UMaine Facilities, Researchers Mentioned in Press Herald Article on Aquaculture
The University of Maine was mentioned in a Portland Press Herald article about Maine’s growing aquaculture industry. The article states fish farms are having an easier time getting loans from commercial lenders and are attracting capital from private equity investors, according to industry leaders and financial experts. Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, said Maine’s research facilities, such as UMaine’s Darling Marine Center in Walpole and UMaine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) in Franklin, are the best in North America, but the state faces a shortage of “intellectual capital” because few researchers specialize in aquaculture. Paul Anderson, director of the Aquaculture Research Institute, said there will be more opportunity for research projects soon, thanks to a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the article states.