Maine Fisheries Research Projects Recommended for $1.3 Million in Federal Funding

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recommended over $1.3 million in Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program funding for fisheries research projects in Maine.

“Climate change and other factors are rapidly altering our oceans, the fisheries they support, and the communities that rely on them. We need the best scientific information possible to respond to those changes, sustainably manage our resources, and find ways to move our coastal economy forward,” said Pingree. “Research organizations in Maine are doing great work in these areas and I’m pleased that they have been recommended for funding. These projects are key to the future of the Gulf of Maine and the thousands of Mainers who make their living from it.”

The goal of the Saltonstall-Kennedy program is to fund projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable.

The program has recommended the following projects for funding; final approval is pending.

• Gulf of Maine Research Institute, $288,888: Addressing the Issue of “Choke” Species in a Changing Climate

• Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association Lobster, $141,092: Migration and Growth: Continuation and Expansion of 2015 Tagging Effort on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine

• Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, $298,932: A ‘Halo’for Shellfish Aquaculture: Discovering the Phytoremediation Potential of Farmed Kelp

• University of Maine, $299,623: Evaluating the life history and stock structure of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the northwest Atlantic Ocean

• University of Maine, $275,308: Assessing the potential for sustainability of fishing-dependent communities in coastal Maine in the face of environmental and socioeconomic change.