Maine Sea Grant

Dr. Mikhail Zuykov Laurentian University In August 2019, a pathogenic green algae, Coccomyxa spp. was found in mytilid mussels, Mytilus spp. in Jonesport, Maine and the surrounding area. Previous reports have documented the algae in Canadian coastal provinces and European waters, but this may be the first record of it in the Gulf of Maine. […]

Morgan Cuthbert Yarmouth Schools Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In Maine, aquaculture is becoming a prominent industry and is serving as a means for commercial fishermen to diversify their efforts. Furthermore, the National Oceanic and […]

Dr. Chris Petersen College of the Atlantic According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, lobster landings have been increasing since 1985, with over 132 million pounds landed in Maine during 2016. The lobster fishery has historically remained viable, even when other local fisheries have not. This is likely the result of the strong conservation […]

Caitlin Cleaver, PhD Candidate University of Maine Maine coastal communities depend on the viability of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery. However, as the Gulf of Maine changes, some lobstermen are diversifying their efforts to include oyster, mussel, seaweed, and salmon farming. The objective of this research is to understand the characteristics of fishermen-farmers based […]

Dr. Brian Beal Downeast Institute The soft-shell clam fishery is an important part of Maine’s history and culture. However, clam landings have decreased over the past decade due to warming water temperatures and predation by invasive species. In order to support sustainable seafood and coastal ecosystem health, investigators will test whether “brushing” is a viable […]

Meredith White Mook Sea Farm   Some of the greatest risks facing oyster growers in Maine stem from ecosystem changes including increased temperature and changes to seawater chemistry that affect abundance of Vibrio species, an illness-causing bacteria. Illnesses linked to consumption of shellfish from cooler northeast waters had historically been rare but has increased in […]

Sarah Gladu Damariscotta River Association Damariscotta, ME The Maine Coastal Observing Alliance (MCOA) consists of nine coastal citizen monitoring groups who collect water samples and analyze pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients (total nitrogen), salinity, and turbidity in eight coastal estuaries and embayments between Casco Bay and Penobscot Bay. This coastwide survey, initiated in 2013, of […]

Bailey Bowden Town of Penobscot Alewife Committee Penobscot, ME There has been a lot of activity in the Bagaduce River watershed, including participation in the SEANET project and two fish passage restoration projects supported by NOAA’s Habitat Blueprint. New fishways at Pierce’s and Wight’s Ponds in Penobscot are part of a focus on restoring alewives […]