Lobsters in the News April 8 – April 22

NOAA delays enforcement of new lobster gear rules aimed at protecting right whales

Article by Jordan AndrewsPortland Press Herald
Photo by Robert F. Buklaty

April 8 – April 22

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Funding Opportunities

Seafood Dealer and Processor Program (SDPP)

On behalf of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, MTI is administering the Maine Seafood Dealer and Processor Covid-19 Response and Resilience Grant Program (SDPP) to distribute approximately $16M in federal funding, including $10M from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) allocated through Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP). This initiative provides grant funding to help Maine’s wholesale seafood dealer and processor businesses recover from negative impacts resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Our immediate goal is to make awards available as soon as possible.

Applications for SDPP will be accepted until midnight on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Awards are expected to be announced by the end of May.

Read more about the Seafood Dealer and Processor Program (SDPP)

American Lobster Research Program

Sea Grant announces a new funding opportunity for collaborative projects to address priority issues involving applied research and/or technological questions impacting the American lobster fishery in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England.

The program seeks applications from research teams and encourages research partnerships between state agencies, academia, and/or industry stakeholders that address development and operationalization of gear technologies, and socio-economic research to understand the social, economic, and technological opportunities and/or barriers associated with bringing gear technology to commercial scale in the lobster fishery.

Sea Grant anticipates having up to $2 million dollars to fund a diverse set of projects with funding requests ranging from $50k-$750k in 2022. Projects may be one or two years in duration with a maximum of two years. Non-federal matching funds equal to at least 50 percent of the federal funding request must be provided.

The research will become part of the Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative, a program launched in 2019 to both conduct research related to the species and coordinate extension and outreach efforts with lobster stakeholders.

Read the full announcement here.  Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Request for Proposals to conduct 20 Year Retrospective Review of American Lobster Research

The New York and Connecticut Sea Grant programs are seeking a consultant to conduct a critical review and synthesis of American lobster natural and socio-economic research from 2002 to the present. Deliverables are 1) a technical white paper and 2) a review paper ready for submission to a peer reviewed journal such as Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture. The consultant will be expected to provide a critical perspective of the status of the science and share insights and recommendations to help inform future American lobster research and management. This systematic review should address biological, environmental, anthropogenic and socio-economic challenges that have been experienced in this fishery.

The project is to start immediately upon execution of the contract but no later than 7/15/2022. The technical white paper and review paper ready for submission must be completed no later than 7/15/2023.

The amount of (federal) funding available is $15,000.

Follow this link to learn more and apply.

Maine Sea Grant Graduate Research Assistantship Opportunity is now open!

Maine Sea Grant is pleased to announce a new one-year Graduate Research Assistantship opportunity. The purpose of the Maine Sea Grant Graduate Research Assistantship is to support exceptional prospective and current graduate students who are engaged in coastal and marine research that furthers the goals of the Maine Sea Grant program. Students cannot apply directly to Maine Sea Grant for a Graduate Assistantship; interested candidates should contact a principal investigator with whom they wish to study. The PI then submits the application for this graduate research assistantship opportunity following the application process outlined here.

Please contact jessica.jansujwicz@maine.edu with any questions regarding the Maine Sea Grant Graduate Assistantship Opportunity.

Deadline for applications is June 1, 2022.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Climate-Fisheries Modeling 

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) pioneers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. Our scientists explore dynamic ocean systems from marine life to environmental conditions to coastal economies. We infuse our discoveries into the policy arena and design solutions with fishermen and seafood businesses to protect fishery resources, harvest them responsibly, and market them as premium quality food. We share our discoveries with the public and nurture a culture of leadership in communities that depend on the sea. Our education programs cultivate science literacy and build a foundation of collaborative problem-solving among our next generation of leaders, scientists, citizens, and stewards. Each year, we serve over 25,000 stakeholders from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is seeking applicants for a 2-year postdoctoral researcher position. The postdoc will work under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Kerr and collaborate with a team of scientists at GMRI, Rutgers University, and NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA NEFSC).  The research will involve application of management strategy evaluation to inform marine resource decision-making under projected climate change in the Northeast U.S. shelf ecosystem as well as development of climate-informed stock assessment models.

Use this link to learn more and apply