Office of Research Development

Principal Investigator: Ian Bricknell (Marine Sciences/ARI, UMaine) Partners: Deborah Bouchard (Cooperative Extension/ARI, UMaine); William Wolters (USDA National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center/NCWMA); Leighanne Hawkins (Cooke Aquaculture) Abstract: This project will investigate a novel approach to mitigating superchill in cultured Atlantic salmon. Superchill is a physiological collapse in salmon occurring during periods of extremely cold weather in Maine’s […]

Principal Investigator: Andrei Alyokhin (Biology and Ecology, UMaine) Partners: Tap Pryor (Acadia Harvest, Inc.); Michael Peterson (Mechanical Engineering, UMaine); Edward Bernard (Molecular & Biomedical Sciences, UMaine) Abstract: Maine’s aquaculture industry is the largest in the U.S. and is growing rapidly. However, it currently relies on aquafeeds made with fish meal and fish oil from wild-caught small fishes, […]

Principal Investigator: Peter Van Walsum (Chemical & Biological Engineering/FBRI, UMaine) Partners: Balunkeswar Nayak (Food Science and Nutrition, UMaine); John Belding (Advanced Manufacturing Center, UMaine); Daniel Martinez (Environmental Science, USM) Abstract: Seaweed aquaculture is a global activity with an annual worth of $5.65 billion. We propose to investigate Energy Recovery DeHumidification (ERDH) as a highly energy efficient means […]

Principal Investigator: Heather Hamlin (SMS/ARI, UMaine) Partners: Deborah Bouchard (Cooperative Extension/ARI, UMaine); Jean McRae (Civil & Environmental Engineering, UMaine); Benjamin King (Regenerative Biology, MDI Biological Laboratory) Abstract: Marine invertebrates, such as lobster, support valuable commercial fisheries in Maine valued at nearly $457 million in landings, and have a 3x to 5x multiplier on the total dollar […]

Principal Investigator: Mehdi Tajvidi (Forest Resources, UMaine) Partners: Douglas Bousfield (Chemical and Biological Engineering, UMaine); John Hunt (Forest Products Laboratory, USDA) Abstract: This project involves a collaboration between several UMaine units and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory on the production of a novel fire-resistant fiberboard building material that can be sourced solely from deadwood and other wood […]

Principal Investigator: Laurie Connell (Marine Sciences, UMaine) Partners: Rosemary Smith (Electrical Engineering, UMaine); Jason Perkins (Allagash Brewing) Abstract: The goal of this project is to develop a new handheld instrument, called the InstaProbe, which will provide the only near-instantaneous solution to detect certain environmental microbes from a complex matrix with minimal sample preparation. The proposed instrument is […]

Principal Investigator: Douglas Gardner (ASCC, UMaine) Partners: Yousoo Han (Advanced Structures and Composites Center, UMaine); Steve Ruell (Innovasea); Duncan Mayes (Stora Enso) Abstract: The overall goal of this project is to evaluate the potential of a structural wood plastic composite material (WPC) technology for use in marine applications; more specifically, its application in fish cage pens. Aquaculture […]

Principal Investigator: Frank Drummond (Biology and Ecology, UMaine) Partners: Scott Dobrin (Biology, UMPI); Ron Butler (Biology, UMFA); Joseph Staples (Environmental Sciences, USM); Christopher Lage (Biology, UMA) Abstract: The goal of this project is to investigate the ‘health’ of Maine bumble bees in light of their critical importance to Maine commercial businesses. Since 2006, global concern has emerged […]

Principal Investigator: Parinaz Rahimzadeh (Forest Resource, UMaine) Partners: Aaron Weiskittel (UMaine), Peter Nelson (UMFK), David Maclean (University of New Brunswick), Daniel Kneeshaw (University of Quebec) Abstract: This research is on developing a practical, rapid, and cost effective method to detect annual spruce budworm (SBW) defoliation in Maine at a broad spatial scale using advanced technologies in […]

Principal Investigator: Carl Tripp (Chemistry, UMaine) Partners: Joshua Henry (Maine Maritime Academy), Robert Lad (UMaine) Abstract: Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have attracted much interest because of their potential for converting waste heat from power sources to useful electricity. This technology is especially important for Maine’s future marine industries, where energy recovery from on-board ship engine heat will […]