R-18-04 Understanding climate impacts on the Maine coastal fish and invertebrate community through synthesis of the Maine-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

November 8, 2018

Lisa Kerr
Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Kathy Mills
Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Andrew Pershing
Gulf of Maine Research Institute

The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most of the world oceans. Increasing temperatures are reshaping the ecosystem in ways that are difficult to keep pace with and manage. Species of fish and other marine life are shifting northward. Surveys by the federal government (National Marine Fisheries Service) show the overall number of species present in offshore waters is increasing. Do these trends hold true for nearshore waters? Since 2000, the marine resource agencies of Maine and New Hampshire have collaborated to survey fish and invertebrates in coastal waters. This project will synthesize data collected through the Maine-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Survey, and place it in the context of other surveys in the region.

Kerr, Mills, and Pershing will characterize changes in species diversity and model species distribution to understand changes in habitat suitability in space and time and analyze predator-prey presence, with a focus on lobster and cod. They will also assess the extent to which changes in ecological communities are related to fishery landings in Maine ports.

Synthesizing existing data will show, efficiently and effectively, how environmental change and human activities are affecting fish and invertebrate communities in coastal Maine waters, allowing people to anticipate and prepare for future resource scarcity and abundance.

Two-year project, 2018-2020
Sea Grant funds $149,943