International Pectinid Workshop

Sandra Shumway University of Connecticut Emily Keiley University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth The first International Pectinid Workshop was held in 1976 in Ireland and has since moved throughout the world. The Workshop has grown to a large international group attracting well over 100 delegates from some 30 coun­tries. Devoted scallop enthusiasts gather every second year to exchange […]

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

Richard Wahle School of Marine Sciences University of Maine Kari Lavalli Boston University The ICWL began in 1977 when a group of 37 lobster biologists from six countries met in Perth, Australia, to discuss and compare their work on lobster ecology, physiology, and early stock management protocols, and to find common themes among the different […]

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DV-17-15 Expanding the Phytoplankton Monitoring Volunteer Program

Amy Hamilton Vailea Maine Department of Marine Resources West Boothbay Harbor, ME Some species of phytoplankton (microscopic marine algae) can be toxic to humans and wildlife. Excessive growth or “blooms” of these phytoplankton are often called “red tide.” In Maine, species of Alexandrium produce toxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, and result in closures of […]

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

David Fields Senior Research Scientist Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences East Boothbay, ME Temperature is the primary factor that determines survival and development in newly hatched crustaceans such as lobster. The ability of these early stages to develop in the face of increasingly warm ocean conditions will determine what species are able to maintain populations […]

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

Daniel Ungier Executive Director Medomak Valley Land Trust With 2015 landings of $2.2 million, the Medomak River is one of the most valuable clam fisheries in the Maine. This fishery employs approximately 150 commercial clam diggers who depend on the availability of the clam resource, which is threatened by bacterial pollution delivered by stormwater discharge. […]

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

Peter Countway Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Skylar Bayer School of Marine Sciences University of Maine Richard Wahle School of Marine Sciences University of Maine The giant sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) is a highly valuable seafood species harvested in the Gulf of Maine. Fishermen and managers responded to declining populations by instituting a series of […]

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

Skylar Bayer University of Maine Darling Marine Center 193 Clark’s Cove Road Walpole, ME 04573 617.771.5173 Once a large fishery in Maine, scallop populations are now depleted. As free spawners, scallop populations may not be dense enough to achieve the high fertilization rates necessary to guarantee reproduction. Understanding the efficacy of area closures in rebuilding […]

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DV-14-17 Testing diets for American eel aquaculture

Sara Rademaker American Unagi, LLC Maine has unique access to juvenile wild American eels (glass eels or elvers), which support a global eel aquaculture industry. Maine’s multimillion dollar elver fishery currently ships its glass eels to farms in Asia. Growing out glass eels to market size here can increase the value of eels nine-fold. In […]

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