By Evan Bartow, Writing Intern For some researchers, environmental DNA (eDNA) based research is limited and underutilized due to its, at least perceived, cost and ease of use. A major part of the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Maine-eDNA grant is focused on the development and creation of advanced eDNA collection technologies and strategies. As eDNA […]
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By Ilaria Bardini, Writing Intern Environmental DNA (eDNA) may be the answer for the detection and monitoring of vital species in the Gulf of Maine and freshwater systems. Across the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Maine-eDNA grant, researchers are spearheading the development of novel eDNA techniques. With climate change impacting species behavior, dynamics, and oceans and […]
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By Evan Bartow, Writing Intern For undergraduate students, especially early in their academic career, field experience is often limited, but at University of Maine Farmington (UMF), faculty are working to incorporate more field and laboratory experience in their introductory biology classes to expand opportunities. Donelle Schwalm is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Biology at UMF […]
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The latest Maine EPSCoR print newsletter is out now. This newsletter covers some of the amazing work researchers across both Maine and the state’s EPSCoR grants. Maine EPSCoR Newsletter March 2023: Featured Stories: Maine-eDNA Research Learning Experience Forest Bioproducts Research Institute Mind the Gap: Ecology, evolution, and the impact of humans on the natural […]
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By Ilaria Bardini, Media Intern We are already seeing the repercussions of our changing climate through altered weather patterns, development of new diseases, increasing numbers of annual natural disasters, and warming oceans. The NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 Biodiversity and Rural Adaptation to Climate Change Using Data Analysis project (Barracuda) is working to develop tools with […]
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By Caty DuDevoir, Media Intern In the fall of 2016, shellfisheries in the Gulf of Maine were closed and five tons of clams and mussels were recalled due to an unprecedented harmful algal bloom (HAB) of toxin producing species Pseudo-nizschia australis that spread from the Bay of Fundy to Rhode Island. Pseudo-nizschia australis can produce […]
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By Ilaria Bardini, Media Intern As the world’s climate changes, ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them are changing as well. This holds true for blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, which are beginning to populate areas along the coast of Maine. Native to warmer waters along the U.S. coastlines, the rising temperatures in the Gulf of […]
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By Caty DuDevoir, Media Intern Across the NSF EPSCoR Track-1 Maine-eDNA grant, researchers are partnering with local communities and organizations to maintain dialogue and expand conservation in Maine’s waters. Located close to the University of Maine Orono campus, the Penobscot River, New England’s second largest river system, provides Maine-eDNA researchers studying freshwater systems or species […]
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Undergraduate Student Employees Environmental DNA (eDNA) Maine-eDNA Full-time, starting May 2023 Overview: The Maine-eDNA program is seeking undergraduate students to join our team, a state-wide, multi-institutional initiative establishing Maine as a national leader in environmental monitoring, ecological understanding, and sustainability of coastal ecosystems (https://umaine.edu/edna/). Students will have the opportunity to participate through internship experiences in a […]
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By Ilaria Bardini Writing Intern, A vital aspect of the NSF EPSCoR Track-1 Maine-eDNA grant is the multidimensional collaboration across skill sets. One of the ways to assure continued, cross-generational interest in the world of STEM and the progression of environmental DNA (eDNA) research is through science-based programs and educational opportunities for youth. The development […]
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