Hillyer studies Medomak river estuary and impacts on clamming community

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Hillyer studies Medomak river estuary and impacts on clamming community

May 6, 2019 Grad Student Spotlight, IMPACT Newsletter, Research News, Research Reinvestment Fund Awards

Graduate Student Spotlight: Gabrielle Hillyer, Diana Davis Spencer Scholar

Gabrielle Hillyer is a duel-degree major in oceanography and marine policy. With support from the UMS Research Reinvestment Fund she has focused her research on the Medomak river estuary and its multiple impacts on local clamming.

Her innovative research aims to understand the ability of the estuary to flush out harmful bacteria. This can close down clam flats for a nine-day period in cases of rainfall of over an inch. Hillyer’s stakeholder-driven research also looks into the economic impacts of clam flat closures on the clamming community.

Her research results will be featured in reports from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Medomak Task Force. Hillyer intends to expand this project further when she starts her doctoral program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at UMaine, after receiving her master’s degree.

To read more about her research supported by the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, please visit their website, linked below.

Drifting with the Tides: A New Beginning