Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Poster Session

Poster Session Overview

High School Posters

1. What Has Maine Done to Protect Our Waterways
Tyler Sieberg

Undergraduate Posters

2. Investigating a Novel Parasite in the Freshwater Zooplankton Daphnia Ambigua
Eva R. Ahn, Bowdoin College

3. Saltmarsh Vegetation Survey Preceding Culvert Replacement and Tidal Flow Restoration in Penobscot, Maine
Jacob Allison and Hannah Mellor, Maine Maritime Academy

4. Impacts of Agricultural Alterations in Sprague Marsh’s West Branch through Carbon Isotope Signatures
Riley Baker, Bates College

5. Beyond the Per-Capita Average: What Data Resolution Changes in Residential Water Demand Modeling
Carla F. L. Martinez Becerra, College of the Atlantic

6. Salt Stress and Coevolutionary History Modify Interactions Between Daphnia and Fungal Gut Symbiont
Carolina Bragg, Bowdoin College

7. Assessing Coastal Acidification and Its Impacts on Marine Calcifiers Along Maine’s Coast Using a Data-Driven Statistical Model
Sarah Chang and Nic Donnellan
University of Maine

8. Bridging the Gap: Building Relationships and Gathering Community Perspectives on Regional Climate Action, Process, and Progress in Southern Maine
Annika Doeppers
University of New England

9. Managing Food Waste in the Gorham School District by Mixed-Methods Educational Campaigns
Grace Gagnon, Landen Jorgensen, Skylar Maloney and Ben Moore
University of Southern Maine

10. From Inventory to Action: Advancing Decarbonization Through Greenhouse Gas Accounting
Brooke Goldfeder, Northeastern University

11. Protecting Our Lifeline: Drinking Water
Emma Harrigan, University of Maine

12. Juvenile Atlantic Salmon Growth Overtime in Orbeton Stream
Christopher Houdeshell, University of Maine Farmington

13. Bridging Science, Stakeholders, and Policy: A Qualitative Study of Boating Impacts on Maine Lakes
Ayseli Karabekmez, Colby College

14. Summer Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics in Western Maine Mountain Ponds
Hazel McEnaney, University of Maine Farmington

15. Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Carbon Mineralization in Freshwater Wetland Sediments from Midcoast Maine
Bella Mele, Bowdoin College

16. Investigating PFAS Contamination from Cleaning and Waxing Products in Maine Schools
Eddie Nachamie, University of Maine

17. Polyethylene Terephthalate Microfiber Uptake in the Marine Sponge Halichondria Panicea
Landen Parks, Maine Maritime Academy

18. Investigating Temperature Stratification in the Aroostook River, Maine
Riley Prince, University of Maine at Presque Isle

19. Sowing Autonomy to Harvest Sovereignty: An Analysis of Maine’s “Right to Food”
Asher Savel, Bowdoin College

20. Exploring Rural Maine Municipal Governments’ Grant Capacity
Chloë Sheahan and Kyle Pellerin, Bowdoin College

21. Impacts of Projected Sea Level Rise on Carbon Storage in Maine Estuary Zones
Audrey Stevens, Saanvi Sherchan
Bowdoin College

22. Road Salt Contamination in the Hart Brook, an Urban Watershed in Lewiston, ME
Alessandra Williams, Izzy Kent, Izzie Switanek
Bates College

23. Margalef’s Mandala: An Investigation of Phytoplankton, Nutrients, and Turbulence in Harpswell Sound
Taylor Wilkinson, Bowdoin College

Graduate Posters

24. From Data to Decisions: A Stakeholder-Oriented App for Selecting PFAS Drinking Water Treatment Technologies
Josephine Adu-Gyamfi, University of Maine

25. From Tourist to Trusted Consumer: Maine Visitation’s Impact on Seafood Consumption, Barrier & Quality Ratings
Rafiul Ahmed, University of Maine

26. Negotiating Gains from Offshore: The Role of Community Benefit Agreements in Building Support for Wind Energy Development in Maine
Harry Nutifafa Arden, University of Maine

27. A Sonic Archive of Living Cultures: Listening to Microbial Activity as Environmental Engagement
Alicia June Bell, University of Maine

28. Unpacking Socio-Economic Changes in the North Maine Woods
Erin F. Dorr, University of Maine

29. COPRI at UMaine: Coastal Research in a Coastal Community
Chen Fa, Malavika Sudhakaran, Nicolas Cyr, and Saba Cyr, University of Maine

30. Water Conservation in Yemen
McArthur Gilbert, University of Maine

31. Empowering Communities Through Co-Design and Community Ownership of Microgrids
Muhammad Hamza Imran, University of Maine

32. Reimagining the Waste Disposal Landscape – Industrial Symbiosis in Maine
Zainab Jafri, University of Maine – POSTER WITHDRAWN

33. The Role of Tribal Citizen Committees in Advancing Climate Resilience within Wabanaki Tribal Nations
Jasmine Lamb, University of Maine

34. MAINECAN Community Coordinators: Finding and Filling Gaps in Climate and Energy Support
Sonia Leone and Katherine Simmons
University of Maine

35. Managing PFAS in Biosolids Through Hydrochar-Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion
Michael Ofori, University of Maine

36. Using Remote Sensing and Field Observations to Assess the Stability of a Restored Cobble-Bed River
Ryan Omslaer, University of New Hampshire

37. Drivers of Nutritional Intake in Maine’s Social-Ecological Marine System
Zoe Alexander, University of Maine

38. Comparison of PFAS Contamination Across Drinking Water Wells in Maine Using a Knowledge Graph Approach
Kendall Phillips, University of Maine

39. P-MEM: A Coupled Hydrodynamic–Agent-Based Framework for Testing Behaviorally Mediated Contaminant Risk in Anadromous Fish
Vanessa Quintana, University of Maine

40. From Net Benefits to “Lake of Perfidy”: Rethinking Environmental Valuation and Sovereignty at Kinzua Dam
Austin Michael Reese, University of Maine

41. Sustainability Beyond Compensation: Community Expectations and Representation in Offshore Wind Benefit Agreements in Coastal Maine
Amber Schultz, University of Maine

42. ReuseME: Investigating Waste Reduction and Cost Benefits in Coastal Communities Through a Pilot Reusable Food Packaging Program
Catherine Segada and Chyanne Yoder, University of Maine

43. Sustaining the Future of Maple Syrup: A Microcredential in Resilient Sugarbush Management
Isabella Sferra, University of Maine

44. Indicators of Ecological Flows: Insights from Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Willamette Basin, Oregon
Aurooba Shafquat, University of Maine

45. Hope Is Not a Trend: Your Voice Counts
Emma Swanson, University of Maine

Professional Posters

46. Development of a Rapid, Stable and Inexpensive Monitoring Technique for Porewater Sulfide in the Intertidal Zone
Karen Merritt, Maine Maritime Academy

47. What Do Patterns in Municipal Capacities Tell Us About Differences in Community Resilience?
Kathleen Bell, Ruth Griffith, Amelia Mooney
University of Maine

48. Collaborative Technical Assistance with Communities Striving for Energy Resilience Through Technological Innovation
Skye Butterson-Dunn, Island Institute

49. Casco Bay: A Compilation Recent Topographic and Bathymetric Data
Jamie Carter, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

50. Exploring Associations Between Geographic Distance and PFAS Chemical Profile of Residential Well Water in a Coastal Maine Town
Emma McDonald, MDI Biological Laboratory

51. Quantifying Uncertainty in Blue Carbon Stocks: Implications for Maine’s Coastal Management and Restoration
Claire Enterline, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Beverly Johnson, Bates College

52. Documenting Salt Marsh Biodiversity, Including Low Marsh Die-Off, in Cobscook Bay, Maine: Implications for Maine’s Blue Carbon Strategy
Austin Menzmer, Husson University
Robin Hadlock Seeley, Maine Rockweed Coalition

53. Assessing PFAS Exposure Patterns in Two Avian Bioindicators in Casco Bay Following a Chemical Spill
Helen Yurek, Biodiversity Research Institute

54. PFAS Concentrations Are Highly Correlated Among Water, Fish and Predatory Bird Tissues: Implications for PFAS Biomonitoring in Aquatic Environments
Cassie Gilham, Biodiversity Research Institute

55. Snow Refugia: Managing Temperate Forest Canopies to Maintain Winter Conditions
Sarah J. Nelson, Appalachian Mountain Club

56. Outcomes of the PFAS Understanding in Local Schools and Environments (PULSE) Study
Caitlin Oliver-Olsen, MDI Biological Laboratory

57. Design and Performance of Red Brook Fishway
Jason Pichette, Maine Department of Transportation

58. Calcium Limitation Weakens Trophic Cascades Associated With Fish Stocking in New England Lakes
Mary Rogalski, Bowdoin College

59. Nanopore Sequencing of Cyanobacteria
Robin Sleith, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

Presenters are indicated in bold font.

High School Posters

1. What Has Maine Done to Protect Our Waterways?
Tyler Sieberg

This poster will demonstrate the achievements Maine has made in terms of water sustainability to benefit our communities and our local ecosystems. Several groups have made strides in water sustainability, and hopefully we are on the right track to a brighter future.

Undergraduate Posters

2. Investigating a Novel Parasite in the Freshwater Zooplankton Daphnia Ambigua

Eva R. Ahn (student), Mary Rogalski
Bowdoin College

In freshwater ecosystems, zooplankton species, such as Daphnia ambigua, act as primary consumers of algae and are considered a keystone species. Parasitism can impact the population dynamics of zooplankton, which play an important role in controlling water quality and providing food for larger organisms in freshwater ecosystems. In 2023, the Rogalski Lab discovered an unidentified parasite infecting the host Daphnia ambigua at Sewall Pond, Maine. Our study aims to characterize the fitness effects of the parasite on the Daphnia host. We found that the parasite behaves similarly to a microsporidian parasite and infects the gut lining of the Daphnia, leading to a reduction in lifespan and reproduction. The parasite was found to be horizontally transferred and has the ability to survive outside of the host in water based on experimental evidence. Our study also aims to identify the parasite using DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Using the sequence of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, we found that the novel parasite is most closely related to a recently identified microsporidian parasite, Daphniaspora nanhuensis (n. gen. n. sp.) in a related cladoceran host species called Moina micrura (Weng et al. 2026). Using maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, we found that the novel parasite is located at the base of the Liebermannia lineage.

3. Saltmarsh Vegetation Survey Preceding Culvert Replacement and Tidal Flow Restoration in Penobscot, Maine

Jacob Allison (student), Hannah Mellor (student), Karen Merritt, Kerry Whittaker, Sarah O’Malley
Maine Maritime Academy, Corning School of Ocean Studies

The Town of Penobscot, Maine, along with many other partners has undertaken a multi-year project to restore the ecosystem health of Mill Creek and the surrounding ecosystem. Part of this project involves the replacement of a road culvert that limits fish passage. The undersized culvert also hinders proper tidal flow with is necessary to the health of the saltmarsh upstream of the culvert. Baseline monitoring was performed on this salt marsh by Maine Maritime Academy Faculty and Student Interns in the summer of 2025. Seven areas of interest were identified, five above the tidal restriction and two below the restriction. These areas of interest were surveyed by vegetation composition was determined using transects and quadrats. Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS was used to georeference each data collection site and to record the current stream path of Mill Creek. This study found that above the tidal restriction, terrestrial plants were much more common. This change in composition indicated that the culvert caused tidal restriction. Future monitoring after the culvert replacement will determine if restoration of natural flow to this marsh system might lead to a shift in vegetation composition. This study also provided a very good opportunity for undergraduates at Maine Maritime Academy to gain hands on experience with data collection and processing.

