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Lobsters in the News July 1 – July 15

August 9, 2022 Lobster In The News

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Funding Opportunities

Graduate Research Assistant on Northeast Sea Grant project:

Can proprietary commercial lobstering data be used to inform offshore wind development?

UMaine’s School of Computing and Information Science seeks a Master’s level graduate research assistant to aid in conducting research on constructing map representations from commercial lobster boat plotter/navigation systems. The objective of the project is to evaluate the feasibility of integrating proprietary data from individual fishermen’s commercial marine Personal Computer (PC)-based navigation plotters into aggregate mapping products that: 1) represent examples of fine-scale spatial and temporal coverage of the Maine lobster fishery, and 2) respect the confidentiality of individual data holdings.

The work will involve working directly with project partners from the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, UMaine’s School of Computing and Information Science, and the Lobster Institute. The Research Assistant should therefore be comfortable communicating and interacting with an interdisciplinary team and with lobster fishermen.

The Research Assistant, in collaboration with project team members, will be responsible for:

  • Working with lobstermen through the Fishermen’s Knowledge Trust (FKT) to inventory data collection platforms used by lobster fishermen fishing in federal waters and to collect sample data from a set of fishermen
  • Working with the FKT to set up a database to manage collected data
  • Developing and testing software to parse and aggregate sample data
  • Conducting GIS and statistical analysis as needed to develop data products
Qualifications:

A Masters level student in Spatial Informatics, Computer Science, Data Science, or Marine Science with:

  • programming proficiency, ideally familiar with R or Python
  • familiarity with GIS analysis and software (commercial (e.g. ArcGIS) or open source (e.g QGIS)
  • familiarity with relational and spatial databases
  • familiar with electronic navigation/ charting systems
  • familiarity with lobster fishing practices a plus
The project will provide tuition, stipend, and student health insurance for one year with a potential second year depending on federal approval of project continuation and acceptable performance on the
project.

Contact:
Dr. Kate Beard-Tisdale
School of Computing and Information Science
University of Maine, Orono
kate.beard@maine.edu

NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Competition

NOAA Fisheries seeks applications that demonstrate direct benefits to the U.S. fishing and marine aquaculture industries and applications which involve:

  • Fishing or aquaculture community participation aimed at helping seafood communities to resolve issues that affect their ability to fish or farm
  • Making full use of those species that are currently under federal or state fishery management plans
  • Addressing the socioeconomic impacts of overfishing and overcapacity

U.S. fisheries include any commercial fishery, recreational fishery, or marine aquaculture operation that is, or may be, engaged in by citizens or nationals of the United States or other eligible applicants. The competition is open to applicants from a variety of sectors, including individuals, industry, academia, and state and local governments.

NOAA Fisheries awards grants in marine fishery projects through this grant competition ranging from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $300,000.

Closing Date
October 31, 2022

Learn more about the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program

NSF and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice (PACSP)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (the foundation) are partnering to support a new program, to be administered by NSF, that will support conservation science and science-informed conservation practice in the United States. The objective of the PACSP Program is to support conservation research that investigates organismal biology, ecology, and/or evolution and is designed to contribute to the development and implementation of evidence-based activities and/or technology solutions to advance biodiversity conservation. We seek proposals that involve the implementation of conservation activities with academic-conservation organization partnerships.  The strongest projects will involve ongoing assessment of biodiversity outcomes, for instance via an adaptive management framework, that inform both scientific understanding and conservation actions.  A significant distinction between the PACSP program and other NSF programs is that proposals to this program must make clear and well-defined connections between basic research questions and the implementation of conservation focused actions.

The Program’s focus is on conservation goal-related research that will directly translate to on-the-ground biodiversity conservation efforts. Proposals that adopt a convergent approach between climate change, conservation, and the health of ecosystems and the organisms therein are especially encouraged. Proposals are also expected to incorporate project outcomes within the context of broader societal impacts and, as appropriate for the research proposed, engage non-academic partners in collaboration.

For proposals recommended for funding, NSF will fund the proposed research scope and the foundation will fund the proposed conservation component of the project.

Deadline Date
October 11, 2022

Review full program guidelines and learn how to submit a proposal in the latest solicitation.

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