Two researchers from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute sailed aboard a Norwegian tall ship as part of One Ocean Expedition and worked with a regenerative aquaculture innovation hub out of La Paz, Mexico. UMaine’s representatives — Damian Brady, professor of oceanography in the School of Marine Sciences and Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) affiliate, […]
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For years, coastal communities in Maine have collected valuable data on soft-shell clam recruitment and the spread of invasive green crabs, but much of that information has remained fragmented, difficult to access or unavailable to the public. The lack of a centralized, user-friendly system has made it challenging for clammers, municipal committees, educators and policymakers […]
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Tiny organisms called algae can have an outsized impact on working waterfronts. While many benefit their ecosystems, others can cause devastating economic and ecological effects. University of Maine Ph.D. candidate Sydney Greenlee, alongside researchers Robin Sleith and Peter Countway from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, have developed a faster, more accurate way to detect […]
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Amid a dynamic funding landscape, the University of Maine concluded its 2025 fiscal year on June 30 with record productivity for the sixth consecutive year, powering expanded opportunities for students, researchers and partners statewide. Total research and development expenditures reached $297.6 million, up 19% from last year. External research and development funding received reached $243.6 […]
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Farming kelp to sell as food, beauty products, fertilizer additives and other goods is a growing industry in Maine, but also a costly one. One key barrier for new farmers is a lack of cost-analysis tools to help reduce expenditures and develop sustainable business plans. Researchers from Kelson Marine in Portland, Maine and the University […]
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Wild oysters have returned to Maine after nearing extinction almost 100 years ago. Professor Heather Leslie, a marine conservation scientist, spoke with Civil Eats to explain what might be happening to cause the growth in their presence.
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Joan Ferrini-Mundy highlighted the university’s leadership at today’s Maine Blue Economy Innovation Summit. ‘You don’t get to focus on an economy without thinking about the people who make and drive that economy,’ she said. On Maine’s rugged coast, where shipbuilding, fishing and working waterfronts have defined generations, leaders say the future is once again tied […]
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The Bangor Daily News featured contributions from the University of Maine, including its programs, faculty and alumni, toward the state’s aquaculture industry in four stories included in the Aquaculture 2025 special section. One story looked back at the history of the industry in Maine; another, courtesy of the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, focused on an […]
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Much of the scallop farming techniques used in the U.S. derive from practices in Japan, where scallops have long been a part of the country’s seafood industry. Researchers from the University of Maine are working to test and adapt those practices to help grow the industry in the Gulf of Maine, where oyster farming is […]
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A scallop farm based in Belfast, Maine and co-owned by University of Maine alumnus Struan Coleman (’21G) was featured in the PBS documentary “Hope in the Water.” Coleman received his master’s in marine policy from UMaine in 2021, during which time he studied the economic feasibility of scallop farming in Maine and was introduced to […]
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