More than 70% of Maine’s fishing value comes from American lobster. The fishery has delivered prosperity for decades, but it also leaves coastal communities exposed if lobster populations falter, ocean conditions shift or markets change. That pattern is not unique to Maine. For more than 20 years, University of Maine professor of marine sciences Heather […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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Discover campus and coastal life at the University of Maine through “Life in the Pines,” where real students share their experiences studying, exploring nature and embracing community on both the Orono and Machias campuses. “Life in the Pines,” an unscripted video series sharing stories of students at the University of Maine and University of Maine […]
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Two researchers from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute sailed aboard a Norwegian tall ship as part of One Ocean Expedition and worked with a regenerative aquaculture innovation hub out of La Paz, Mexico. UMaine’s representatives — Damian Brady, professor of oceanography in the School of Marine Sciences and Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) affiliate, […]
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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 […]
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Despite being one of the largest animals on the planet, the small population of the North Atlantic right whale and its vast habitat makes these marine mammals difficult to track. Models accurately detailing where they are located at different times of the year are essential for conservation. A new study published in the journal Endangered […]
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Maine’s coastal communities have been hooked on the Atlantic bluefin tuna since at least the late 1880s — first as bycatch, until the 1930s when the fish became a prized target in fishing tournaments. Through the subsequent decades, bluefin tuna have and continue to support working waterfronts in Maine and beyond. Despite a decline in […]
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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 […]
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At the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center, student researchers have launched a new project this summer to investigate the feeding habits of striped bass along the coast of Maine. The project is led by Abby Remick, a first-year graduate student in the lab of Michelle Staudinger, associate professor of marine sciences. Student researchers will […]
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