Maine Sea Grant

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 […]

Ruth Hallsworth Senator George J. Mitchell Center University of Maine Email Ruth Hallsworth Maine has a wealth of water resources with 5,800 lakes, 32,000 miles of scenic and industrial rivers, and significant estuaries and coastline. Lakes cover almost 5% of the total state area. Together, forested wetlands and freshwater wetlands comprise almost 25% of the […]

Kate Dickerson 207.478.9548 mainesciencefestival.org Maine is a rural state with a small, dispersed population, where many residents feel the loss of traditional industries and are struggling economically. The state is exceptionally rich in natural resources, however, and its beauty has attracted and held generations of highly creative citizens who have adapted to the remote and […]

Haley Viehman University of Maine Offshore renewable energy has the potential to contribute to the resilience of coastal communities. Realizing this potential requires a transition from pilot projects to commercial-scale deployments. Collaboration between researchers from multiple disciplines, project developers, regulatory agencies, local industry, and communities is becoming recognized as a prerequisite to these larger projects, […]

Aria Amirbahman Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 5711 Boardman Hall University of Maine 207.581.1277 Addressing the sustainability of aquaculture requires knowing something about the impacts of aquaculture facilities on water quality. As part of the SEANET project, UMaine researcher Aria Amirbahman is studying the influence of aquaculture on sediment biogeochemical processes. Intact sediment cores […]