UMM to host State of the Science conference

Conference to produce a comprehensive understanding of eastern Maine fisheries

The Eastern Maine Coastal Current Collaborative (EM3C), a partnership between three fisheries organizations, will hold a State of the Science Conference from June 17–18 at the University of Maine at Machias.

Experts from local governments, fishing, science, and academic communities will discuss ecosystem-based fisheries management in Eastern Maine. The conference is the first step toward producing a comprehensive understanding of the region’s watersheds, intertidal, nearshore, and offshore ecosystems, including their governance and socio-economic factors.

Registration is open until June 1; a $100 fee covers two days of keynote speakers, presentations from experts on watershed, intertidal, nearshore, and offshore ecosystems, lunch, dinner, and shuttle services to and from Machias hotels. For more information, or to register, visit www.stateofthescienceconference.org.

The conference is hosted by partners, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, a local fisheries nonprofit, as well as Maine DMR and NOAA Fisheries, who manage fisheries at the state and federal level. The partners entered into the Eastern Maine Coastal Current Collaborative (EM3C) in 2017, with a goal of developing a research framework that supports ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Eastern Maine Coastal Current, which extends from the western edge of Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border, and includes its watersheds.

The revolutionary approach will produce the most comprehensive scientific analysis of its kind, recognizing that not only biological, but economic and social interactions need to be considered when understanding the future of Eastern Maine’s fisheries. The conference seeks to facilitate this type of cross-ecosystem and interdisciplinary collaboration.