Maine Sea Grant

James T. Carlton The Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave Mystic, CT 06355 860.572.5359 Since 2001, three new species of invasive shrimp (one from Asia and two from Europe) have appeared and spread along the U.S. East Coast. A fourth species in the same genus (Palaemon) with no previous […]

Robert Steneck University of Maine School of Marine Sciences Thew Suskiewicz Université Laval Filippo Ferrario Université Laval Doug Rasher University of Maine Maine’s coastal ecosystem changed profoundly during the 1990s, with the collapse of nearshore sea urchin populations. The loss of this important grazer led to increased abundance of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), kelp and […]

Aaron Pastor Macro Maine, Inc. PO Box 11266 Portland, Maine 04104 Seeing a timely need to create awareness of the Maine seaweed/aquaculture industries and the benefits for human health, economy, and ocean ecology, the Maine Seaweed Festival, http://www.seaweedfest.com/, was created as a free outdoor festival that promotes and highlights Maine seaweed and aquaculture innovation. Local artists, entertainers, […]

Jennifer Couture Phillips University of Maine School of Marine Sciences The soft-shell clam fishery on the coast of Maine has significant economic and cultural value to the state. In recent years, community fishery managers in areas where clam populations have declined have taken to seeding hatchery-raised juvenile clams onto mud flats to bolster populations. One threat […]

Heather Leslie University of Maine School of Marine Sciences Kathleen Thornton University of Maine School of Marine Sciences The estuaries and coastal waters of Maine are complex ecosystems, influenced by salt water from the Gulf of Maine and freshwater entering from rivers and streams. They provide essential habitat for wildlife including seafood species. They are […]

John Anderson William H. Drury Chair in Ecology and Natural History College of the Atlantic 207.801.5717 Herring gulls and great black-backed gulls, once so ubiquitous they were routinely killed by wildlife officials, lately have experienced catastrophic declines throughout their range. Because both species of gull are found across much of the northern hemisphere, little has […]

Ian Medeiros College of the Atlantic 774.218.8426 Nishanta Rajakaruna College of the Atlantic Seaweeds harvested and grown off the Maine coast support a strong and expanding seafood industry. Marine macroalgae have many unique characteristics, including the ability to absorb or bioaccumulate heavy metals. Whether or not these metals are available to consumers or have toxic […]