Maine Sea Grant

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 […]

Jason Goldstein Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve 342 Laudholm Farm Rd Wells ME 04090 In recent decades, landings of Jonah crab have more than quadrupled in New England. During harvesting, it is a common practice for fishermen to remove the claws of freshly caught Jonah crabs and subsequently return them to their environment. The biological […]

Yong Chen University of Maine Katherine Thompson Maine DMR The Gulf of Maine northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) supports an important fishery in Maine. Since 2010, however, the stock has declined precipitously, and the fishery has been closed since 2013. It is believed that changes in shrimp habitat as well as high fishing pressure are to […]

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 […]

In July 2015, Maine Maritime Museum opened Lobstering and the Maine Coast, a renovated and expanded permanent exhibit showcasing the Maine lobster industry’s history, current operations, and future. It is the largest and most extensive exhibit of its kind in Maine. Much has changed in the world of Maine lobster since the Museum first created […]

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 […]