MACHIAS, Maine \u2014 Maine EPSCoR\u2019s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET) is funding two projects in Washington County to better understand the effects of environmental change and management policies on soft-shell clams and Atlantic sea scallops.<\/p>\n
Sustainable aquaculture presents opportunities for economic development and growth in Down East Maine\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n
“As interest in this industry continues to grow, critical research investments must be made to ensure the sector\u2019s long-term\u00a0sustainability,” says Meggan Dwyer, research coordinator for SEANET.<\/p>\n
Survival rates for soft-shell clam seeds have fallen dramatically in recent years, possibly due to many factors, including acidification\u00a0in Maine\u2019s coastal waters, and the increased presence of invasive\u00a0predators, such as green crabs, whose population has exploded along Maine\u2019s coast.<\/p>\n
Researchers at the University of Maine at Machias, led by Brian Beal and William Otto, have received a $12,000 award from EPSCOR\u2019s 2018 Mini-Grant Program to investigate the effects of pH levels and predator endangerment on the survival rates of juvenile soft-shell clams,\u00a0Mya arenaria<\/em>.<\/p>\n Beal and Otto will examine the roles that water chemistry and predation have on diminished clam landings. Their findings will help establish mechanisms to combat the most-critical threats\u00a0and increase success rates for the commercial production of soft-shell clams.<\/p>\n In addition, Brian Preziosi and Timothy Bowden will lead research at UMaine that examines hatchery culture methods for Atlantic sea scallops,\u00a0Placopecten magellanicus<\/em>. A $12,000 SEANET\u00a0Mini-Grant award will support their work to\u00a0increase annual spat production to improve the stability of this fledgling aquaculture sector.<\/p>\n Despite strong consumer demand for wild scallops, wild harvesters face shrinking state and federal management quotas. Researchers recognize this gap as an opportunity for Washington County, an area with a longstanding tradition of scallop fishing, with ideal conditions for sea scallop culture.<\/p>\n As Maine\u2019s coastal environments continue to change, Preziosi believes developing alternative sources of juvenile scallops for aquaculture farmers will help stabilize and expand annual production of sea scallops and other commercially important bivalves, leading to job opportunities in the area.<\/p>\n “The goal of SEANET’s mini-grant\u00a0program is to respond rapidly to aquaculture R&D needs in the state,\u201d says Deborah Bouchard, director of UMaine\u2019s Aquaculture Research Institute and SEANET Research Network director.<\/p>\n \u201cThese two projects will address\u00a0the unique needs of the Down East region in synthesis with the environmental\u00a0data collected through SEANET’s buoy and sampling system that has been deployed in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to this research, SEANET personnel in Washington County are supporting\u00a0marine STEM sciences through local education and outreach activities.<\/p>\n By creating sustainable aquaculture infrastructure, expertise\u00a0and collaborations, SEANET aims\u00a0to establish\u00a0a lasting network of researchers whose goal is to inform regulators, investors, aquaculturists, and the public on\u00a0the best available science in sustainable aquaculture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MACHIAS, Maine \u2014 Maine EPSCoR\u2019s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET) is funding two projects in Washington County to better understand the effects of environmental change and management policies on soft-shell clams and Atlantic sea scallops. Sustainable aquaculture presents opportunities for economic development and growth in Down East Maine\u2019s coastal communities. “As interest in this industry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":4678,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"academic-area":[],"umaine-feed":[],"region":[],"class_list":["post-4701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n