4. Impacts of Agricultural Alterations in Sprague Marsh’s West Branch through Carbon Isotope Signatures

Riley Baker (student), Beverly Johnson
Bates College

This project uses stable carbon isotope analysis to assess the impacts of anthropogenic alterations in the West Branch of Sprague Marsh. Data was analyzed from sixteen 1 meter-long sediment cores collected between July 2023 and June 2024 at the Bates Morse Mountain Conservation Area under the research of Beverly Johnson. Using C/N ratios, 𝛿13C, percent loss on ignition (LOI), and past elevation and sedimentation data, this research reconstructs the historical geochemical processes of the marsh, the impact of agricultural alterations, and the future of marsh restoration in the West Branch. Results found major subsidence due to ditching and diking over time, leading to decreases in d13C and C/N ratios and an increase in marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) intrusion within the isotope signature. However, evidence of marsh regeneration is significant and reveals hope for future carbon restoration work.

5. Beyond the Per-Capita Average: What Data Resolution Changes in Residential Water Demand Modeling

Carla F. L. Martinez Becerra (student)¹, Drew Rich², Esber Andiroglu²
1. College of the Atlantic
2. Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Miami

Resilient water resource management depends on estimates of residential water demand for utility-scale planning, to right-size infrastructure and support equitable conservation. In Maine, where systems span municipal utilities and unmonitored private wells, planning often defaults to per-capita assumptions. Higher-resolution estimation is increasingly feasible through privacy-preserving monitoring and open spatial data. Though residential demand models often examine socioeconomic, structural, and hydroclimatic drivers to explain where and why water use varies, coarse aggregation can misidentify drivers, miss high-use clusters, and misdirect interventions. We explored how resolution and model choice shape driver identification by using two contrasting low-resolution case studies. The first analyzed 1,022 census-block-group records in Miami-Dade County (2020/2022). The second used 26 county-scale aggregates in the Republic of Ireland (2016/2022). Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was fit to both datasets, and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) was fit to Miami to assess spatially varying relationships. In Miami, MGWR explained ~89% of variance in daily use and identified household size (~19-21 gallons/day per additional person) and habitable building area (~3.5-4.1 gallons/day per 100 ft²) as primary predictors. In Ireland, OLS explained less than 7% of variability, but with only 26 observations, estimates for income, rooms, and aridity showed weak and unstable explanatory power that may reflect aggregation and limited sample size rather than true absence of effects. Overall, this comparison supports investment in privacy-preserving, higher-resolution data to better target demand-side actions such as efficiency retrofits and decentralized reuse, rather than relying on uniform per-capita restrictions.

6. Salt Stress and Coevolutionary History Modify Interactions Between Daphnia and Fungal Gut Symbiont

Carolina Bragg (student), Mary Rogalski
Bowdoin College

Sewall Pond in Arrowsic has some of the highest salinity measurements of lakes routinely monitored by Maine DEP. A key source of salt is brackish water from downstream tidal Sewall Creek. The conductivity in Sewall Pond has fluctuated between 200 uS/cm and 1250 uS/cm over the past decade, with levels as high as 8000 uS/cm near the bottom. The Rogalski lab has found evidence that Daphnia (aka water fleas) in Sewall Pond are adapting to these fluctuating salinity conditions. In the past few years, a fungal parasite has been found infecting Daphnia guts in Sewall Pond. My original research investigates this host-parasite dynamic, asking, how do the combined stressors of parasitism and salt impact Daphnia fitness? What role does host-parasite coevolutionary history play? The results of my common garden experiment suggest that salt exposure causes the fungus to shift from a harmless or even beneficial symbiont to a parasite, as Daphnia demonstrate boosted reproduction in response to infection. However, these shifts depend on the genetic history of the Daphnia host and parasite. Salt exposure seems to change the fundamental nature of this species interaction. Untangling these biological dynamics will help us understand how freshwater salinization may affect water quality in Maine lakes, because of the role Daphnia play in regulating algal levels and pond health.

7. Assessing Coastal Acidification and Its Impacts on Marine Calcifiers Along Maine’s Coast Using a Data-Driven Statistical Model

Sarah Chang (student)^1,2,3, Nic Donnellan (student)¹, Jiaze Wang¹
1. School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine
2. School of Marine Sciences
3. Honors College

The Gulf of Maine is experiencing rapid environmental change, making the timely and spatially extensive assessment of coastal acidity increasingly important for ecosystem management. Coastal ocean acidification, a direct result of increasing CO₂ emissions, has led to a decrease in the coastal ocean’s overall pH. This can interfere with the biological processes and functions of a variety of marine organisms. Specifically, the increase in H⁺ concentration decreases the availability of CO₃²⁻ for marine calcifiers to produce shells and skeletons. For economically significant shellfish, coastal ocean acidification can alter their size, shell thickness, and decrease their population stocks. Other marine calcifiers like foraminifera have been used as indicators of past climate and ocean conditions due to their extensive fossil record and sensitivity to environmental change. However, direct measurement of pH across Maine’s highly complex and extensive coastline remains logistically challenging and costly, resulting in limited spatial and temporal coverage. A more effective evaluation and estimation approach for coastal acidity is greatly needed for coastal communities to support management. Here, considering the rich oceanographic monitoring datasets along Maine’s coast including salinity, temperature, turbidity, and their contributions to coastal acidity (i.e., pH, DIC, pCO2), we develop a generalized linear regression model that can predict pH from existing monitoring and historical datasets to evaluate coastal acidity changes in response to wider climate change across Maine’s estuaries to further gain an understanding of the past, present, and future acidity level and their potential impacts on marine calcifiers in the Gulf of Maine.

8. Bridging the Gap: Building Relationships and Gathering Community Perspectives on Regional Climate Action, Process, and Progress in Southern Maine

Annika Doeppers (student), Edward Iannuzzi-Sucich (student), Jennifer Brousseau
University of New England

People, infrastructure, and ecosystems within coastal communities continue to be threatened by sea level rise and increasingly powerful storms. In response, municipal-level climate action planning has emerged as a tool for addressing local climate risks. Particularly in smaller, rural communities, a regional approach to climate planning may address challenges related to capacity and implementation, while fostering opportunities for learning and collaboration. From 2022-2024, a regional planning agency in Maine facilitated a cohort-based climate action planning (CAP) process, supporting four coastal communities in developing locally tailored CAPs while sharing resources, technical assistance, and peer learning opportunities. This mixed-methods study examined the processes, supports, and outcomes of the CAP cohort to better understand how regional facilitation and collaboration influence municipal climate planning and early implementation efforts. Using a case study approach, the project drew upon data from reviews of the CAPs, review of publicly available documents to assess implementation progress, and interviews with municipal staff, community members, and regional planning facilitators. The analysis focused on how differences in capacity, governance structures, and political context shaped planning experiences, community engagement, and implementation readiness. Our findings suggest that cohort-based planning can provide a cost-effective and collaborative pathway for advancing municipal climate action, while building long-term institutional and regional capacity. At the same time, capacity differences shaped planning timelines and participant experiences, with lower-capacity communities receiving greater benefit from peer learning and targeted technical support. This project offers practical insights for communities and regional planning organizations seeking to support equitable and implementable climate resilience efforts.

9. Managing Food Waste in the Gorham School District by Mixed-Methods Educational Campaigns

Grace Gagnon (student), Landen Jorgensen (student), Skylar Maloney (student), Ben Moore (student), Jamie Picardy
University of Southern Maine

Food waste is a longstanding and well-documented challenge affecting public school systems using the National School Lunch Program guidelines. Our study aims to address social responsibility around food waste through mixed-methods educational campaigns to alter student behavior in the lunchroom. Interventions were framed using verbal approaches, such as morning announcements and lesson plans, and written approaches, including large and small posters and table tents. The qualitative data collected during the project’s pre-launch suggest that students’ behavior changed and that there was a non-statistically significant decrease in food waste during the intervention period. The results of this study could inform school systems, policymakers, and food service providers in implementing alternative methods for reducing food waste.

10. From Inventory to Action: Advancing Decarbonization Through Greenhouse Gas Accounting

Brooke Goldfeder (student)^1,2, Jennifer Natyzak²
1. Northeastern University;
2. Appalachian Mountain Club

Accurate greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting is essential for guiding decarbonization, yet many organizations lack site-specific emissions data to inform actionable climate strategies. This project develops a comprehensive Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas inventory for select Appalachian Mountain Club facilities, focusing on the Highland Center in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, and all staff-run facilities in Maine. Scope 1 emissions include direct fuel use, such as propane and oil, while Scope 2 emissions reflect purchased electricity. Using 2025 utility receipts, invoices, and energy records, emissions data were consolidated into a unified dataset and analyzed in Excel through pivot tables and trend visualizations to identify major emission sources and year-over-year changes. Preliminary results indicate an overall reduction in emissions compared to 2019. This reflects recent efficiency upgrades and renewable energy investments, including solar installations and building system improvements. These findings demonstrate how facility-level GHG inventories support data-driven decision-making by identifying high-impact opportunities for infrastructure upgrades and operational changes. Final results will inform targeted decarbonization strategies across Maine lodges and cabins while tracking progress toward net-zero goals. Beyond institutional planning, this work highlights the value of transparent emissions accounting as a tool for engaging communities and translating climate commitments into measurable action.

11. Protecting Our Lifeline: Drinking Water

Emma Harrigan
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, University of Maine

Maine tap water has long been something we take pride in. If you’re a true Mainer, or simply someone who cares deeply about clean water, you understand how fortunate we are. There’s a reason our state has invested in protecting water quality, regenerating our freshwater systems, and maintaining accessible, clean drinking water and functional sewage systems for our communities.

But with the everyday impacts of climate change on our beautiful lakes and watersheds, our drinking water is increasingly at risk. Without continued funding, protection, and public attention, Maine’s tap water faces growing threats. In fact, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection now recommends filtering tap water in certain areas due to health concerns.

We must stay resilient during times of environmental uncertainty. That means reinvesting power, funding, and policy into protecting our natural resources, especially our everyday drinking water, and keeping Maine green for future generations.

This poster was created to warn the public about the reality we all face. We are all players in this “game” — the air we breathe, the nutrients we consume, and the water we drink connect us all. Protecting them is not optional.

It’s time to stop putting the environment on the back burner. It’s time to educate ourselves, support one another, and act.

12. Juvenile Atlantic Salmon Growth Overtime in Orbeton Stream

Christopher Houdeshell (student), Rachel Hovel
University of Maine Farmington

Atlantic salmon have faced population declines and are federally listed as endangered. This anadromous species spends up to three years of their early life history in select rivers and streams in Maine, and conditions in these habitats are important to fish growth and survival at this early life stage. Western Maine contains several key spawning and rearing rivers for Atlantic Salmon, including sites of various salmon restoration and monitoring activities. This study used historically-collected scales to track juvenile salmon growth rate through time, and identify factors related to growth rate. Scales collected by the Maine Department of Marine Resources in Orbeton Stream between 2007-2016 were imaged under a microscope and measured with image J to determine growth patterns across this decade. Variation between years was then compared to temperature as a possible explanatory variable for variation in growth. Results of this study help inform the drivers of early life history Atlantic salmon productivity and key habitat conditions.

