By Evan Bartow, Writing Intern Assisting in the development of new environmental genomics research, Dave Ernst (postdoctoral scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences) works to develop the research tools that leverage environmental RNA (eRNA) as part of the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Maine-eDNA grant. The use of eRNA detection tools can help expand the […]
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By Ilaria Bardini, Writing Intern Natural ecosystems, including Maine’s plants and forests, are increasingly being impacted by pollution and climate change. Mycorrhizal fungi, fungal communities that have often unseen symbiotic relationships with the roots of plants, are vital to forest communication and their consequent growth and success. The build-up of toxic chemicals and pollutants in […]
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By Ilaria Bardini, Writing Intern Alewife, an anadromous species of herring, spawn in freshwater systems along the coast of Maine. As an ecologically, economically, and culturally significant fish, their decline over the last two centuries is a crucial area of interest and study. With the development and use of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, researchers are […]
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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 Stefania Irene Marthakis and Mackenzie Roeder Saltmarshes (a.k.a. tidal marshes) are one of the most productive eco-systems on earth. As protectors of coastal landscapes and communities—that absorb flood waters as well as carbon—saltmarshes can also provide insight into climate change adaptation. Among this dynamic habitat that is full of bugs, not a lot of […]
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By Daniel Timmermann In early 2022, Maine-eDNA brought on new research coordinator Karen James. This inclusion to the project will help Maine-eDNA coordinate the grant’s vast amount of work happening across the state. James brings with her a deep knowledge of genetics, environmental DNA (eDNA), and its application in marine and terrestrial habitats. While James […]
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By Stefania Irene Marthakis The poet Charles Baudelaire defined modernity as “the ephemeral, the fugitive, the contingent, the half of art whose other half is the eternal and the immutable.” Given the time-sensitive nature of modernity, “this transitory, fugitive element, whose metamorphoses are so rapid” that once uncovered, offers yet more to unearth. In the […]
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