By Daniel Timmermann One of the most important parts of the Maine-eDNA 5-year, $20M NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 grant, is the eDNA CORE Lab that has helped expand the state’s research capacity. The lab, managed by Geneva York, is part of the University of Maine’s (UMaine) Coordinated Operating Research Entities (CORE), led since 2020 by […]
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By Caty DuDevoir, Media Intern In the introductory stages of a field of research, developing methodologies takes immense time and patience. While researchers are using sedimentary environmental DNA (sedDNA) to understand the past, there are a considerable number of unknowns and questions that remain in this growing field. Grayson Huston, a graduate student in the […]
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Maine-eDNA is excited to announce a new Open to Collaboration Notice. This Notice from Local Contexts indicates the NSF EPSCoR Track-1 Maine-eDNA grant’s commitment to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnerships with Indigenous people for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections. While the addition of the Notice […]
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By Stefania Irene Marthakis Melissa Pastore, global change ecologist and second-year postdoctoral associate in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and with the Gund Institute at the University of Vermont, leads a team of collaborators from Vermont as well as Maine and New Hampshire in studying the global meteorological process called cold air-pooling—specifically […]
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By Nhan Chau, Media Intern Introducing students to the breadth of different species in intertidal zones helps introduce young people to community science, stewardship, and the impact of invasive species and humans on Maine’s coastal habitats. This spring, Maine-eDNA graduate student Emily Pierce (UMaine, Marine Science) ran a six-week 4-H SPIN Club focusing on exploration […]
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By Stefania Irene Marthakis Kati Corlew is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Faculty Coordinator of Civic Engagement at the University of Maine Augusta (UMA), Bangor campus. Corlew has also developed several courses on the study of qualitative research methods, community organizing, and more specifically, a Psychology of Disaster and Climate Change undergraduate course. Further, […]
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By Nhan Chau, Media Intern & Daniel Timmermann For any species, it is helpful to have a wide range of traits in their genetic pool. This diversity helps them evolve as a species and buffers them against future threats. Losing this protection could be a problem, especially for species that have experienced a dramatic decline […]
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By Stefania Irene Marthakis INSPIRES, an NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 grant that focuses on gathering, analyzing, and utilizing data collected from across the Northern Forest Region, has partnered with the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center), an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Maine. The RiSE Center provides support for twenty-two […]
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By Caty DuDevoir, Maine EPSCoR Media Intern Maintaining the natural state of an ecological community better informs future research and avoids disrupting the species that are present. Environmental DNA (eDNA) provides researchers with a cost-effective way to prevent significant invasion of an ecosystem while still being able to collect useful data. Determining the efficiency of […]
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By Daniel Timmermann In person STEM education has been difficult the past couple years. Due to restrictions, bringing students into a lab was not an option and outdoor programs are obviously limited by weather. Maine’s Mysterious Marshlands: Using eDNA to Understand Climate Change, a recent workshop led by Maine-eDNA graduate student Heather Richard, sought to […]
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