Aquaculture Is the fastest growing agricultural sector, and continues to grow at a rate of 8% to 10% per year. If Maine aquacultural producers are to keep pace with global demand, they must understand the impacts and implications anthropogenic pollutants have in their aquatic systems, and understand the causes of adverse production outcomes. In addition, […]
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Lobster is the icon for Maine. In fact, over 70% of the lobsters landed in the U.S. are landed in Maine, and the only lobster-processing facilities in the U.S. are in Maine. There are nearly 6,000 lobster licenses issued in Maine each year, with about 4,300 commercially active. While the lobster fishery in Maine has […]
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Fisheries and aquaculture industries are important to the economic health of Maine, yet we still understand little about how the fish immune system fights disease. Mycosis is an important problem in the wild and in aquaculture, and greater understanding of the immune response to fungal infection will contribute to our ability to control fungal pathogens […]
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Lobsters are the single most valuable fishery in the state of Maine, and among the top two fisheries in New England and Atlantic Canada. The American Lobster Settlement Index (ALSI) has been a long-standing indicator of the health of the lobster resource and is now entering a new phase of expansion. Over the years, analyses […]
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As the fisheries and aquaculture industries continue to expand in the state of Maine and worldwide, the need for new disease control methods and diagnostic tests will increase dramatically. Through the studies outlined in this proposal, we hope to better understand and potentiate the innate immune response, which is the first line of host defense […]
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Worker health and safety in the forest products industry is important. To date, particulate emissions have not been assessed in the rapidly growing pellet fuel industry. This research will assess particulate emissions that could endanger human health and will result in clear guidelines for state and federal government officials. Additionally, the wood fuel pellet industry […]
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Eleven of Maine’s 16 counties have poverty levels that exceed the national average. The International Energy Agency and World Health Organization have linked energy and poverty, claiming that equitable access to affordable energy is a crucial step toward economic development in rural areas. Maine spends approximately $4 billion per year on imported energy, and approximately […]
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Maine faces a wide range of economic development challenges, such as supporting entrepreneurship and small business development, workforce development issues, strengthening the retail sectors of communities around the state, and identifying sectors for cluster enhancement. These issues are important to state and local policymakers, economic development officials and practitioners, and Maine businesses and workers. This […]
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Natural resource agencies and institutions at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as private landowners, attempt to balance economic growth and environmental quality. Emphasis on environmental quality is evident in provisions of the most recent Farm Bills; in agricultural land preservation programs at the local, state and federal levels; and in legislative mandates […]
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Public perceptions and concerns about new renewable energy technologies, health and food safety issues, and environmental changes are important as misperceptions or inappropriate concerns can lead to: rejection of beneficial technologies, inappropriate food handling practices, or incorrect food choices. In terms of energy projects, local concerns focus on issues surrounding siting and localized impacts (environmental, […]
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