Melissa Britsch, Graduate Student
I have an Honors Bachelors of Science in biology with a concentration in marine biology from
Oregon State University (2017). I started my dual Masters degrees in Marine Biology and
Marine Policy at UMaine in 2018 after spending 6 months as an intern at UMaine’s Darling
Marine Center learning about Maine’s aquaculture industry. I am interested in aquaculture’s
contribution to building resilient communities and a diverse coastal economy in Maine. I am
using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods to understand values related to aquaculture in
Maine and my research is part of a larger project studying the long-term trajectory of aquaculture
in Maine. I am also interested in studying the broader ecosystem-level impacts of aquaculture on
the Damariscotta River in Maine.