Sarah Risley
I have a Bachelor’s degree (2013) from Skidmore College in Environmental Studies with a minor in Creative Writing and dual Master’s degrees (2022) from UMaine in Marine Biology and Marine Policy.
For my PhD in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at UMaine I am studying how and why Maine’s coastal fisheries, marine industries, and estuarine ecosystems are changing through time. Specifically, I am examining the interactions between Maine’s historic wild shellfish fisheries and its growing shellfish aquaculture industry. My research is interdisciplinary and engaged, linking social and ecological science approaches and knowledge and partnering with shellfish harvesters, high school students, and other community members in midcoast Maine.