Marine Sciences

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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‘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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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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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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UMaine names 2025 Presidential Award recipients

The 2025 Presidential Awards recognize outstanding teachers in microbiology and marine biology; applied research in creative blind and low vision technologies; engagement with Maine’s youth through outdoor education; innovation in shellfish cultivation; and extraordinary impact on economic enhancement and collaboration across Maine.  Gayle Kraus, professor of marine ecology at the University of Maine at Machias, […]

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UMaine research examines best methods for growing Atlantic sea scallops

A new study from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) and Darling Marine Center is helping to refine best practices for growing Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus), a species of increasing interest to Maine’s aquaculture sector. Published in the academic journal Aquaculture, the research compares two scallop farming methods, ear-hanging and lantern net […]

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UMaine experts participating in 2025 Maine Science Festival

University of Maine faculty and students will present at several events during the Maine Science Festival, a program of the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor that will include more than 70 events and activities from March 18-23.  The five-day celebration will showcase science and technology happening in Maine in the format of an arts or […]

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Beal discusses clam decline with Harpswell Anchor

For an article titled “Once a form of currency, quahogs remain a steady source of cash,” The Harpswell Anchor interviewed Brian Beal, professor of marine ecology at the University of Maine at Machias, on the decline in soft shell clams. “There’s no mystery,” said Beal, also director of the Downeast Institute. “The whole thing comes […]

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