Marine Sciences

A photo of Abby Remick holding a stripped bass

Calling all anglers! Help reel in data for UMaine striped bass research

At the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center, student researchers have launched a new project this summer to investigate the feeding habits of striped bass along the coast of Maine.  The project is led by Abby Remick, a first-year graduate student in the lab of Michelle Staudinger, associate professor of marine sciences. Student researchers will […]

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A photo of Alex Ascher

New methods complement old in revealing diet of larval lobsters 

Researchers from the University of Maine and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have demonstrated a new approach to understanding the diet of newly hatched American lobsters, opening doors for better understanding the role they play in the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem.  Scientists know little about what larval lobsters eat and how their diet benefits their […]

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Eco Magazine features research on kelp forest collapse impact on food web

Eco Magazine featured a new study from researchers with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and the University of Maine which revealed that food web and energy dynamics have changed in the Gulf of Maine following the collapse of kelp forest and subsequent rise in carpet-like turf algae. “People have studied the importance of kelp forests […]

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WBUR highlights study on the threat of turf algae

WBUR in Boston highlighted a study from Bigelow Laboratory and University of Maine researchers on how turf algae releases potent compounds that kill young kelp, which grow into valuable food and habitat for lobster, fish and other species. UMaine graduate student Shane Farrell was the lead author on the study.

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Media highlight research from Darling Marine Center

Maine Public, Portland Press Herald and News Center Maine highlighted research from the University of Maine Darling Marine Center on local shellfish harvesting trends along the Damariscotta and Medomak River estuaries led by graduate student Sarah Risley. “As researchers, we can only be out in the field for a couple months out of the year. […]

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A photo of Shane Farrell

‘Chemical warfare’ of turf algae threatens kelp forests, study finds 

While kelp forests are increasingly dwindling along portions of the Maine coast, those that remain still provide valuable food and habitat for lobster, fish and other species. Yet rapidly proliferating turf algae, which resemble thick mats along the seafloor, are chemically sabotaging kelp forests’ recovery from decades of decline, threatening biodiversity and nutrient systems in […]

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UMaine oceanographer trains future scientists on North Atlantic voyage

Aboard the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkhul traversing the North Atlantic Ocean, Emmanuel Boss is teaching 50 graduate students from around the world during the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Advanced Ocean Training Course.  Boss, professor of oceanography at University of Maine, is among researchers providing lectures during the voyage from Tromø, Norway, to Nice, France. […]

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A photo of Bob Steneck at a podium

UMaine marine scientist elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Bob Steneck, who helped reshape marine research in Maine during his 41-year career at the University of Maine, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Established just after the American Revolution by Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and 60 others, the Academy honors excellence and convenes leaders from every field of human endeavor […]

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A photo of a person on the coast of Maine

Darling Marine Center documents local shellfish harvesting trends, changes

By studying the Damariscotta and Medomak River estuaries, University of Maine researchers have formally documented shifts in shellfish populations, from soft shell clams to oysters. Because Maine’s intertidal mudflats, such as those found in these estuaries, are difficult to study, this work filled an important gap in information about shellfish harvesting. Research documented how tidal […]

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