Maine Sea Grant

Rich MacDonald Gulf of Maine Expedition Institute 285 Knox Road Bar Harbor, ME 04609 207-288-4205 rich@gomexpedition.org The Gulf of Maine Expedition was a sea kayaking journey organized to raise awareness and caring about the ecology and cultural legacy of this international watershed and to promote low-impact coastal recreational practices, safety, and stewardship principles. The successful […]

Mary E. Rumpho-Kennedy Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology 5735 Hitchner Hall University of Maine Orono, ME 04469 P. 207.581.2806 Like many vast and diverse ecosystems on Earth, the sea represents an oasis of potential medicines and healing substances, including anticancer compounds. For example, the toxic chemicals generated by some organisms as protection against […]

Ben Letcher Silvio O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center Very little is known about the life history of sea-run brook trout in Maine. Yet knowing how brook trout utilize marine habitat is important information for fisheries managers who are charged with maintaining and protection brook trout populations. This project will attempt to identify the range […]

Robert Snyder Island Institute P.O. Box 648 386 Main Street Rockland, ME 04841 P. 207.594.9209 The Island Institute in Rockland, Maine, coordinated an assessment of climate change impacts on the Maine lobster fishery. They completed several months of research on fishermen’s observations regarding trends in weather, climate, water temperature, runoff, and salinity in relation to […]

Steven H. Jury MariCal, Inc. 400 Commercial St. Portland, ME 04101 207-773-2500 sjury@marical.biz Returns of Atlantic salmon have been in precipitous decline over the past 20 years. Despite major fisheries restoration and enhancement efforts, the fish remain endangered in eight Maine rivers. The Penobscot River, the only watershed with significant returns of adult salmon, remains […]

Heather Koopman Biology and Marine Biology University of North Carolina Wilmington 601 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28401 P. 910.962.7199 koopmanh@uncw.edu Lobster larvae that are released in the waters around Grand Manan Island are picked up by tidal currents and distributed hundreds of kilometers from the Bay of Fundy and southwestern coast of Nova Scotia […]

Stephen Fegley Maine Maritime Academy 101 Andrews Castine, ME 04420 207-326-2396 sfegley@mma.edu Although sandy beaches in Maine are relatively scarce, they attract tourists and coastal development and generate substantial annual revenues. Unfortunately, beaches and their associated dune systems are fragile and, in many areas, have been reduced or lost through natural events and human activities. […]

Paul Rawson University of Maine School of Marine Sciences 5706 Aubert Hall Orono, ME 04469 207.581.4326 prawson@maine.edu Disease organisms like MSX, Dermo, and Roseovarius can impede the production and marketing of cultured eastern oysters, yet testing for the presence of these harmful organisms is often expensive and extensive. The availability of more "portable" methods would […]

Dr. William Ellis School of Marine Sciences 360 Aubert Hall University of Maine Orono, ME 04469 207.581.4388 wge@umit.maine.edu The Nor’easter Ocean Sciences Bowl is an annual regional competition for high school students focused on topics related to the oceans. In this one-day academic tournament, teams of high school students compete against other teams from northern […]

Joseph Zydlewski Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit 5755 Nutting Hall University of Maine Orono, ME 04469 207.581.2862 Striped bass are an important sport fish on the East Coast and are considered to be one of the migratory fishes that will be significantly affected by the proposed Penobscot River Restoration Project. However, the movements […]