Struan Coleman

Struan Coleman is pursuing a Master’s degree in marine policy at the University of Maine. He is particularly interested in the optimization of the emerging sea scallop aquaculture industry in the Northwest Atlantic. As Maine’s shellfish aquaculture sector expands, farmers are beginning to diversify revenue streams with new species. Struan is working to aid in these efforts by developing models and tools that can help inform future scallop site selection and best growing practices. His broader research goal is to decrease uncertainty for potential new entrants into the sector. He is quantifying the impacts of environmental variables and various scallop culture methods on growth and farm performance at different sites along Maine’s coast in order to arrive at these conclusions. Struan is also a Diana Davis Spencer Scholar at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, a diverse cohort of researchers and graduate students in Maine seeking solutions to strengthen Maine’s coastal economies.