Maine Sea Grant

Carolyn Tepolt Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution   Genetic adaptation may play an important role in the ability of lobsters to adapt to changing environmental conditions in the Gulf of Maine. Earlier research has suggested that lobsters may have evolved genetic variation related to temperature. However, the potential of rapid genomic adaptation to contribute to lobster […]

Kathleen Thornton Darling Marine Center University of Maine Citizen groups, aided by new technologies such as autonomous buoys, sondes, and other hand held instrumentation, as well as an expanding network of volunteer monitors, are obtaining a steadily increasing volume of coastal and estuarine water quality data. Even as the amount of data increases, there exist […]

Christopher Johnson Sipayik Environmental Department Passamaquoddy Tribe Perry, Maine The Sipayik Environmental Department at Pleasant Point is expanding focus on American eel (Anguilla rostrata), which have been vital to Wabanaki culture and survival for thousands of years. Efforts to maintain and enhance eel populations in the ancestral homeland are critical to the continued sustainability of […]

Joshua Stoll School of Marine Sciences University of Maine Maine’s commercial fishing sector has had a long history of participating in fisheries management. Communication between harvesters and policymakers has been instrumental in the development of rules and regulations that have helped to sustain the region’s coastal fisheries. Fishermen have deep understanding of the natural environment. […]

Gayle Zydlewski School of Marine Sciences University of Maine Since 2012, Gayle Zydlewski has been leading a team of students and local partners to assess the effects of tidal power development on fish presence, behavior, and distribution, with a goal of informing decisions about the industry’s future in eastern Maine and beyond. However, many factors […]

Cary Friedman Assistant Professor of Marine Science Maine Maritime Academy Castine, ME Persistent organic pollutants are pervasive throughout the world’s oceans, and they are present in the Penobscot River and Bay. One type of pollutant, a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) used as flame retardant on a wide variety of products, can be toxic to people […]

Ian Bricknell School of Marine Sciences University of Maine The European green crab, Carcinus maenas, is an invasive species on the East Coast of the United States as well as many other regions around the world, and threatens important seafood species in Maine. There are no significant natural predators of green crabs on the coast […]

Karen Wilson University of Southern Maine In the Penobscot River Estuary, the return of large numbers of river herring coincides with a legacy of mercury contamination from historic industrial activity. Sea Grant funded research has demonstrated that juvenile river herring are spending much longer in the estuary than previously thought (weeks to months) and consuming […]

Bob Twilley President, Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Seattle, WA The mission of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation is to advance understanding and stewardship of estuarine and coastal ecosystems worldwide through promoting research supporting education, and facilitating communication among scientists, government, and the public. The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation is the only scientific […]