The future of Maine’s lobster industry may depend on a creature the size of a sesame seed. Researchers at the University of Maine have discovered that planktonic baby lobsters, or larvae, preferentially feed on Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny, calorie-rich zooplankton species, during one of the most vulnerable stages of their lives. Their new study upholds […]
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Wildlife ecology major Jordan Anderson spent the summer tagging Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers through a Maine Sea Grant internship While paddleboarding on the ocean last summer, Jordan Anderson was startled when a massive animal leaped from the water nearby. She assumed it was a porpoise. Instead, it was an […]
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Local Catch Network will lead outreach, co-host informational sessions and gather industry input to help shape national seafood strategy. American fishermen, aquaculture producers, processors and seafood businesses now have a path for improved access to federal funding, technical assistance and new markets through a national collaboration involving the Local Catch Network, based at the University […]
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The University of Maine is a lead partner in a new $15 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engine that will strengthen New England’s seafood industry through cutting-edge research, technology innovation and workforce development. The NSF Seafood Engine in New England is led by the Portsmouth-based nonprofit Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing […]
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Understanding the source of stress and disease can be difficult, especially if the subject of stress is a fish, or even thousands of fish. Detecting and diagnosing stress and disease is a major challenge for aquaculture farms, where keeping fish happy helps them thrive. In fish, stress can be hard to detect before it becomes […]
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As the May 1 college decision deadline approaches, students are showing increased interest in academic programs with clear career pathways. At the University of Maine, that trend is evident across disciplines tied to growing sectors of the U.S. economy, including engineering, health care and biomedical sciences, business, natural resources and environmental sciences, agriculture and food […]
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Last summer, Sofia Diaz Flint spent her days working on a Maine oyster farm, hauling cages and tending shellfish that would not reach the market for another year. Seeing firsthand how much farmers depend on their crop surviving the winter shaped the direction of her senior capstone project at the University of Maine. “I worked […]
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A new teaching and research vessel at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center is expanding student access to the largest ecosystem on Earth: the open ocean. The new 45-foot vessel is the biggest in the center’s fleet. Previously used as a commercial tuna fishing platform, the boat will support student training, faculty research and […]
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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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