Marine Fisheries

Maine’s marine fisheries are part of its economic and cultural heritage, and an important source of commercial activity. Climate change is placing them in a vulnerable position. Researchers can help the individuals and communities most affected by these changes anticipate and adapt to them, preserving fisheries as a sustainable Maine industry.

  • Goal 1: Research Objective
    Prioritize research that protects and advances the sustainable use of Maine’s ocean and coastal resources, preserving the health of ocean and coastal ecosystems to enable economic activity .
  • Goal 2: Enterprise Objective
    Work with the fisheries industry and managers to achieve long-term economic resilience by anticipating and adapting to climate change.
  • Goal 3: Workforce Objective
    Sustain Maine’s seafood industries to preserve the full diversity of jobs from fishing to processing and distribution.
  • Goal 4: Climate Change Objective
    Work with the fisheries industry and managers to collectively understand and respond to the interactive effects of ocean warming, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and other climate factors.

Fisheries were not identified as a target technology area in the 2017 Maine Science and Technology Action Plan. Yet, Maine’s fisheries-based economy, and the coastal and inland communities it supports, has a direct value exceeding $1.2 billion annually.

Freshwater recreational anglers in Maine’s inland waters contribute roughly $319 million annually to the state’s economy (2014). Freshwater fisheries range from coldwater (brook, brown, and lake trout, landlocked salmon, and whitefish), warmwater game fish (large and small mouth bass, northern pike, white perch) and others (alewife, American eel). Marine commercial landings exceeded $890 million in 2021. The top five species in 2021 were lobster ($730 million in 2021 — 82%), softshell clam ($27 million), and American eel elvers ($18 million). Lobster represents the most valuable single- species fishery in the United States, and 80% of it is harvested in Maine. Commercial fisheries in Maine include groundfish, oysters, menhanden, scallop, bloodworms, among many others. Other important recreational and commercial harvest include tuna, swordfish, squid, bluefish, and pollock.

Ocean warming has played a key role in changing distributions of commercial and noncommercial species. Maine is losing its boreal and subarctic species while non-native temperate species from the south are on the increase (Arnold et al. 2020). These shifts present challenges and opportunities for fisheries managers. The interactive effects of warming, ocean acidification, and sea level rise on coastal ecosystems are not well understood and recent evidence indicates that extreme climate events reduce regional catch and revenue in the fishing sector, ultimately affecting wages and employment of harvesters (Oremus, 2019).

The combined effects of increasing river discharge and declining influence of the cold, nutrient-rich, Labrador Current from North Atlantic are altering Gulf of Maine circulation, diminishing ecosystem productivity, and making more vulnerable the communities dependent on wild-harvest fisheries. Estimated sea level rise and resulting coastal erosion and habitat losses may mean $34 million and $104 million in lost ecosystem services by 2030, and between $103 million, and $260 million in losses by 2100 (Arnold et al. 2020). Direct value loss to fisheries and aquaculture are estimated near $700 million annually (and more in supporting businesses) are at risk from warming and acidifying ocean waters. Some projections suggest lobster abundance in the Gulf of Maine could decline 45% by 2050 (LeBris et al, 2018), potentially decreasing Maine’s GDP by approximately $800 million over 30 years and reducing the state’s economic output by $1.3 billion. Apart from the direct effects of a changing climate to fisheries, but still related to it, offshore wind energy development and fishing gear regulations protecting the North Atlantic right whale pose what many in the fishing industry see as an existential threat. Through federal regulation, fixed gear fishers, primarily the lobster, crab and gillnet fisheries, are facing the prospect of dramatically changing how, where, and when they fish to sustainably co-exist with both the endangered North Atlantic right whale and offshore wind energy development.

Opportunity and Objective

  • Maine people depend on its freshwater and marine resources through ecotourism, recreational, and commercial practices.
  • Maine’s Blue Economy includes the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs, while preserving the health of ocean and coastal ecosystems.
  • Maine’s fisheries are in a vulnerable state with increasing temperatures, longer summers, and shorter winters, changing precipitation patterns and hydrology, and ocean acidification all changing ecosystem dynamics of freshwater and coastal systems.
  • The primary objective is sustainable fisheries, with better quantification and support of ecosystem services, such as recreation, biodiversity, and attention to cultural values.

