Scallop gonads may seem like fun and games to Skylar Bayer given that her missing samples landed her on “The Colbert Report” in 2013. But scallops are no laughing matter to Bayer. “When I was deciding on a Ph.D. project to pursue, I chose to work on a species that is commercially important and relevant […]
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Maine is home to numerous rural fishing communities that contribute to the state’s economy and culture, but many are face challenges due to regulations, stock depletion, rising fuel costs and climate change. In addition, researchers at the University of Maine also have identified gentrification as a leading threat, which they say is responsible for the […]
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A recent study by University of Maine researchers examines the history of the licensing system for commercial fisheries in the state and how it has changed fishermen’s access to marine resources. The findings suggest the evolution of the regulations threatens the resilience of the social-ecological system in Maine’s fisheries and highlight the paradox of the […]
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Samuel Belknap, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology and the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, was featured in a four-part film series produced by the Island Institute. “A Climate of Change” highlights fishing communities threatened by the effects of a changing climate and what they are doing to adapt. The […]
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Read transcript Charlotte Quigley is a Ph.D. student at the University of Maine studying marine biology. Her research focuses on alaria (a type of sea vegetable) and how changing water temperatures affect its growth. By studying and testing its genetic structure, Quigley hopes to supply a sustainable, temperature tolerant crop for Maine’s aquaculture future.
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Subtle, fleeting differences in ocean salinity or temperature can act as physical barricades for phytoplankton, which results in a patchy distribution of the most important food resource in the ocean and may explain the large biodiversity in the sea, say University of Copenhagen and University of Maine researchers. Ocean currents transport phytoplankton, or microscopic algae, […]
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Read transcript For the past 15 years, aquacultural salmon farmers in Maine have struggled with plummeting embryo survival rates, forcing them to drastically increase the number of eggs they produce — which comes with a hefty price tag. LeeAnne Thayer, Ph.D. candidate in marine sciences at the University of Maine, is determined to find out […]
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Locals and tourists flocking to the coast to eat fresh shellfish may not know about costs and risks that aquaculturists encounter getting the seafood to the table. One of the biggest issues for aquaculture farmers is selecting lease sites without knowing the physics and biology of the estuary environment, which can result in unpredictable productivity. […]
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Students, researchers, fishermen, aquaculturists and other marine professionals will gather at the University of Maine’s marine laboratory, Darling Marine Center (DMC), on Thursday, Aug. 11 for the SEA Fellows Summer Science Symposium. The SEA (Science for Economic Impact and Application) Fellows program is a new initiative developed by UMaine and the University of Maine at […]
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On Aug. 12, The Story Collider will feature Skylar Bayer’s frank but sometimes funny podcast about a medical scare she experienced her first semester at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center. In fall 2011, the doctoral candidate in marine biology was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia — a rapid heart beat due to a problem […]
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