Aquaculture Archives - Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station

Aquaculture

New satellite data-based model developed by UMaine researchers gives oyster farmers an edge

In Maine’s warmer waters, oysters grow briny and firm, feeding on algae and plankton. Their cycle from hatchery to bay is only as successful as their location. Known as filter feeders, oysters’ size and flavor is fully reliant on the nutrients available in the water surrounding them. Water depth, temperature and circulation set the stage […]

Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Announce $2 million in new NOAA awards to support innovative American lobster research and outreach

The Maine Sea Grant Program at the University of Maine is pleased to announce its receipt of $1.4 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), awarded to support research and outreach activities of the NOAA Sea Grant-funded American Lobster Initiative. With this new four-year award, Maine Sea Grant and its regional partners will support […]

MAFES & UMaine make headlines worldwide in 2025

Whether it’s conducting cutting-edge research, commenting on current events or receiving that diploma, University of Maine faculty, students and leaders made headlines locally, nationally and internationally in 2025. From research labs and classrooms to commencement stages and championship arenas, UMaine was featured in more than 18,000 stories published from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025. […]

New way to track toxic algae that threatens shellfish industries developed by researchers

Tiny organisms called algae can have an outsized impact on working waterfronts. While many benefit their ecosystems, others can cause devastating economic and ecological effects. University of Maine Ph.D. candidate Sydney Greenlee, alongside researchers Robin Sleith and Peter Countway from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, have developed a faster, more accurate way to detect […]

Kelp farming is expensive, but a new resource points to lower costs

Farming kelp to sell as food, beauty products, fertilizer additives and other goods is a growing industry in Maine, but also a costly one. One key barrier for new farmers is a lack of cost-analysis tools to help reduce expenditures and develop sustainable business plans. Researchers from Kelson Marine in Portland, Maine and the University […]

State’s future economy anchored in the sea, University of Maine president says

Joan Ferrini-Mundy highlighted the university’s leadership at today’s Maine Blue Economy Innovation Summit. ‘You don’t get to focus on an economy without thinking about the people who make and drive that economy,’ she said. On Maine’s rugged coast, where shipbuilding, fishing and working waterfronts have defined generations, leaders say the future is once again tied […]

UMaine research compares most cost-effective methods for Atlantic sea scallop aquaculture

Much of the scallop farming techniques used in the U.S. derive from practices in Japan, where scallops have long been a part of the country’s seafood industry. Researchers from the University of Maine are working to test and adapt those practices to help grow the industry in the Gulf of Maine, where oyster farming is […]

UMaine oceanographer trains future scientists on North Atlantic voyage Darling Marine Center documents local shellfish harvesting trends, changes

By studying the Damariscotta and Medomak River estuaries, University of Maine researchers have formally documented shifts in shellfish populations, from soft shell clams to oysters. Because Maine’s intertidal mudflats, such as those found in these estuaries, are difficult to study, this work filled an important gap in information about shellfish harvesting. Research documented how tidal […]

UMaine research examines best methods for growing Atlantic sea scallops

A new study from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) and Darling Marine Center is helping to refine best practices for growing Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus), a species of increasing interest to Maine’s aquaculture sector. Published in the academic journal Aquaculture, the research compares two scallop farming methods, ear-hanging and lantern net […]