Description:
In Maine, where approximately eighty-percent of the commercially harvested lobster are landed, the value of the 2021 harvest set a record but there is cause for concern. While the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2020 stock assessment indicated record high stock abundance in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, analyses of landing data from the state of Maine show a downward trend from a high in 2016 of 132 million pounds to an average annual 102 million pounds from 2019 to 2021. As ecosystem changes persist, the Gulf of Maine warms at a rapid rate, and southern New England continues to experience low abundance and recruitment failure, it is imperative that research, data, observations, and application are needed to understand and inform the current state and also prepare for the future state of the American Lobster fishery.

The American Lobster fishery’s sustainability relies not only on the ecological understanding of the species but also the economic resiliency of the industry. Expanding uses of the marine environment such as offshore wind energy development and regulatory uncertainties related to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (FR–210827–0171) have introduced the potential for significant socio-economic impacts to the lobster industry. These changes affect how and where the lobster industry operates, placing additional pressures on fishing communities and a continued need to understand the biological and human dimensions of this significant fishery. Research approaches that examine the social, behavioral, and economic implications of and adaptations to ecosystem and/or regulatory changes are important to enhance community resiliency and fill a knowledge gap for resource managers in need of research and data to inform integrated approaches to complex marine issues.

In FY23, consistent with its mission to enhance practical use and conservation in order to create a sustainable economy and environment, Sea Grant’s American Lobster Research Program will fund projects that address priority research needs to enhance our understanding of and address impacts to this significant, complex and dynamic fishery. Projects that involve partnerships among industry, State agencies, and/or academia, including but not limited to co-production and cooperative research, are strongly encouraged.

View full notice of funding opportunity on grants.gov.

Please direct all questions to Sea Grant (sg.grants@noaa.gov). Please specify that your question is related to this competition in the subject line.

Statement of the Job:
The GIS, Outreach and Evaluation Coordinator is a 3-year soft-money position supporting the newly formed NNA Lobster Network funded by the National Science Foundation’s Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Program.  The position’s primary function will be to serve the stakeholder outreach objectives and geo-spatial mapping objectives of the project. The Outreach and Evaluation Coordinator will provide facilitation, outreach, evaluation, technical assistance, and GIS support for stakeholder engagement activities and external partnerships both in the US and Canada. Network objectives will benefit from a professional individual with a global perspective attuned to local issues and stakeholder interests. Typical hiring range for this soft-money funded position is $50,000 to $60,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Qualifications:
Required:

View complete job description or apply here.

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Richard Wahle at Richard.wahle@maine.edu or 207-581-1443.

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:

Qualifications:

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

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

An academic-year scholarship for $3500 will support an independent research project focused on a public policy topic. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The deadline for applications is March 27.

Eligibility criteria:
• a Maine resident, currently enrolled at UMaine for 12 credits or more,
• an undergraduate student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher,
• completed 40 degree hours prior to the current semester.

Previous recipients have come from such diverse disciplines as Geology, History, Political Science, Computer Science, International Affairs, Education, Sociology, Psychology, Social Work, Landscape Horticulture, Civil Engineering, Nursing, Mechanical Engineering, Natural Resources, Journalism and Mass Communication, Economics, Biochemistry and Microbiology.

Website and Application

In honor of Senator Margaret Chase Smith’s many years of service to the citizens of Maine and the nation this scholarship provides assistance to undergraduates who have demonstrated an active interest in public affairs and who show promise for future leadership in, and contribution to, public affairs. Senator Smith’s abiding belief was that real progress would be attained only through the education of young people.