13. Bridging Science, Stakeholders, and Policy: A Qualitative Study of Boating Impacts on Maine Lakes

Ayseli Karabekmez¹, Danielle Wain^1,2, Alison Bates¹, Aleja Ortiz¹
1. Colby College
2. 7 Lakes Alliance

Maine’s lakes and ponds are vital ecological and economic resources, attracting 12 million users annually and contributing over $14 billion to the state’s economy, per a recent University of Maine study. Growing concerns about boating impacts, particularly from wake boats and tow-behind water sports, have prompted a closer look at how these activities affect lake health. The Maine Boating Impacts Coalition reviewed wake boat effects and recommended a 500-foot shoreline buffer and 20-foot depth minimum. In 2024, legislation established a 300-foot setback and 15-foot depth requirement for wake surfing, alongside public education efforts. As part of a larger project evaluating the threat from wind-driven waves and boat wakes on shoreline erosion and sediment deposition and integrating scientific data and stakeholder perspectives to inform sustainable lake management, we used in-depth interviews with residents, property owners, and boaters at East and North Ponds to evaluate attitudes towards wake boating and wake boat regulation, as well as perceptions of shoreline disruption, water quality, wildlife disturbance, noise, and safety. Most participants did not identify a direct connection between boating activity and shoreline erosion. Instead, concerns more frequently centered on wildlife impacts, noise pollution, and general disturbances. Community members expressed ambivalence toward stricter boating regulations, and overall literacy regarding existing boating laws was low. These survey findings highlight the need for education and outreach in developing sustainable lake management strategies.

14. Summer Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics in Western Maine Mountain Ponds

Hazel McEnaney (student), Julia Daly, Rachel Hovel
University of Maine Farmington

Small, high-elevation headwater ponds in western Maine are particularly sensitive to climate-driven changes in summer stratification due to their size, depth, and water column mixing dynamics. Climate warming may impact the duration and intensity of stratification, potentially altering oxygen dynamics and increasing the risk of benthic hypoxia. This study examines dissolved oxygen (DO) dynamics in three proximal high-elevation ponds: Mountain, Cranberry, and Midway, using continuous, high-frequency water temperature and dissolved oxygen data collected during 2023 and 2024. Surface and bottom water temperature data reveal strong summer stratification, associated with declining benthic DO while surface water remains well oxygenated. Benthic DO dropped below the biologically important threshold of 4 mg/L at all three locations, with hypoxia persisting until fall mixing. Although all ponds exhibit seasonally recurring hypoxia, patterns varied by site. Two ponds, Mountain and Midway, show steady, nearly linear oxygen depletion during summer, whereas Cranberry Pond reaches anoxic conditions much more quickly. Benthic DO in Mountain and Midway recovers with turnover at the end of summer stratification. In contrast, Cranberry Pond shows distinct end-of-season benthic DO patterns, as hypoxic conditions re-establish quickly even after the breakdown of stable summer stratification. This rapid depletion creates a high proportion of hypoxic days during the season, even with intermittent mixing. The results suggest that stratification duration alone does not predict hypoxia severity and highlight the importance of pond-specific controls on benthic oxygen dynamics under continued climate warming.

15. Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Carbon Mineralization in Freshwater Wetland Sediments from Midcoast Maine

Bella Mele (student), Zavier Richardson, Jack Stoland, Izzy Tsuchitori
Bowdoin College, Department of Earth & Oceanographic Science

The ecosystem functions of coastal freshwater wetlands are disproportionately threatened by anthropogenic disturbances such as sea level rise (SLR). Tidal influence and low salinity make coastal freshwater wetlands particularly vulnerable to SLR-driven environmental shifts, but the impacts on soil biogeochemistry and carbon (C) cycling remain poorly understood. We utilized field sampling along with an experimental design to examine how soil efflux rates of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) respond to various conditions representative of future SLR scenarios. Soils were collected from three sites along Merrymeeting Bay, a freshwater tidal wetland in Midcoast Maine, and exposed to three levels of salinity (2.7, 15.0, and 25.0 ppt) and two inundation intensities (10-mL and 20-mL). Three readings of CO2 and CH4 mineralization rates were measured over a period of eight days and compared with those collected for site-specific controls. Distinct methanogenesis inhibition was observed at higher salinity levels (≥
15 ppt), likely due to sulfate inputs that altered dominant anaerobic respiration pathways. While CO2 mineralization rate demonstrated no consistent relationship with salinity, low inundation treatments generally resulted in higher rates of CO2 efflux. Results from Site 1 soils suggest that low to moderate SLR scenarios may increase CH4 efflux relative to CO2, with a potential reversal under extreme SLR conditions (≥ 25.0 ppt) where methanogenesis inhibition is likely more pronounced. Our findings indicate that freshwater tidal wetland soils in Merrymeeting Bay are highly vulnerable to SLR-driven disturbances in C cycling via altered rates of greenhouse gas efflux.

16. Investigating PFAS Contamination from Cleaning and Waxing Products in Maine Schools

Eddie Nachamie (student)¹, Rachel Schattman², Jane Disney³, Rich Hilliard³
1 University of Maine, Honors College
2 University of Maine, School of Food and Agriculture
3 MDI Biological Laboratory Environmental Health Lab

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become a prevalent problem due to their widespread accumulation in the environment and concerns over their public health implications. These compounds have been linked to liver and kidney diseases, increased cholesterol, certain cancers, endocrine disruption, and developmental toxicity (Brunn et al., 2023). Over the past fifteen years, the state of Maine has addressed PFAS contamination from various sources in drinking water, agricultural soils, and other contexts. An underexamined area of study is schools, though contamination has been detected at elevated concentrations in schools throughout the state. In New Hampshire, such concentrations were associated with floor waxing, stripping, and cleaning products used. Through a participatory action research framework, this research project will engage stakeholders at schools to investigate the linkage between floor maintenance practices and PFAS contamination using various methods including geospatial analysis, qualitative interviewing, and lab testing of maintenance products.

17. Polyethylene Terephthalate Microfiber Uptake in the Marine Sponge Halichondria Panicea

Landen Parks (student), Carey Friedman
Maine Maritime Academy

Microplastics are prevalent in all marine environments, and filter-feeding organisms are exposed to plastics regularly due to their constant exposure to the surrounding water column. Sponges are filter-feeders who inhabit all types of benthic habitats and may provide insight into the particle load of their surrounding environment, including microplastics. This study addressed whether Halichondria panicea, a sponge native to the Gulf of Maine, is capable of capturing microplastic fibers from their surrounding environment, and how the concentration of fibers changes with time. H. panicea was exposed to 14 µm diameter polyethylene terephthalate plastic fibers over four time points: 1 h, 3 h, 5 h, and 7 h. Fibers were detected in sponge tissue in all time points, with the highest concentration found in 1 h, followed by 7 h, 5 h, and 3 h, respectively. In all treatments, sponges had retained less than 1% of the initial exposure of plastics, suggesting that H. panicea does not accurately represent the concentration of microplastic fibers in their environment.

18. Investigating Temperature Stratification in the Aroostook River, Maine

Riley Prince (student), David Putnam, Chunzeng Wang
University of Maine at Presque Isle

This study examines river temperature stratification in the Aroostook River to evaluate the effectiveness of aerial thermal drone imaging for identifying cold-water habitats. The river is ecologically significant, particularly for native cold-water species such as brook trout and Atlantic salmon, making an understanding of temperature distribution essential for locating thermal refugia. Temperature data were collected over a 41-day span using a combination of HOBO data loggers and a hand-held thermocouple to assess vertical stratification. Results revealed minimal stratification, with surface-to-bottom temperature differences generally less than 1 °C. Logger #1, positioned near a brook-fed pool, consistently recorded lower temperatures than other sites, which highlights the impact of cold brook water. Overall, the findings suggest that aerial thermal imaging remains a reliable tool for assessing river temperature in this system, as significant vertical temperature variation was not observed.

19. Sowing Autonomy to Harvest Sovereignty: An Analysis of Maine’s “Right to Food”

Asher Savel (student), Shana Starobin, Eileen Sylvan Johnson
Bowdoin College

The Maine Food Sovereignty Act introduced the nation’s first legal “Right to Food” in 2017. While large agricultural associations criticize its licensing exemptions, supporters highlight how it empowers communities and expands access to food. Montes et al. (2024) describe food sovereignty as a path to local control and sustainability. This study examines the act’s effects on Maine’s small-scale food systems. Through farm visits, market observations, and in-person and phone interviews with farmers and local stakeholders, this project explores the conditions and reasons why Maine towns adopt or oppose food Food Sovereignty Ordinances (FSOs), their effects on local food system stakeholders, and the extent to which FSOs align or diverge from the broader concept of Food Sovereignty. FSOs may reduce food deserts and strengthen local ties in rural communities, though larger towns and cities remain hesitant to adopt them. Trust, municipal government structure, and community culture emerge as primary factors affecting FSO adoption. However, FSOs are not the only viable method to improve a town’s access to food. Their policy implications have been narrowed from the foundational concepts of Food Sovereignty, and organizations across the state have found other ways to combat food insecurity effectively. This case offers insight into the broader potential of decentralized and rural self-regulated food governance across New England.

20. Exploring Rural Maine Municipal Governments’ Grant Capacity

Chloë Sheahan (student)¹, Kyle Pellerin (student)¹, Wren West¹, Emma Olney¹, Lily Newton², Kaitlin MacPhee², Jasmine Lopez², Kathleen Bell³, Jessica Leahy³, Eileen Johnson¹, Vanessa Levesque²
1. Bowdoin College
2. University of Southern Maine
3. University of Maine

The degree to which local governments are able to take actions that help their residents respond to and move forward from challenges such as climate change is critical to rural resilience. One key capacity in doing so is the ability to apply for, receive, and administer grant funding, which among other things enables municipalities to promote economic development, foster community well-being, and protect ecosystem health. The objective of this study was to understand the factors that enable and constrain rural municipalities’ grant capacity. We interviewed officials from 21 Maine municipalities and identified the types of grants frequently accessed by municipalities, factors communities take into account when deciding what grant to pursue, constraints faced in managing grants, and opportunities for technical support. Our results suggest that funders could enhance the support they provide: tailored support is needed for a range of individuals, grant programs should be structured to reduce barriers, and support is needed by communities across all phases of the grant process. Overall, we found that service providers and volunteers play crucial roles in enhancing rural grant capacity, and therefore community well being, economic development, and ecosystem health, and that additional work is needed to help municipalities facilitate projects through to their implementation phases.

21. Impacts of Projected Sea Level Rise on Carbon Storage in Maine Estuary Zones

Audrey Stevens (student), Tori Bacall (student), Saanvi Sherchan (student), Markiane Rivers
Bowdoin College

Salt marshes are effective carbon sinks, but they are threatened by accelerating sea level rise (SLR). As climate change continues to drive rapid SLR, it is imperative to understand the future capacity of global salt marsh environments to store carbon. If salt marshes do not keep pace with SLR via vertical accretion, they will shift upland. In this study, we seek a better understanding of the distribution of carbon storage in each estuary zone and the ability of salt marshes to migrate in response to 1-m of SLR. We collected plant and sediment samples from the mudflat, low marsh, and high marsh zones of three Midcoast Maine salt marshes and used elemental combustion to estimate the total aboveground and belowground carbon stock in each estuary zone. We used QGIS and NOAA SLR and Marsh Migration data to visualize and predict the future salt marsh area under the 1-m SLR model. We find that under 1-m SLR, salt marshes undergo a substantial loss of total belowground carbon, leading to a change in status from a carbon sink to a carbon source. While the mudflat stores the least belowground carbon, it experiences the greatest area loss and therefore is the driving force behind carbon loss in salt marshes. As a result of the salt marsh shifting to a carbon source under SLR, the net loss of carbon in salt marshes may lead to a positive feedback loop on climate warming.

