Social media spotlight: Colin Eimers

Hometown: Durham, North Carolina

Soon after biology major Colin Eimers graduated from Bates College, he began earning his Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree in marine sciences at UMaine. He’s researched and documented optimal ocean conditions for young oysters for the Georgetown Aquaculture collaborative of Georgetown, Maine. Eimers appreciates the practicality of the marine diversification project and is gratified his findings can be a roadmap for other coastal communities.

“I started fishing in Topsail, North Carolina when I was 4. I loved it. There was always something new to see or experience. As I got older, I became more aware each year of the yield difference. I became interested in what was going on and how both recreational and commercial fishermen should adjust. I’m interested in policy, the entrepreneurial economics of fishing and building relationships between academia and the marine industry. This collaborative went from conception to reality in a matter of months. I examined how different environmental conditions — like temperature, water flow and nutrient availability — affect oyster growth rates in the early stages. I’m making an overlay map with data at various locations (in the cove). The goal is to eliminate the super dependency on lobster fishing and keep the overall health of the community up. Local people are buying in and running with this. They have ownership of the project and my purpose is to be an advocate for them.”

See posts featuring Eimers on UMaine’s Facebook and Twitter pages.