SEANET research project featured on WVII
WVII (Channel 7) reported on Maine’s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET), a research program focused on sustainable ecological aquaculture that aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of how sustainable ecological aquaculture can interact with coastal communities and ecosystems. The multi-institutional, public-private partnership is led by UMaine, in collaboration with the University of New England and other institutions in the state. Aria Amirbahman, an environmental engineering professor at UMaine, spoke with WVII about his research related to the five-year project that looks at the effects aquaculture farms have on the sediment below them. “We want to understand sediments at different sites, different areas in Maine and sediments specifically under these aquaculture farms,” Amirbahman said. Libby Gorse, a graduate research assistant, said she thinks the project also will open communication between scientists and farmers for the good of the industry.