22. Road Salt Contamination in the Hart Brook, an Urban Watershed in Lewiston, ME

Alessandra Williams (student), Izzy Kent (student), Izzie Switanek (student)
Bates College

The Hart Brook watershed is a tributary of the Androscoggin in Lewiston, Maine. It is classified as an impaired urban watershed with high impervious surface coverage (ISC) at 20%. Our Environmental Geochemistry class at Bates College (EACS 240) sampled water sources from three locations in the Hart Brook watershed to assess the level of road salt contamination and to compare it to past data sets. A multimeter data sonde was used to collect specific conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Water samples were collected and tested for total dissolved solids and chloride concentrations. The chloride concentrations ranged between 209 and 401 ppm, where the lowest concentration was found in a more rural area, and the highest concentration was found in a wetland adjacent to a major roadway. These values exceed the cutoff of 30 ppm (which damages land plants) and are similar to, or exceed, the 250 ppm threshold (which has harmful effects on animals), suggesting more monitoring is needed to assess the effects of road salt contamination throughout the year. Chloride and specific conductivity levels have a strong positive linear relationship; thus, specific conductivity can be used as a less costly indicator of chloride concentrations all year long. Additional analyses are underway to determine the source of high chloride level variations and to understand potential long-term changes in the watershed.

23. Margalef’s Mandala: An Investigation of Phytoplankton, Nutrients, and Turbulence in Harpswell Sound

Taylor Wilkinson (student); Collin Roesler
Bowdoin College

In this study, we aimed to apply Ramón Margalef’s model of phytoplankton succession to Harpswell, Maine. Margalef’s model posits community composition (insofar as the breakdown into dinoflagellates and diatoms) can be predicted by nutrients and turbulence, such that stations with high nutrients and high turbulence will have high diatom populations, while stations with low nutrients and low turbulence will have high dinoflagellate populations. We used IFCB, SmartChem Autoanalyzer, and CTD data to quantify diatom and dinoflagellate populations, nutrient levels, and turbulence. Across the Harpswell transect, we found silicate and phosphate to be replete, nitrate to be limited, and nutrients to be generally higher in constricted than open waters. Surface turbulence was strongest at the two stations furthest from shore, but turbulence throughout the entire water column decreased with each station from shore. Diatoms were prolific closer to shore, but the population decreased offshore; dinoflagellates showed low populations near shore, but increased offshore. The ecological response to nutrients and turbulence seen here is in line with Margalef’s 1969 similar application of the succession model to a spatial dataset. As phytoplankton are the base of the coastal ecosystem, further analysis of the factors affecting community composition creates a superior understanding of the ecosystem as a whole.

Graduate Posters

24. From Data to Decisions: A Stakeholder-Oriented App for Selecting PFAS Drinking Water Treatment Technologies

Josephine Adu-Gyamfi (student), Lukas Norment, Reed Miller
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in drinking water poses significant public health risks, and emerging regulatory standards will require many water systems to implement advanced treatment technologies. Selecting appropriate PFAS treatment options is challenging due to variability in system characteristics, treatment performance, and lifecycle costs.
The purpose of this work was to develop an intuitive decision-support application that assists drinking water systems, engineers, and regulators in selecting PFAS treatment technologies tailored to system-specific conditions and stakeholder priorities. The application integrates system input parameters, treatment performance data, techno-economic cost models, and user-defined weighting of decision criteria to generate comparative rankings and visualizations of treatment options.

Significant outcomes of this work include the development of an interactive, stakeholder-oriented platform that enables scenario analysis, transparent comparison of treatment alternatives, and visualization of trade-offs among cost, performance, and sustainability metrics. The tool was designed to be accessible to non-technical users while retaining analytical rigor for engineering and policy applications.

This work demonstrates the feasibility of translating complex PFAS treatment data and models into an intuitive decision-support framework. The application has the potential to support utilities in compliance planning, improve stakeholder engagement, and inform regulatory and consulting decision processes. Future work will include validation through case studies and stakeholder testing.

25. From Tourist to Trusted Consumer: Maine Visitation’s Impact on Seafood Consumption, Barrier & Quality Ratings

Rafiul Ahmed (student), Melisa Uyar, Keith S. Evans, Caroline L. Noblet
University of Maine, School of Economics

Maine’s economy is significantly shaped by two synergistic sectors – tourism and aquaculture, yet the behavioral intersection between them remains underexplored. This study investigates how visitation history influences seafood consumption spending, consumption barriers, and perceptions of seafood and marine environmental quality, illuminating actionable linkages between tourism engagement and seafood market behavior.

Survey data were collected by the UMaine School of Economics (2023) from 2,361 respondents across seven major U.S. metropolitan cities, capturing seafood consumption habits, perceived quality of Maine’s seafood and coastal environment, key consumption barriers, visitation history, and socio-demographic characteristics. Regression models estimated the association between coastal visitation history and each outcome variable, controlling age, gender, and income.

Findings reveal that individuals with visitation history to Maine and other coastal locations spend approximately $13 more per month on grocery seafood and $19 more per month on restaurant seafood than non-visitors. Visitors also consume significantly more restaurant seafood meals (~0.66 more per month). Prior visitation is further associated with more favorable evaluations of Maine’s seafood quality (+0.10 points) and marine environmental quality (+0.13 points on a 5-point scale). Notably, while coastal visitors report lower price barriers, interestingly, they exhibit higher knowledge and preference barriers to home-prepared seafood, highlighting a nuanced consumer profile that warrants targeted interventions.

These findings underscore tourism as a meaningful demand-side driver within Maine’s aquaculture value chain. Strategic integration of tourism and aquaculture policy can expand market access, support high-value consumer segments, and advance sustainable growth in Maine’s blue economy.

26. Negotiating Gains from Offshore: The Role of Community Benefit Agreements in Building Support for Wind Energy Development in Maine

Harry Nutifafa Arden (student)^1,2,3, Caroline L. Noblet^1,2, Teresa R. Johnson^1,2,3

1. Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine;
2. School of Economics, University of Maine
3. School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine
4. Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, University of Maine

Offshore wind energy has emerged as a critical component of U.S. clean energy transitions, with states like Maine positioning the sector at the center of ambitious renewable targets. However, large-scale offshore energy developments raise complex social challenges for host coastal communities whose livelihoods and cultural identities are tied to the marine environment. In Maine, where fishing heritage remains central, understanding how perceived fairness, participation, and benefit distribution influence public support is key to achieving durable acceptance. Community benefit agreements (CBAs) have gained attention as formal mechanisms for redistributing project gains and strengthening the “social license to operate.” Grounded in the principles of energy justice, CBAs can enhance procedural and distributive equity of offshore wind energy projects when tailored to local contexts. Yet, their design and perceived legitimacy remain underexplored. This study analyzes survey data from 490 households across two Maine coastal towns- Searsport and Yarmouth, which are likely to host or connect to proposed offshore wind energy projects. Using regression analyses, we examine how the presence of CBAs may influence support for offshore wind energy development. Preliminary results indicate that community support for offshore wind energy development increases significantly when CBAs are included, and that respondents prefer making these agreements mandatory. By linking community preferences with policy design, this research advances understanding of how benefit-sharing mechanisms can foster local acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure.

27. A Sonic Archive of Living Cultures: Listening to Microbial Activity as Environmental Engagement

Alicia June Bell (student)
University of Maine, Intermedia MFA Program

This project uses a handmade hydrophone to record microbial activity in fermented liquids, exploring how sound can serve as an accessible method for engaging with water based microbial processes. Fermentation provides a contained micro ecosystem where bubbling patterns reflect microbial transformation over time. By amplifying these sounds in public listening stations at the Waterville Fermentation Fair and the University of Maine, the project invited participants to experience microbial activity as a living process rather than an abstract concept.

Using a Diné (Navajo) relational perspective, the project approaches microbial sound as part of an interconnected system, emphasizing attention, responsibility, and ecological connection. Participants described feelings of calm, curiosity, and heightened awareness, suggesting that sonic engagement can support community well being and environmental understanding. Their responses, ranging from sensory descriptions such as “bubble wrap” and “ocean waves” to imaginative associations, demonstrate how listening can shift microbial activity from background noise to meaningful presence.

By treating fermentation as a micro scale model of water based ecological processes, the project links microbial transformation to broader themes of interdependence and environmental care. This work contributes to sustainability communication by demonstrating a low cost, DIY method for making microbial processes audible and by creating participatory spaces where people can reflect on relationships between microbes, water, and human communities. The project positions sound as a tool for environmental understanding, offering a way for listeners to build stronger awareness and connection to the microbial and ecological systems that sustain communities.

28. Unpacking Socio-Economic Changes in the North Maine Woods

Erin F. Dorr (student), Adam Daigneault
School of Forest Resources, University of Maine

This research rigorously explores the socioeconomic transformations occurring within the ten million acres of forested landscape in the North Maine Woods (NMW), a region renowned for its rich forest-based heritage, which includes vibrant recreation opportunities and diverse employment options, with strong community ties. This graduate research reveals the complex dynamics of challenges and aspirations experienced by rural communities in the NMW as they navigate significant changes, particularly wrought by shifts in timberland ownership. This study’s heart lies in fostering meaningful dialogue through a methodological framework employing snowball sampling and grounded theory. This iterative process fosters trust and rapport among participants, urging them to share their experiences and engage deeply, revealing the validities shaping their lives amidst evolving circumstances. The overarching objective of the research is to empower participants to articulate their experiences, particularly regarding the socioeconomic shifts instigated by timberland ownership changes and their broader implications for employment opportunities and community solidarity. Analyzing these poignant narratives offers insight into the participants’ recognition of varying influences based on background and lived experiences. The analysis is framed through an acknowledgment of research privileges to address power imbalances and center the voices of community members in this study. The implications of these transitions on local economies, employment dynamics, and community cohesion are the focal points of this investigation to illuminate future pathways (Sherman, G., & Daigneault, A. 2023).

29. COPRI at UMaine: Coastal Research in a Coastal Community

Chen Fa (student), Malavika Sudhakaran (student), Nicolas Cyr (student), Saba Cyr (student), Katherine Daza, Nalika Lakmali, Vanessa Quintana
Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI), University of Maine

The Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) at the University of Maine is a cohort of graduate students conducting novel research on topics related to sustainable coastal engineering design solutions, estuarine water quality, and ecological habitat modeling throughout Maine. Our research collectively aims to have implications and applications for coastal communities in Maine and worldwide. General topics include nature-based design solutions for coastal hazards, investigations of water quality to aid in decision support surrounding aquaculture and fisheries management, estuarine water processes modeling and its applications to biophysical processes, and harmful algae blooms. Current research utilizes a range of methods, from numerical simulations to experimental and field observations, and focuses on: (1) coastal flood risk assessment, (2) river bathymetry and velocity profiling, (3) hydrodynamic controls on sediment transport, (4) effects of partially removed dam remnants on tidal and flood dynamics, (5) enhanced coastal resilience planning using coastal ocean reanalysis datasets along the coast of Maine, (6) physical processes governing the distribution of marine species, and (7) sediment-bound contaminant risk in estuaries. The findings of these research projects aim to support decision-makers, numerical modelers, water quality managers, and coastal development planners in their actions toward shaping sustainable and thriving coastal environments and communities.

