Research

fish

UMaine graduate student finds after last mass extinction, tiny fish ruled the sea

Andrew Galimberti, an entomology graduate student at the University of Maine, was part of a research team that discovered that bigger isn’t necessarily better for a fish during an extinction event. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and UMaine found that for at least 40 million years following the last massive extinction, small, fast-reproducing fish […]

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lobster boar

Researchers study lobster shell disease to protect Maine’s iconic industry

When Samuel Belknap, Ph.D. anthropology and environmental policy student at the University of Maine, heard an increasing number of fishermen express concerns about the spread of a lobster shell disease and its potential impacts on Maine’s iconic industry, he was intrigued. “The thread that ran through all of these conversations was the need for more […]

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Ruleo Camacho

Ruleo Camacho: Promoting coral reef health

A graduate student at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center received a Young Investigator Award Honorable Mention at the 9th Florida State University Mote Symposium in October. Ruleo Camacho, who is a pursuing a dual master’s degree in marine biology and marine policy, presented his thesis research, “Antigua’s Community Based No-Take Reserves: Developing a […]

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algal bloom

Climate change may increase blooming, but not the good kind

Marine scientists warn that the future may bring more harmful algal blooms (HABs) which could threaten wildlife and the economy, but that poor scientific understanding limits long-term forecasts. Understanding algal blooms and how they will impact society was the focus of a four-day workshop — comprised of 11 marine science researchers from around the world […]

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Antarctica

Learning from the past — behavior of the Antarctic Ice Sheet

Researchers at the University of Maine wanted to know how the Antarctic ice sheet reacts to climate change. To find out, they dove into the past to learn how the ice sheet behaved during the last glaciation, when the glacier achieved its greatest extent and what factors contributed to its ultimate retreat. In order to […]

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mosquito fish

Female invaders are ecologically stronger than males

Males and females of many species are often visibly different from one another. Scientists call these differences ‘sexual dimorphism’ and it has been studied extensively by evolutionary biologists all of the way back to Charles Darwin. But what is not yet clearly understood is how these differences impact an entire ecosystem.

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underwater image

Human-marine environment interactions crux of DMC director’s study

Heather Leslie, director of the University of Maine Darling Marine Center, is leading a research project to deepen her interdisciplinary investigations of ecological and human dimensions of small-scale fisheries in Mexico’s Baja peninsula. A $1.79 million award from the National Science Foundation’s Coupled Natural and Human (CNH) Systems Program funds the three-year project. “My studies […]

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