Marine aquaculture in the coastal zone has the potential to help solve several societal problems including contributions to the global food and energy systems. These systems are subject to complex and dynamic interactions among natural and human-driven processes.

A major challenge is to understand the dynamics of this coupled human-natural system in order to inform societal decisions about the intensification of marine aquaculture in the coastal zone. Such understanding requires integration of a broad range of disciplines from the natural, social, economic and behavioral sciences.

The ARI is leading the development of an NSF EPSCOR Proposal to research these issues.

The proposal writing team is:

Ian Bricknell, Director, Aquaculture Research Institute

Barry Costa-Pierce, Director, Marine Sciences, University of New England

Anne Langston, Associate Director, Aquaculture Research Institute

Paul Anderson, Director, Maine Sea Grant

Laura Lindenfeld, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism and The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Cente

Mario Teisl, Director, School of Policy and International Affairs and Professor, School of Economics

Peter van Walsum, Associate Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Faculty from any institution in Maine who are interested in joining us in the development of this proposal are invited to contact

Dr Ian Bricknell (ian.bricknell@umit.maine.edu; 207-581-4380) or

Dr Anne Langston (anne.langston@umit.maine.edu; 207-356-2982)

Keep checking back for updates and more news!