30. Water Conservation in Yemen

McArthur Gilbert (student)
School of Policy and International Affairs program, University of Maine

The study will investigate the use of traditional water-capturing systems. This is a thesis topic to be pursued during the second year of a Master of Arts degree in Global Policy and International Affairs at the University of Maine. Yemen is a water-scarce, developing country. Effective water management is crucial for its development. Several factors have negatively influenced effective water management. These include: weak governance, high poverty and illiteracy rates, and civil unrest. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate that traditional water-capturing systems can be significant in augmenting Yemen’s water supply. Studies have shown that in some parts of Yemen, indigenous water harvesting systems are effective. Examples of these systems are terrace farming, spate irrigation, and rainwater-capturing cisterns. In other parts of the country, traditional means of water capturing have fallen into disuse and/or have been replaced by more expensive and unsustainable measures, often with the encouragement of the government. Furthermore, businesses and NGOs have introduced new forms for sourcing water without adequate education and training. The newer technologies have not been managed properly, and some are contributing to the rapid depletion of Yemen’s water supply. A preliminary literature review reveals that farmers welcome the familiar, relatively straightforward, and sustainable systems they have used in the past.

31. Empowering Communities Through Co-Design and Community Ownership of Microgrids

Muhammad Hamza Imran (student)¹, Sharon Klein^2,3, Katie Simmons¹ (student), Cressica Brazier^3,4, Sonia Leone⁵ (student), Jasmine Lamb⁵ (student)

1. Resource Economics & Policy, University of Maine
2. School of Economics, University of Maine
3. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine
4. MAINECAN
5. Ecology & Environmental Sciences, University of Maine

Community co-designed microgrids can be one important strategy to support sustainable energy transitions, address energy inequities, and support increased sovereignty and resilience in rural and Indigenous communities. Guided by four research questions on microgrid types, community participation, ownership models, and barriers and opportunities for community microgrid development, we conducted a literature review to find seventeen cases of community-serving microgrids that represent a range of co-design processes and ownership structures.

We then explore how community-serving microgrids are being developed and adopting these ownership structures across the United States, by mapping the U.S. Department of Energy Microgrid Installation Database (1,181 microgrids) and examining the ownership approaches of the 263 community-serving microgrids in this database. This spatial mapping also allows us to evaluate the potential contribution of U.S. community microgrids to rural energy resilience.

These microgrid cases reveal the importance of co-design strategies that incorporate meaningful communication between communities and implementation partners, accessible technical training, and equitable utility partnerships. Cooperative community ownership and hybrid ownership between communities and utilities often yield shared revenues for local economic benefits. Barriers to implementing community co-designed microgrid projects include technical complexity and constraints, high upfront costs, and regulatory hurdles, while opportunities arise from supportive policies and innovative co-design frameworks that integrate local values.

Community-led microgrids may foster energy justice by aligning power systems with local contexts and priorities, but these energy systems may require interdisciplinary collaboration, reformed policies, and tools like virtual reality for broader adoption and long-term sustainability.

32. Reimagining the Waste Disposal Landscape – Industrial Symbiosis in Maine – POSTER WITHDRAWN

Zainab Jafri (student)
Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is the process of utilizing one company’s byproduct as a resource for another. In this case, byproducts refer to secondary outputs generated by industrial processes that would normally be viewed as waste or materials of low value, such as organic remnants, chemical side streams, excess heat, surplus steam, and more (Chertow, 2025). It offers a promising pathway toward more sustainable materials management by facilitating the exchange of underutilized resources among industrial actors. This poster presents the development and early findings of the Maine Materials Exchange Network, a pilot initiative designed to identify and assist industrial symbiosis opportunities across Maine’s manufacturing sector. Grounded in circular economy principles and aligned with state-level climate and waste reduction goals, the project combines stakeholder engagement, survey research, and network-building strategies to better understand material flows, barriers to collaboration, and potential value propositions for participants.

The project is employing a mixed-methods approach, including industry outreach, survey-based mapping of by-products and input needs, and iterative feedback from our partners in the manufacturing sector. Preliminary insights revealed strong interest in reducing disposal costs, improving resource efficiency, and strengthening regional supply chains, while also highlighting key challenges such as information gaps, coordination costs, and perceived risks associated with material substitution.

By documenting both the methodological process and early engagement outcomes, this work contributes to emerging research on operationalizing industrial symbiosis in small and rural economies. The findings underscore the importance of institutional support, trust-building, and accessible management systems. Ultimately, the Maine Materials Exchange Networks seeks to demonstrate how localized industrial partnerships can support environmental performance, economic resilience, and community sustainability.

33. The Role of Tribal Citizen Committees in Advancing Climate Resilience within Wabanaki Tribal Nations

Jasmine Lamb (student), Sharon Klein
University of Maine

Many Tribal Nations are pursuing climate adaptation and mitigation strategies as the impacts of climate change accelerate around the world. Sustainable energy transitions, or the shift from non-renewable sources of energy generation (e.g. fossil fuels) to renewable energy generation (e.g. solar and wind power), are one way communities can mitigate and adapt to climate change. This poster will present key insights regarding the barriers, opportunities, and decision drivers that Wabanaki Tribal Nations face in advancing climate resilience through sustainable energy initiatives, including the role of tribal citizen committees, using various methodologies.

The poster will present the results of multiple years of Community-Based Participatory Research in collaboration with the Wabanaki Tribes, including a critical ethnographic approach based on my lived experience with the Sipayik Resilience Committee, the tribal citizen committee I founded in 2022. The impacts of specific climate resilience and sustainable energy actions will be discussed as well as the results of multiple years of qualitative and quantitative data collection through semi-structured interviews, confidential surveys, educational workshops, and field notes. This work demonstrates the importance of community-led climate and energy actions, including how these actions can contribute to the adaptive capacity of tribal nations.

34. MAINECAN Community Coordinators: Finding and Filling Gaps in Climate and Energy Support

Sonia Leone (student), Katherine Simmons (presenting student), Sharon Klein, Cressica Brazier
University of Maine

Maine’s climate and energy resilience goals require tailored, locally informed approaches to project planning and implementation. Community Coordinators are individuals who support climate and energy projects in their direct work and meaningful relationships with Maine communities and Wabanaki Tribes. Community Coordinators throughout Maine often work within established organizations like A Climate to Thrive, the Community Resilience Partnership, and MAINECAN. A key initiative under MAINECAN is the Rural Resilience Champions, coordinators who are helping to add capacity for Northern Maine communities. Whether they hold formal job titles or manage informal volunteer responsibilities, Community Coordinators across the state face similar challenges in navigating complex networks of community relationships, funding opportunities, and technical assistance.

The MAINECAN Community Coordinator Working Group (CoCo) is composed of Maine Community Coordinators with diverse regional and project focuses. CoCo meets quarterly to keep coordinators connected to ongoing efforts happening around the state, identify gaps in resource knowledge and access, and create solutions to address them. CoCo demonstrates how network-based approaches to knowledge sharing can strengthen Maine’s climate and energy projects. Coordinators may have different areas of focus; for example, some may provide grant-writing support, while others may work closely with a community from project ideation to completion in a certain topic area. By building connections among statewide community coordinators with diverse areas of expertise, CoCo aims to support a collaborative movement and learning toward climate- and energy-resilient futures.

35. Managing PFAS in Biosolids Through Hydrochar-Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion

Michael Ofori (student), Jean MacRae
University of Maine, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Many per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) persist through conventional wastewater treatment and accumulate in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) biosolids. When land-applied, these biosolids can release PFAS to groundwater or enable plant uptake, posing long-term risks to human health and ecosystems. Current treatment strategies for PFAS in biosolids are limited in both efficacy and scalability, particularly at environmentally relevant concentrations.

This study evaluates an integrated treatment approach combining hydrochar production from solid digestate and hydrochar-enhanced anaerobic digestion (AD) to simultaneously improve resource recovery, methane yield and mitigate PFAS risks. Solid digestate will undergo hydrothermal carbonization (at 280–300 °C, approximately 30 minutes) to produce hydrochar, which will be characterized using elemental (CHNO) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This process will assess PFAS destruction potential while generating value-added materials and energy-rich byproducts.
We hypothesize that (i) hydrochar will adsorb PFAS, reducing partitioning to the liquid phase and enabling improved nitrogen and phosphorus recovery, and (ii) hydrochar will enhance methane production through improved microbial interspecies electron transfer during AD.

The preliminary phase of the research has been to determine optimum digester conditions although the highest methane yield has been 28% for loading of 4 g VS/L and 4g/L biochar addition.
By coupling energy recovery with contaminant management, this research aims to enhance methane yield, concentrate and immobilize PFAS in solids, evaluate PFAS destruction during hydrothermal treatment, and reduce environmental risks associated with biosolids disposal. The proposed strategy supports water quality protection, resource recovery, and sustainable wastewater management.

36. Using Remote Sensing and Field Observations to Assess the Stability of a Restored Cobble-Bed River

Ryan Omslaer (student)¹, Anne Lightbody², River Khoriaty³, Franklin Sullivan⁴, Michael Palace^2,4, Landon Gryczkowski⁵

1. University of New Hampshire
2. University of New Hampshire Department of Earth Sciences
3. University of New Hampshire Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
4. University of New Hampshire Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Earth Systems Research Center
5. United States Forest Service

Flooding is one of the most dangerous natural disasters in the United States. Human modifications to rivers have led to channel incision and disconnection from floodplains, increasing fluvial erosive power and driving channel instability. The incised cobble-bedded Zealand River (44.2461° N, 71.4968 W°) was recently reconnected to its historic floodplain in hopes of restoring form and function. During Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) were flown to collect high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) topography data on floodplain areas throughout the reach before and after two 3-year floods. Successive LiDAR digital elevation models (DEMs) were compared to characterize reach-scale erosion and deposition. In addition, LiDAR point clouds were used to estimate grain size distributions on bar and bank areas. Using the best performing model, we created the first continuous map of grain size change on bar and bank areas throughout a 2-km-long river reach before and after flooding events, thus advancing remote sensing techniques for river monitoring in cobble-bed rivers. Maps confirmed minimal channel and grain size change, indicating that the restoration appears to be stable. Finally, floodplain DEMs, surveyed channel bathymetry, surveyed high water marks, and grain size maps were used to develop a two-dimensional hydraulic model, giving estimates of shear stress throughout the reach during high flows. Correspondence between expected and observed locations of erosion and deposition can improve understanding of hydraulic drivers of channel change during flood events, thus mitigating flood impacts and enabling infrastructure protection.