Notable Maine Institutions and Organizations

  • Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
  • Downeast Institute
  • Gulf of Maine Research Institute
  • Maine Department of Marine Resources
  • Maine Sea Grant College Program
  • Maine-eDNA
  • Southern Maine Community College
  • University of Maine System
  • Darling Marine Center
  • Marine Aligned Research, Innovation, and Nationally Recognized Education (MARINE) Initiative
  • School of Biology and Ecology
  • School of Marine Sciences
  • University of Maine at Machias Division of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  • Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology
  • University of Southern Maine

Other involved organizations and research partners include Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries; Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association; Maine Lobstermen’s Association; Ready Seafood Co.; EAMaine – Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine; Island Institute; The Nature Conservancy; NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service – Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

Past Research Activities

  • Considerable investment from NOAA, especially through Sea Grant and Saltonstall-Kennedy and cooperative agreement programs has supported study of the influence of the ocean’s physical and biotic environment on the population dynamics and distribution of marine organisms, integrates ecology, oceanography, and fishery science toward a better mechanistic understanding of marine populations and communities. A long-standing research program on the American lobster, for example, has developed predictive tools for population trends through an understanding of the influence of environmental factors, such as temperature, currents, predators, and disease, on larval transport, settlement, and post settlement processes. Additional research has been funded to support development of fisheries assessment methods and techniques that have been applied by governing authorities.
  • Study of highly migratory species like tuna, billfish, and sharks undertaken to understand basic biology and life history parameters that are critical components of stock assessment models and essential pieces of information that reduce uncertainty and allocate scientifically based appropriate levels of catch. Projects engage commercial and recreational stakeholders to provide more robust estimates of stock status and ensure the long-term sustainability of these top predators.
  • Maine Department of Marine Resources Lobster Research Collaborative research projects focused on lobster distribution, shifts in lobster habitat, and the changing environment. Projects were completed in 2021 with consensus that meaningful research collaborations with each sector of the lobster industry are crucial to the success of lobster research in support of fishery management. Participants also highlighted the need to understand the complex impacts of climate change on all lobster life stages and the Maine fishery. These priorities are being used to inform the development of lobster research projects, funding opportunities, and collaborations.

Current Research

  • NSF EPSCoR investment in eDNA research is exploring how DNA present in the water column, sediments and fish diets can be used to better understand the distribution, abundance, spawning activity, and foodweb interactions of highly valued marine and freshwater species, such as alewife, lobster, scallop, and other shellfish. In turn, partnerships among scientists, government agencies and the fishing industry in the region are developing a cooperative framework for ecosystem-based management of Maine’s aquatic and marine natural resources (Maine-eDNA) – NSF EPSCoR Track 1.
  • SEAMaine — Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine, is an industry-led initiative bringing together leaders in Maine’s commercial fishing, aquaculture, and seafood economy. Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, with match funding from the Maine Technology Institute and FocusMaine, the statewide initiative is developing a road map and action plan for economic growth, market and workforce development, and greater resiliency in Maine’s seafood economy.
  • American Lobster Initiative, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, is addressing critical knowledge gaps about American lobster and its iconic fishery in a dynamic and changing environment . The initiative started in 2019, supporting both scientific research and a regional Sea Grant extension program. Together, the research and extension components of this initiative will develop and share new knowledge and understanding with industry stakeholders and resource managers from Maine to New York, with the goal of increasing the American lobster industry’s resilience to the biological, economic, and social impacts of ecosystem change in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, and southern New England.
  • The mission of the UMaine Lobster Institute is to foster collaboration and communication in support of a sustainable and profitable lobster industry in the northeast U .S . and Canada . It strives to maximize the engagement of UMaine faculty, students, and facilities with stakeholders in this iconic fishery on both sides of the border. Toward the goal of improving cross-border collaboration, the Lobster Institute recently partnered with Maine Sea Grant to form the U.S.-Canada Climate and Fisheries Futures Collaborative.
  • American Lobster Settlement Index is an annual monitoring program that quantifies the pulse of newly settled lobsters that repopulate rocky coastal nursery grounds in New England and Atlantic Canada. It is supported by participating marine resource agencies and industry partners in the U.S. and Canada. Quantifying this early segment of the life history is a pivotal life stage that both sheds light on the ocean processes that deliver larvae to nurseries, and is useful as a predictor of future trends in subsequent recruitment to the fishery.
  • HMS initiatives — The Pelagic Fisheries Lab in the School of Marine Sciences at the UMaine is dedicated to improving the status and sustainability of highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Maine. This includes sampling programs to supply federal and international agencies with accurate information on species biology and estimation of life history parameters used to inform stock assessment models and quota allocation. This includes new partnerships with Maine DNR to actively monitor the life history of pelagic fish in the Gulf of Maine.
  • Groundfish — NOAA and Maine-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Surveys. ME-NH surveys are resource assessment surveys performed along the coastal waters of Maine and New Hampshire. Biannual surveys, spring and fall, have been conducted since fall 2000. This survey is a collaborative research project using a commercial fishing vessel as the platform. The boat owner, captain, and crew have been actively involved in the design and implementation of this survey. These data are used for research and management purposes.

