Marine Sciences

National Fisherman interviews Stoll on seafood industry challenges

National Fisherman interviewed Joshua Stoll, associate professor of marine policy at the University of Maine, on the disparity in available funding between the seafood sector and terrestrial agriculture. Stoll’s research analyzed grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture from the last six years and found that seafood-related grants made up 0.5% of the total.

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News Center highlights research led by Kerr on fishery climate adaptation

News Center Maine highlighted research led by Lisa Kerr, associate professor in the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, to develop new tools that will help fisheries respond to climate change. Populations of different species, including Atlantic cod, are impacted by the warming waters in the Gulf of Maine. Research also extends to bluefin […]

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SEA BEaRS highlighted by News Center

News Center Maine reported on a University of Maine program titled Science Education Addressing the Blue Economy and Rural Success (SEA BEaRS). A joint effort between the School of Marine Sciences and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the program intends to bolster the next generation of marine scientists and industry leaders, equipping students with skills […]

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Media highlight lobster habitat research from UMaine

The Portland Press Herald, Mainebiz, Maine Public, Earth.com, News Center Maine, Penobscot Bay Pilot, WGME (CBS 13 in Portland) and Seacoastonline highlighted a new study by researchers at the University of Maine that revealed lobsters in the Gulf of Maine are abandoning their traditional rocky habitats for open areas. This significant behavioral shift, potentially driven […]

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The Maine question podcast logo

‘The Maine Question’ dives into Maine’s blue economy  

The ocean, the plants and animals that reside in it and the coastline it formed are integral to Maine’s economy and culture. While heritage industries like fishing and shipbuilding have persisted for centuries, they and other coastal industries are changing. Climate change and the loss of working waterfront threaten their viability, but new fisheries, products, […]

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A photo of a lobster

American lobster population, habitat preferences shifting, study finds

American lobsters along Maine’s coast have relocated to new habitats, while the population simultaneously shrunk in abundance and grew older, according to a new study by University of Maine researchers. For decades, the vast majority of adult lobsters resided in boulder shelter habitats. This knowledge helped inform longtime conservation efforts and regulations within the more […]

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Vox interviews Steneck on importance of protecting parrotfish

Bob Steneck, professor emeritus of oceanography, marine biology and marine policy at the University of Maine, discussed the role parrotfish play in maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems with Vox. For example, Steneck said parrotfish help limit algae growth at the reef in Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean, which helps the coral survive.

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Beal discusses sea squirts with BDN

The BDN interviewed Brian Beal, a marine scientist with the University of Maine at Machias and director of the Downeast Institute, about his concerns on the rising populations of invasive tunicates, also known as sea squirts, that are negatively impacting the local fishing industry. These creatures attach to lobster traps and aquaculture equipment, causing a […]

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