37. Drivers of Nutritional Intake in Maine’s Social-Ecological Marine System

Zoe Alexander (student)¹, Sahir Advani¹, Tora Johnson², Jade McNamara³, Tolulope Oyikeke¹ (student), Hillary Smith¹, Kate Yerxa^3,4, Ben Martens⁵, Jocelyn Runnebaum⁶, Harriet Booth⁶, Joshua Stoll¹

1. School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine
2. Sustainable Prosperity Initiative, Sunrise County Economic Council
3. School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine
4. University of Maine Cooperative Extension
5. Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association
6. Maine Coastal Program, Maine Department of Marine Resources

Food and nutrition insecurity are pressing challenges in the United States and worldwide. These systematic problems are often exacerbated in rural and historically marginalized communities. In Downeast Maine, which encompasses Hancock and Washington counties and is among the most rural, marine resource-dependent, coastal regions in the nation, food insecurity rates are 13% and 18%, respectively. Despite the apparent prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity in the region, it is also a major producer of seafood, which is a known source of healthy, nutrient-rich protein. Recognizing this disconnect, our project aims to understand the nutritional contributions of seafood in households across Washington and Hancock Counties. To do this, we are conducting a population-weighted household survey across the region, utilizing mailing addresses from the State of Maine Emergency Services Communication Bureau’s Maine E911 Addresses Feature. The study includes nutrition security questions from the Nutrition Security Screener, household diet questions from the Short Healthy Eating Index Survey, as well as seafood consumption questions. Understanding the nutritional breakdown of seafood being consumed and landed in Downeast Maine can help inform policymakers on the gaps in food policy and infrastructure that need to be addressed, and aims to advance our understanding of rural community health outcomes and better integrate seafood into our food system.

38. Comparison of PFAS Contamination Across Drinking Water Wells in Maine Using a Knowledge Graph Approach

Kendall Phillips (student), Torsten Hahamnn
School of Computing and Information Science, University of Maine

Given the large number of private drinking water wells and the practical limitations of widespread PFAS testing, this study aims to better understand how PFAS contamination in wells differ by their associated aquifer type and well depth to help prioritize wells for testing and mitigation and identify patterns of relative vulnerability to PFAS contamination. To conduct these analyses, we used a knowledge-graph driven geospatial analysis approach using existing PFAS test results collected from drinking water wells in the state of Maine. In the results, contaminated gravel wells show higher average contamination levels than bedrock wells. The 50th and 75th linear percentiles for samples near gravel wells are 17.0ppt and 77.7ppt, compared to 15.2ppt and 43.6ppt for bedrock wells. However, the comparison by depth yields rather unexpected results: the 50th and 75th percentiles being 4.03ppt and 9.77ppt for samples near shallow wells are lower than the 4.2ppt and 13.6ppt for samples near deep wells. Thus, further analysis in different areas or over larger geographic areas are needed to examine this pattern more closely. Nevertheless, the research demonstrated the utility of the chosen knowledge-graph driven geospatial analysis approach, which eliminated the need for custom data integration and offers the flexibility of rerunning the analyses when more data becomes available or in different geographic contexts.

39. P-MEM: A Coupled Hydrodynamic–Agent-Based Framework for Testing Behaviorally Mediated Contaminant Risk in Anadromous Fish

Vanessa Quintana (student), Kimberly Huguenard, Nalika Lakmali
University of Maine

The Penobscot Mercury Exposure Model (P-MEM), is a a coupled hydrodynamic–agent-based modeling framework designed to test how behavior and interaction intensity shape contaminant exposure pathways in tidally influenced systems. P-MEM integrates Delft3D Flexible Mesh hydrodynamic outputs with a modular behavioral library that represents migration, selective tidal stream transport, schooling, metabolism, digestion, salinity stress, and predator–prey interactions. Contaminant uptake is embedded directly within these state-dependent processes, allowing pathway-specific internalization through gill contact, particulate ingestion, and trophic transfer. Rather than treating exposure as a static environmental property, the framework defines realized exposure as an emergent outcome of individual movement decisions interacting with spatially and temporally dynamic contaminant fields. The software enables controlled scenario testing by systematically varying behavioral interaction parameters, such as predator detection distance, while holding environmental forcing and population structure constant. This design allows researchers to isolate how changes in encounter intensity, routing behavior, or hydrodynamic structure propagate through exposure pathways.

40. From Net Benefits to “Lake of Perfidy”: Rethinking Environmental Valuation and Sovereignty at Kinzua Dam

Austin Michael Reese (student)
Global Environmental Policy and Environmental History, University of Maine

The Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River is known as a successful flood‑control project, yet it also submerged thousands of acres of the Seneca Nation’s Allegany Reservation in violation of the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. This graduate research, part of an emerging thesis project, uses Kinzua as a case to explore how different communities construct the “value” and governance of major water infrastructure on Indigenous treaty lands. I ask: How do economic valuation tools, environmental‑historical narratives, and Indigenous community accounts differently frame Kinzua’s benefits and harms, and what do these competing narratives reveal about the transformation of Seneca treaty land into a “wilderness” public good for outsiders versus a site of dispossession and claims to renewed sovereignty? Building on completed work in environmental economics and environmental history, I synthesize three bodies of material: (1) economic and policy analyses that present Kinzua as a net public benefit based on flood‑damage reduction, hydropower, and recreation; (2) historiographical and public‑history accounts that have shifted from technocratic dam‑building narratives toward interpretations emphasizing forced relocation and broken treaties; and (3) Seneca narratives—oral histories, interviews, cultural stories, and the naming of the reservoir as “Lake of Perfidy”—that highlight spiritual loss, disrupted kinship to land and water, and ongoing treaty‑based claims. Together, these narratives show that concepts such as “wilderness,” “public good,” and “sustainability” can legitimize or contest dispossession depending on whose values are centered, and they underscore the need to foreground Indigenous sovereignty and knowledge in decisions about dams and other water infrastructures on treaty lands.

41. Sustainability Beyond Compensation: Community Expectations and Representation in Offshore Wind Benefit Agreements in Coastal Maine

Amber Schultz^1,2,3,4, Caroline L. Noblet^1,2, Teresa R. Johnson^1,3,4

1. Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine
2. School of Economics, University of Maine
3. School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine
4. Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, University of Maine

Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) are increasingly positioned as tools to promote economic development while addressing local impacts associated with offshore wind development. Drawing on 25 semi-structured interviews conducted in Yarmouth and Searsport, Maine, this research examines how community members, municipal actors, and organizational representatives perceive community benefits within the context of offshore wind planning. Using a grounded theory approach to thematic coding using Dedoose, a cloud-based application, with inter-codeability reliability checks, four key themes emerged. First, participants articulated complex expectations for CBAs that extend beyond economic compensation to include long-term ecological stewardship, intergenerational responsibility, and the protection of local ecosystems. Second, in Yarmouth, offshore wind was perceived as geographically and temporally distant, shaping patterns of perceived distance to the project and engagement. Third, in Searsport, siting concerns were central. Many participants supported offshore wind in principle but opposed development on Sears Island, favoring Mack Point instead. Finally, similar concerns emerged across sites, with participants questioning whether municipal and state actors accurately reflect community priorities in both siting decisions and CBA formation. These findings suggest that effective implementation of CBAs depends not only on the provision of economic benefits but also on inclusive governance and attention to ecosystem health.

42. ReuseME: Investigating Waste Reduction and Cost Benefits in Coastal Communities Through a Pilot Reusable Food Packaging Program

Catherine Segada (student)¹, Chyanne Yoder (student)¹, Cindy Isenhour², Will Breneman (student)¹, Gianna DeJoy (student)¹
1. University of Maine, Anthropology and Environmental Policy Program
2. University of Maine, Dept. of Anthropology

Single-use food packaging is a primary contributor to municipal solid waste (MSW) in the U.S. Growth in fast-casual dining and delivery services threatens to exceed municipal waste systems’ capacity. MSW is landfilled or incinerated; many recyclables and compostables are likewise littered or landfilled due to infrastructure deficits. Waste can then enter local ecosystems, threatening well-being. This research addresses the impacts of disposable food packaging on coastal communities.

The ReuseME Research Team partnered with three coastal municipalities—Bath, Bar Harbor, and South Portland—to a) investigate the impacts of disposable food packaging and b) explore opportunities to reduce coastal waste and municipal costs through reusable food packaging systems. Multimodal data collected from a confidential survey, ethnography, and stakeholder engagement demonstrate significant barriers and frustrations with current food packaging procurement and disposal, leading to increased costs, supply chain issues, and material inefficiencies. The survey’s expenditures indicate that restaurants could save significant time and money by switching to reusable food packaging systems. Using this data as a foundation, the ReuseME Pilot Program was launched in February 2026 to help municipalities, businesses, and customers prevent waste and reduce costs associated with disposable food packaging. Research demonstrates that reusable containers can be safely used more than 1,000 times, reducing both the resources used to produce disposable products and the waste they generate after consumption. The ReuseME Pilot Program will evaluate reusable packaging systems to determine which model(s) work best for Maine’s businesses and communities. Pilot results will inform statewide transitions towards reusable systems.

43. Sustaining the Future of Maple Syrup: A Microcredential in Resilient Sugarbush Management

Isabella Sferra (student)¹, Jessica Leahy¹, Jason Lilley², Alexandra (Ali) Kosiba³
1. University of Maine
2. University of Maine Cooperative Extension
3. University of Vermont Cooperative Extension

Forests worldwide are expected to be influenced by climate change, affecting their ability to regenerate and sustain ecosystem services. This includes North American maple sugarbushes, where maple sap is collected for syrup production. Sugaring is an economic lifeline and tradition for many rural communities; disruption to this resource would represent not only the upheaval of a heritage industry, but a connection to land. Projected climate change impacts to sugarbushes include a reduced sugaring season, more extreme weather events, and greater damage from pests and diseases. Currently, there is a lack of information designed for maple syrup producers on potential impacts and adaptation measures. Existing resources are often outdated, unvetted, or not tailored to the needs of this population. Furthermore, in-person sugarbush management events may not be convenient or accessible to sugarbush producers, who may be distributed across large or rural areas, and working off sugarbush jobs. As such, there is an unmet need in current sugarbush management resources and programming. This three-level microcredential synthesizes existing research on sustainable sugarbush management in a way that is cohesive and usable for a broad range of producers across the American sugaring region. It uses a mixture of content types to cover sugarbush management, best practices in tapping, and potential adaptations, and incorporates assessments and learner self-evaluation. Microcredential learners will develop a vulnerability assessment and an action plan for their sugarbush, preparing their forest and enterprise for the changes to come.

44. Indicators of Ecological Flows: Insights from Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Willamette Basin, Oregon

Aurooba Shafquat (student)¹, James White², William Gerth³, Christina Murphy^1,4

1. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine
2. U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center
3. OSU Extension Service, Oregon State University
4. U.S. Geological Survey, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Freshwater River benthos are inhabited by macroinvertebrate communities that serve many ecosystem services, beyond their well-known role in aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Understanding the relationships of these macroinvertebrate community densities with their physical environment may aid in conservation efforts in regulated rivers. We sampled benthic macroinvertebrates and river substrate for three years in five tributaries of the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, as part of the Sustainable Rivers Program to analyze the relationships between prescribed environmental flows, substrates and temperature with benthic macroinvertebrate composition and density. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to visualize the macroinvertebrate communities and the association of environmental variables with community structure. The macroinvertebrate abundance-based community structures of the North Santiam, McKenzie, South Santiam, and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers were more similar to each other and exhibited less diversity than the main stem Willamette River and Coast Fork Willamette River macroinvertebrate communities, which were more diverse and variable both within and between sites. There was no consistent effect of year on the density of invertebrate communities. High and moderate magnitude flows were associated with Santiam River, McKenzie River, and Middle Fork Willamette River communities, whereas Willamette communities displayed a strong correlation with low magnitude flows and dominance of fine substrates (e.g., sand). Non-insect taxa, including the polychaete Manayunkia (host for the salmon disease Ceratonova shasta) found in the Willamette River was significantly associated (P < 0.005) with macroinvertebrate community structure. These findings demonstrate measurable relationships of macroinvertebrate communities with prescribed flow thresholds and the mediating effects of substrate and temperature. Improving our understanding of these habitat and community relationships may aid managers in the continued development and implementation of environmental flow regimes for desirable ecological tradeoffs.

