Community Science Update

Graduate students Sarah Risley (above) and Melissa Britsch (now at the Maine Coastal Program) led local knowledge research in the Damariscotta and Medomak River estuaries. This open-access study was just published in the international scientific journal Ambio.

This was the first time the knowledge of shellfish harvesters and experts working within these estuaries was documented, and findings have expanded the information available to communities who steward shellfish in Maine and beyond.  Together with shellfish harvesters and other local experts, the students and their advisors, Profs. Heather Leslie and Joshua Stoll, documented how tidal river ecosystems have changed over time and how harvesters and other estuary users have adapted.

Read more about the study, published in the international scientific journal Ambio, here: https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2025/05/13/darling-marine-center-documents-local-shellfish-harvesting-trends-changes/

Please cite the study as Risley, S., M. L. Britsch, J. S. Stoll, H. M. Leslie. 2025. Mapping local knowledge supports science and stewardship. Ambio https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02170-4.