Future Objectives and Needs

  • More monitoring and projection of marine conditions including pairing of biological and physicochemical parameters to better forecast future management activities, potential ecosystem services, and new species opportunities.
  • Understanding fisheries carbon footprint and potential for efficiencies in the supply chain lead to reductions in GHG emissions. Support advances in attribution science to link changes in carbonate chemistry in the Gulf of Maine to specific carbon emitters.
  • Increased availability of data and analyses related to the marine ecosystem threats, including social and economic viability strategies .
  • Improved decision-support tools and technical services to assist both managers and policymakers to understand current resource trends, potential trajectories based on alternative futures, and uncertainty.
  • Better capacity for assessing ecosystem services value based on current availability, market demands, and future potential supply.
  • Regular assessment of rural community resilience through a variety of spatially explicit metrics and indicators
  • Recognize the critical roles that municipalities, fishermen, aquaculturists, and others are playing and will play to address ocean climate change, and ensure adequate opportunities to engage them in strategy development and action planning.
  • Sustainable fisheries management strategies need to reflect and react to the complexity and nonlinearity of the marine ecosystem response to changing oceans and the rapid rate of warming in the Gulf of Maine.
  • Greater U.S.-Canada collaboration, and in particular between Maine and the Atlantic provinces, to coordinate research and management of our shared fishing resources and endangered species.

Economic Impact

  • Better understanding of the current and future inland and marine resources for planning.
  • Potential for integrated freshwater and ocean management to meet multiple objectives.
  • Sustainable flow of seafood and other ecosystem services.
  • More efficient supply chains.
  • Improved workforce, coastal, and rural community resilience.
  • More resilient aquatic systems to minimize potential impacts of climate change and associated threats of shifting ecosystems.

References

Arnold, S, B. Beal, S. Birkel, R. Black, A. Contosta, A. Cross, A. Daigneault, S. Dickson, S. Elias, I. Fernandez (co-Chair), G. Hodgkins, B. Hubbell, J. Kelley, R. Kersbergen, R. Lincoln, G. Koehler, P. Lombard, B. Lyon, R. Marvinney (co-Chair), A. Pershing, N. Price, J. Rubin, J. Salisbury, P. Slovinsky, R. Steneck, S. Stockwell, R. Wahle, A. Weiskittel, and C. Wilson. 2020. Maine Climate Council Scientific and Technical Subcommittee Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and Its Effects in Maine. Phase I “WORKING DOCUMENT.”

Le Bris, A., K.E. Mills, R.A. Wahle, Y. Chen, M.A. Alexander, A. Allyn, A. J. Pershing, (2018). Climate vulnerability and resilience in the most valuable North American fishery. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(8), 1831-1836. DOI:10.1073/ pnas.1711122115

Oremus, Kimberly L., Climate Variability Reduces Employment in New England Fisheries, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116.52 (2019), 26444 https://DOI.org/10.1073/pnas.1820154116.

Wahle, R.A., A.J. Linnane, and A.M. Harrington. 2020. Chapter 3: Lobster Fisheries. In: The Natural History of the Crustacea. Volume 9: Fisheries and Aquaculture. Edited by: G. Lovrich and M. Thiel, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/ oso/9780190865627.003.0003