45. Hope Is Not a Trend: Your Voice Counts

Emma Swanson (student)
Peace and Reconciliation Program, University of Maine

This collage was part of a final project for PAX 510-Theories of Peace & Reconciliation Studies. I wanted to encapsulate some of the themes central to the class and also use it as a visual representation of my personal take on what is important to pay attention to in the world right now. I am passionate about the topics of environmental sustainability and also women’s rights, and find the intersections of these concepts quite interesting.

There’s a lot going on in this collage, but a central theme explored in PAX510 was the importance of “dialogues” in the task of peace building. In summary, dialogues are the use of stories, personal accounts, and genuine conversations with one another that awaken awareness of our shared humanity. When all parties within a given dialogue are operating with mutual respect, these interactions can open our eyes to new issues, allow us to gain new perspectives, and promote the general experience of compassion for one another and/or our planet. This is what I was referencing by stringing together the words: “the road to winning the good fight is guided by voices, awakening the elusive human element of compassion”

“Hope is not a trend. Your voice counts” and the poem I featured represent the burnout and sense of discouragement that are often experienced by people in fields that attempt to promote and work for different forms of peace. These messages also apply to the “average” person in today’s world; I think it’s important to remember that a better world is not out of reach and relevant efforts are not the result of a fleeting trend. It is critical to remember the impact we can have when we come together and use our voices. There is great insight to be gained in listening to one another, connecting, and recognizing our shared humanity.

The rest is more or less self explanatory – I used images of the world healing (shown by the three globes, and also by the flower in the process of blooming), and also used colors and pictures that represent the dark place we’re in now (on the right side of the collage) and the journey to a lighter, more healed world (on the left). There’s also imagery of the feminine/mother figure, which is a nod to the intersection of environmentalism and feminism (mother earth; how humans have cast aside the wellbeing of the planet, treating it as something to conquer and use for its resources… which is curiously similar to how women have been treated throughout history. The feminine and the Earth/environment/nature symbolize similar qualities such as giving life, nurturing, healing, and fostering a sense of home/family/community).

Professional Posters

46. Development of a Rapid, Stable and Inexpensive Monitoring Technique for Porewater Sulfide in the Intertidal Zone

Jacob Allison (student), Karen Merritt
Coastal Marine Environmental Science Program, Corning School of Ocean Studies, Maine Maritime Academy

At temperate latitudes, Spartina-dominated salt marshes exist as the dynamic balance between the rate of sea level rise, the availability of sediment for vertical marsh accretion, and the growth and predominance of specific botanical forms with varying tolerances for salt exposure and rootzone saturation. For these coastal marshes, a limiting condition for healthy growth and sustained function may lie in the frequency, depth and duration of tidal inundation. Specifically, prolonged soil saturation following inundation results in water logging; biogeochemically, water logging In the presence of sulfate (SO42-) results in shallowing (shoaling) of the depth of microbial sulfate reduction and resultant accumulation of sulfide with potential impacts on seed germination, plant root development and rhizome propagation.

Monitoring sulfide within the root zone of marsh soils is challenging for reasons including analytical costs, specificity of materials and sample stabilization requirements and temporal limitations on the duration of field deployments. Our research is focused on developing a rapid, stable, and inexpensive method for monitoring sulfide in marsh soils over a concentration range (~ 0.5 – 50 mg/L) relevant for assessing botanical toxicity. Based on the high affinity of silver (Ag) for free sulfide (S) (Ksp = 5×10^-50), the method employs strips of field-deployed photographic paper (“silver gelatin prints”) as the monitoring medium. Utilizing this approach and applying freely available software to quantify and chemically characterize the results of stabilized (fixed) and subsequently digitally scanned test strips, short (< ½ hr) field deployments are possible for fine-scale determination of ecologically relevant concentrations of porewater sulfide.

47. What Do Patterns in Municipal Capacities Tell Us About Differences in Community Resilience?

Kathleen Bell¹, Ruth Griffith¹, Amelia Mooney², Jessica Leahy³, Eileen Johnson⁴, Vanessa Levesque⁵
1. School of Economics, University of Maine
2. Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine
3. School of Forest Resources, University of Maine
4. Environmental Studies Program, Bowdoin College
5. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Southern Maine

How do municipal capacities differ and what can we learn about community resilience from these differences? Differences in the capacities of municipal governments shape differences in community preparedness and response to environmental disturbances such as extreme storms, flooding, and drought. Yet, less is known about municipal capacities than county and state government capacities. In this research, we assessed municipal grant and digital capacities in Maine. Both have been recognized as adaptive capacities. To assess digital capacity, we tracked 28 items at municipal websites that represent a local government’s use of digital platforms, digital accessibility, provision of digital information, provision of digital transactions, and support for digital participation and democracy. To assess grant capacity, we gathered information on municipal awards from 16 grant programs. We then created digital and grant capacity scores and used statistical analyses to divide municipalities into three distinct groupings and test differences and relationships based on these groupings. Overall, we observed marked differences in municipal digital (45%=high, 47%=medium, and 8%=low) and grant (42%=high, 41%=medium, and 17%=low) capacities. Spatial analysis revealed differences between the geographic distributions of digital and grant capacities. We observed differences between and within counties as well as between coastal and inland communities. We consistently found positive and significant associations between digital and grant capacities, population size, and municipal staffing. Our results also highlight exceptions to these overall demographic, staffing, and geographic associations. These patterns suggest differences in municipal preparedness and response capacities and inform efforts to strengthen community resilience in Maine and beyond.

48. Collaborative Technical Assistance with Communities Striving for Energy Resilience Through Technological Innovation

Skye Butterson-Dunn, Amber Blum, Brenna Cohen, Kate Klibansky
Island Institute

Remote, coastal, and island communities in the Northeast face distinct energy vulnerabilities. A brief outage in a mainland town can extend for days on an island when utility workers must ferry out. As climate impacts intensify, communities are exploring technological innovations – including microgrids, distributed solar, and battery storage – to strengthen local energy resilience.
Island Institute has supported more than fifteen communities through a collaborative technical assistance model that integrates place-based knowledge with applied engineering and infrastructure expertise. Rather than advancing predetermined technologies, this approach helps communities evaluate options within their geographic, economic, and social contexts while aligning innovation with locally defined resilience goals.
Through iterative engagement, prefeasibility analyses, and coordination with utilities and regional partners, communities build energy literacy, clarify priorities, and identify right-sized solutions. This process recognizes that communities exist at different points along the “energy ladder” and require tailored pathways toward energy resilience.

Lessons from this work highlight the importance of meeting communities where they are, cultivating sustained utility partnerships, and centering community-defined needs in technology selection and system design. By focusing on process as much as product, collaborative technical assistance transforms interest in energy innovation into informed decision-making, stronger local capacity, and actionable implementation pathways.

49. Casco Bay: A Compilation Recent Topographic and Bathymetric Data

Jamie Carter
NOAA Office for Coastal Management

This poster depicts a map of Casco Bay, Maine, showcasing recent topographic and bathymetric data derived from airborne lidar and multibeam echosounder surveys. The map’s coverage extends across the intricate coastline and numerous islands within Casco Bay, highlighting the detailed three-dimensional characteristics of both the terrestrial and seafloor environments. The map utilizes a color-coded explanation to distinguish between different elevations and depths, with an emphasis on the intertidal zone. Tidal datums are computed and visualized through shades of orange, yellow, and green from Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) to Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT). The data visualized provides a high-resolution view essential for coastal management, navigation, and scientific studies of this complex estuarine and marine environment.

50. Exploring Associations Between Geographic Distance and PFAS Chemical Profile of Residential Well Water in a Coastal Maine Town

Léo Charbonneau^1,2, Emma McDonald¹, Richard F. Hilliard¹, Jane E. Disney¹
1. MDI Biological Laboratory
2. College of the Atlantic

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” are pervasive in the environment due to their historical and ongoing use in many commercial products and industrial processes. PFAS chemicals are toxic, resistant to degradation, bioaccumulative, and difficult to track through the environment. Research in recent years has revealed widespread contamination of drinking waters, fresh and saltwater fish, meats, vegetables, and human serum and feces. Mass spectrometric techniques are used to detect PFAS, but this analysis can be cost prohibitive. Predictive methods must also be leveraged to understand environmental transport, identify and associate different sources, estimate body burdens, and determine exposure risk. This work examines PFAS contamination of residential well water in a coastal Maine town. Thirty PFAS analytes were evaluated from nearly 100 households to understand possible associations between geographic distance and chemical profile through clustering methods. This analysis highlights the importance of water filtration and municipal-scale management.

51. Quantifying Uncertainty in Blue Carbon Stocks: Implications for Maine’s Coastal Management and Restoration

Claire Enterline¹, Beverly Johnson², Jamie Carter³
1. Gulf of Maine Research Institute
2. Bates College
3. NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Tidal marshes sequester carbon at rates an order of magnitude higher than forested areas, positioning them as critical climate mitigation strategies. In Maine, recent collaborations have advanced both understanding and methods for estimating blue carbon potential, as reflected in the 2020 and 2024 Maine Climate Action Plans, 2024 Maine Carbon Budget Report, and formation of the Maine Blue Carbon Network. This momentum has improved estimates of blue carbon potential and spurred efforts to identify regulatory barriers to sustaining and restoring tidal marshes. However, significant opportunities remain to refine carbon estimates. Current statewide estimates rely on best available data but do not fully account for unquantified uncertainty or site-specific variability. We evaluated the sensitivity of carbon stock estimates to differences in tidal marsh area using four statewide maps and found variability of ±26–29%. Sources of variability included exclusion of fringing marshes, inclusion of tidal channels and mudflats, and misidentification of gravel bars, sand dunes, and submerged vegetation as salt marsh. We also analyzed carbon density from 168 cores across 20 marshes to assess environmental drivers. We found that distance to channel, tidal amplitude, and core depth impact carbon density; however, the individual marsh system was the greatest source of variability, underscoring the importance of local processes. These findings suggest that regional averages may lead to significant over- or under-estimation in carbon accounting. To support robust blue carbon management, Maine must transition toward high-resolution, site-specific monitoring to better target restoration and maximize coastal resilience and climate benefits.

52. Documenting Salt Marsh Biodiversity, Including Low Marsh Die-Off, in Cobscook Bay, Maine: Implications for Maine’s Blue Carbon Strategy

Austin Menzmer, Robin Hadlock Seeley
1. Husson University
2. Maine Rockweed Coalition

The health of Cobscook Bay salt marshes, particularly low marshes, in Washington County, Maine, has declined over the past decade (R. H. Seeley, pers. observation and Seeley and McCullough, unpublished data). Maine’s blue carbon strategy counts on healthy coastal salt marshes to sequester carbon, but correctly accounting for salt marsh contributions requires an accurate assessment of salt marsh health (acres of Spartina spp., etc). We will conduct a one year pilot study starting May 2026 to document salt marsh plant diversity from the forest edge to the low marsh intertidal zone in two Cobscook Bay marshes, thereby setting the stage for a long-term study describing, quantifying, and analyzing the causes of observed low marsh die-off. We will establish four vertical transects at each of two marshes: one in Dennysville and one in Edmunds. Along each transect, each month of the year, we will photo-document (and later analyze in the lab) plant species in 0.5 m2 quadrats, spaced regularly along each vertical transect. Plant species samples will be collected, identified, and retained as voucher specimens at the University of Maine Herbarium. In addition, we will collect water temperature and salinity data at each marsh through monitoring units fixed in the marsh. Documenting the patterns of microgeographic and seasonal variation in salt marsh vegetation will establish a baseline for testing hypotheses after 2026 about the mechanisms that underlie those patterns.

