Portland Press Herald, Sun Journal interviews Runge about lobstering rules in light of changes in Gulf of Maine ecosystem
Jeffrey Runge, professor at the School of Marine Sciences, was interviewed by the Portland Press Herald and Sun Journal about how changes in copepod populations in the Gulf of Maine have led to a shift in whale populations, which could be of consequence to lobstering rules and regulations. Runge said that lipid-rich copepods were once abundant in the Gulf of Maine, but have dropped by about 70% in the past 20 years with warming temperatures. The abrupt change in the ecosystem coincided with a shift in the distribution of right whales out of the eastern Gulf of Maine and into Canadian waters. “It seemed pretty consistent with the right whales looking for higher concentrations of this prey,” Runge said.