Category: MDIBL
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Shellfish Focus Day at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum
Rockland- Thursday, March 5, 2015 was Shellfish Day at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Dozens of people showed up to hear academics, government representatives, and fishermen speak about the shellfish industry. Topics in the morning included red tides, economic losses from wastewater treatment plant closures, using technical and applied marine science to support management decisions, and…
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Eelgrass Collaborators Meet to Share Progress and Discuss Future
On January 22, eelgrass scientists and others interested in eelgrass conservation in Maine and New Hampshire came together to share work in progress and discuss future directions for eelgrass research and restoration in Maine. Six presenters covered topics ranging from eelgrass loss in Frenchman Bay, Casco Bay, Lamprey Bay, and Great Bay, to what archaeological flounder…
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Stakeholder groups identify similar ecosystem service priorities
The Frenchman Bay Partners has been engaging community members in conversations about the benefits we all derive from our connections to Frenchman Bay. Last November, a series of workshops led to the development of an Ecosystem Services Value Decision Support Tool. The tool helps users identify and prioritize the attributes of the bay that are most…
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Population Genetics of the Invasive European Green Crab, Carcinus maneas and its Role in Eelgrass Loss in the Gulf of Maine
Mary Badger, Smith College Abstract: In 2013, there was a devastating loss of eelgrass (Zoestra marina) in upper Frenchman Bay, Mount Desert Island, Maine. This study examined the relationship between the most recent invasion of novel haplotypes of the European Green Crab (Carnicus maneas) and the decline of eelgrass in upper Frenchman Bay. While C.…
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Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) loss in Maine: An investigation into possible causes
Alden Dirks, Swarthmore College Abstract: Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) supplies myriad ecosystem services that make it an indispensable cornerstone of coastal environments. The complete disappearance of eelgrass in upper Frenchman Bay, Mt. Desert Island (MDI), Maine, in 2013 matched a precipitous drop in the concentration of dissolved silica (DSi). Eelgrass in outer Frenchman Bay and other…
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Anecdata: Collecting observations of a changing world
The idea for Anecdata grew out of CEHL’s project at eelgrassinmaine.org, developed in summer 2013 as a way to enlist the broader public in documenting loss of eelgrass in upper Frenchman Bay and elsewhere in Maine. People up and down the coast reported — and continue to report — sightings of eelgrass and places where…
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Green Crabs in Frenchman Bay: The Continuing Saga
Everyone has been hearing a lot about green crabs and their destructive nature these days. Frenchman Bay definitely has its share of them. Green crabs are an invasive species from Europe that were unintentionally introduced to the Eastern shores of America in the 1800s. Their numbers have been increasing ever since. Maine Sea Grant sponsored…
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MDIBL Receives $239k Grant for Eelgrass Restoration
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded the Mount Desert Island Bio Lab a grant of $239,000 for eelgrass restoration in Frenchman Bay. The grant will enable the Lab and its partners to restore an additional 214 acres of subtidal habitat off Lamoine, Bar Harbor, and Trenton over the next two years. The grant…
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MDIBL and SMCC complete benthic survey of Frenchman Bay
During the summer of 2013, a group from Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory and Southern Maine Community College began a benthic survey of numerous sites in Frenchman Bay. The survey was undertaken to compare current benthic species diversity with historical records collected during the first half of the 20th century. Seven sites in Frenchman Bay…
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Eelgrass decline raises questions
The Frenchman Bay Partners’ plan of restoring an additional 228 acres of eelgrass this summer had to be put on hold when it became clear that eelgrass was not coming back in the restoration areas that had been thriving for years. Not only that, many formerly healthy beds that had been growing at least since…