53. Assessing PFAS Exposure Patterns in Two Avian Bioindicators in Casco Bay Following a Chemical Spill

Micah Miller¹, Helen Yurek¹, Chris DeSorbo¹, Christine Gardiner¹, Kelsey Sullivan², Tegwin Taylor², Dustin Meattey¹, Erynn Call², Cassie Gilham¹

1. Biodiversity Research Institute
2. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

In August 2024, an accidental discharge of PFAS-based fire-fighting foam (AFFF) occurred at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS), and it was confirmed to flow into Casco Bay via Harpswell Cove. Following this spill, biologists from Biodiversity Research Institute, MDIFW and others collected blood plasma samples from two key aquatic avian species — molluscivorous Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) and piscivorous/omnivorous Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) — throughout Casco Bay and a reference site (Muscongus Bay), to evaluate whether these consumers were exposed to PFAS from the spill. We evaluated the spatial extent of PFAS exposure in the bay and biomagnification to these top avian predators. In both species, the sites sampled in Harpswell Cove closest to BNAS displayed elevated levels of PFOS, and uniquely high PFHxS compared to other sites, which can likely be attributed to the AFFF spill at BNAS. PFAS concentrations in Common Eider tissues decreased with increasing distance from the spill site, suggesting exposure and dilution on a concentration gradient in the Bay relative to the spill. The extent to which PFAS exposure is impacting these species remains under investigation, though it is clear that PFAS biomagnify up the food chain in Casco Bay. Our findings also demonstrated that multiple sources of PFAS exist throughout the study area, and that biomonitoring using carefully selected wildlife bioindicators is valuable in documenting exposure patterns that may not be evident in other biotic or abiotic sampling.

54. PFAS Concentrations Are Highly Correlated Among Water, Fish and Predatory Bird Tissues: Implications for PFAS Biomonitoring in Aquatic Environments

Micah Miller¹, Cassie Gilham¹, Chris DeSorbo¹, Tom Danielson², Christine Gardiner¹, Helen Yurek¹, Danielle DAuria³, Erynn Call³
1. Biodiversity Research Institute
2. Maine Department of Environmental Protection
3. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Biotic and abiotic sampling has revealed that PFAS chemicals are pervasive in Maine’s environment. Elevated PFAS concentrations in fish at some waterbodies has prompted state issuance of human fish consumption advisories. While fish and water sampling for PFAS is increasingly common in Maine, PFAS risks to fish-eating wildlife remains poorly documented, and the extent to which PFAS concentrations in fish and water can be used to predict exposure in high trophic level wildlife at those same waterbodies (or vice versa) is poorly studied. We sampled blood plasma from Common Loons (Gavia immer) and Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to be analyzed for PFAS and evaluated relationships with PFAS concentrations found in water and fish. Findings revealed high variability in concentrations of some PFAS analytes across Maine. Variability among waterbodies was far greater than variability within waterbodies, indicating a strong site-level pattern. Concentrations of PFAS were substantially greater in birds than in water, and intermediate in fish, suggesting that PFAS are biomagnifying up the foodweb to top predators. For longer-chain PFAS, particularly PFOS, concentrations in water, fish, and bird plasma were highly correlated. Regression slopes vary by compound, bird species, tissue type, and age-sex category, yet in all cases, long-chain PFAS showed positive relationships among fish, water and predator blood. We aim to continue sampling to expand sample sizes of these models, and to further explore relationships in shorter-chain compounds. These relationships may prove instrumental in future efforts to monitor PFAS in the environment and to estimate risk to resident wildlife.

55. Snow Refugia: Managing Temperate Forest Canopies to Maintain Winter Conditions

Sarah J. Nelson¹, Melissa A. Pastore², Elizabeth A. Burakowski³, Alexandra R. Contosta³, Anthony W. D’Amato⁴, Sarah Garlick⁵, Edward Lindsey⁶, David A. Lutz^7,8, Toni Lyn Morelli⁹, Alexej P. K. Sirén³, Grace A. Smith⁴, Aaron Weiskittel¹⁰

1. Appalachian Mountain Club
2. Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service
3. Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire
4. Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont
5. The Nature Conservancy, New Hampshire Office
6. Old Town High School
7. Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College
8. Environmental Science Program, Colby-Sawyer College
9. U.S Geological Survey, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
10. Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, University of Maine

Climate change is reducing snowpack across temperate regions with negative consequences for human and natural systems. Forest canopies create microclimates that preserve snowpack. Managing forests to support snow refugia – areas that remain relatively buffered from climate change over time that sustain snow quality, quantity, and/or timing appropriate to the landscape – could reduce impacts on snow cover. While conifer forest-snow interactions have been studied in western North America, there are knowledge gaps for deciduous and mixed forests. We propose that there is an optimal, intermediate zone along a gradient of dormant season canopy cover (DSCC; the proportion of the ground area covered by the canopy during dormant season) where peak snowpack depth and the potential for snow refugia will be greatest because canopy-mediated effects of snowpack sheltering (which can preserve snowpack) outweigh those of snowfall interception (which can limit snowpack). We leveraged snowpack measurements in the northeast spanning the DSCC gradient: 12 sites in Acadia and 2 sites in Old Town, ME; and 30 sites in the White Mountains, NH. Medium DSCC forests exhibited the deepest peak snowpacks, likely due to reduced snowfall interception compared to high DSCC forests and reduced snowpack loss compared to low DSCC forests. Many snow studies focus on coniferous-open contrasts, but our results support enhanced focus on mixed canopy sites that could serve as snow refugia. Measurements of snowpack depth and timing across a wider range of forest canopies would advance understanding of canopy-snow interactions and support management of forests and snow-dependent species as winters change.

56. Outcomes of the PFAS Understanding in Local Schools and Environments (PULSE) Study

Caitlin Oliver-Olsen¹, Richard Hilliard¹, Léo Charbonneau^1,2, Emma McDonald¹, Megan Romano³, Jane Disney¹

1. MDI Biological Laboratory
2. College of the Atlantic
3. Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” are soil, surface water, and groundwater contaminants in many areas of the U.S. and worldwide. They are used in various consumer products and are known to adversely affect human health. The Maine legislature required all community water systems, including schools and daycares, to test drinking water for PFAS by December 31, 2022. Through this testing initiative, it was found that of 196 schools tested, 36 (18%) exceeded 20 ng/L for a total of six PFAS contaminants regulated in Maine. Included in this number are two schools on Mount Desert Island (MDI): Tremont Consolidated School and MDI High School. Parents, teachers, and community members expressed concern for health effects of PFAS exposure in schools. We initiated a pilot study, “PFAS Understanding in Local Schools and Environments (PULSE),” with 20 participants to assess blood PFAS levels and cardiometabolic health in children attending these schools and in adults who attended or worked at these schools. We conducted follow-up home drinking water testing for PFAS and administered a drinking water and dietary survey to each participating household to identify potential additional sources of PFAS exposure beyond the schools. Results show measurable PFAS in blood from all participants. This outcome will inform the development and implementation of a Community Health Action Plan for PFAS to ensure healthy futures for all MDI community members. Our approach will provide a model for other rural areas in Maine and across the nation experiencing elevated PFAS levels in school drinking water.

57. Design and Performance of Red Brook Fishway

Jason Pichette
Maine Department of Transportation Environmental Office

When fish passage improvements were required at Red Brook Bridge in South Portland, Maine, the project presented significant technical challenges. The existing structure consisted of a 300-foot-long, 11.5-foot-diameter culvert located approximately 15 feet beneath Interstate 295. The culvert’s size and location made full replacement cost-prohibitive, while a pronounced outlet drop prevented upstream aquatic organism passage.

In response to these constraints, the project team designed and constructed a bypass pool-and-weir fishway at the culvert outlet to restore connectivity. During the summer of 2025, post-construction monitoring was conducted using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag technology to evaluate fish passage effectiveness.

This poster presents the fishway design and monitoring results, exploring the effectiveness of the bypass system in facilitating upstream passage for the species of concern, brook trout.

58. Calcium Limitation Weakens Trophic Cascades Associated With Fish Stocking in New England Lakes

Gracie Scheve¹, Elizabeth Baker¹, Blue Monreal¹, Rachel Hovel², Mary Rogalski¹
1. Bowdoin College
2. University of Maine, Farmington

Calcium is an essential micronutrient for freshwater life. Among zooplankton, Daphnia have particularly high demands, and fish growth and skeletal development also depend on it. Nitrogen and phosphorus are typically targeted in managing lake productivity, but emerging work highlights roles for micronutrients like dissolved ions and trace metals in shaping trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning. We combined field surveys from 29 Maine lakes (2019, 2022) with data from 186 New England lakes (US EPA, 2004–2022) to see how calcium availability shapes zooplankton communities and how fish stocking may affect these dynamics. We measured calcium and other ions, total phosphorus, water clarity (Secchi depth), and zooplankton community composition, and classified lakes as stocked with eastern brook trout, stocked with other salmonids, or unstocked at the time of sampling. We found that Daphnia were relatively more abundant at higher calcium concentrations (> 3 mg/L), but only when brook trout were not stocked. In high-calcium lake stocked with other salmonids, Daphnia were even more common. Under low-calcium conditions, fish stocking practices had little effect on Daphnia. These differences cascaded to affect lake productivity: higher calcium was associated with clearer water via higher Daphnia abundance. Calcium availability may change how fish predation shapes zooplankton and, in turn, water clarity. Considering calcium alongside phosphorus could help fisheries and water‑quality programs choose stocking strategies that support both fish and clear water. Future work should evaluate whether calcium directly improves survival and growth of stocked fish and whether it changes their feeding behavior.

59. Nanopore Sequencing of Cyanobacteria

Robin Sleith¹, Avery Lamb², Jasmine Saros², Peter Countway¹
1. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
2. University of Maine

Cyanobacteria pose significant threats to freshwater ecosystems, producing potent toxins that compromise water quality and public health. Understanding their genetic diversity and toxin-producing capabilities is essential for effective monitoring and management of Maine’s lakes. We employ Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology to investigate cyanobacterial communities in Maine lakes across multiple scales of analysis, integrating targeted amplicon sequencing to assess cyanobacterial diversity in water samples and sediment cores, whole-genome assembly for genomic comparisons among isolates, and comprehensive screening for toxin biosynthesis pathways. Nanopore sequencing revealed previously undetected cyanobacterial diversity in lake sediment cores, providing temporal insights into community composition changes, while amplicon analysis identified distinct phylogenetic clusters with varying toxin pathway profiles. Whole-genome assemblies enabled detailed genomic comparisons, uncovering strain-specific variations in toxin genes and metabolic capabilities. This work demonstrates nanopore sequencing as a powerful tool for comprehensive cyanobacterial characterization in Maine’s aquatic systems. By linking genomic data to toxin production potential and historical community composition, we provide actionable insights for lake management and water quality assessment, supporting development of predictive models for harmful algal bloom occurrence and informing strategies for protecting Maine’s valuable freshwater resources.