As spring slowly moves its way into Maine, data is indicating that large parts of the midcoast and southern central parts of the state are likely to experience another tough year with the browntail moth. Maine Forest Service’s (MFS) aerial survey in fall 2018 showed over 126,000 acres impacted — double what was reported two […]
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Angela Myracle’s research is going to the dogs. Or, more accurately, for the dogs. As a scientist with Maine EPSCoR’s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET), Myracle looks for innovations in aquaculture. And when the assistant professor of human nutrition at the University of Maine spied dog treats at a local supermarket that were made with […]
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Some people trying to eat healthy increase their consumption of salmon, tuna or mackerel — foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats (n-3 PUFA). People also take fish oil supplements that boost intake of vitamin D for healthy bones and muscle, and to regulate the release of serotonin, which affects appetite and stress. And why not? […]
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Undergraduate alumni of UMaine’s School of Biology and Ecology, Ani Varjabedian and Efrat Hamami, and their capstone advisor Seth Tyler recently won the 2018 Reinhard Rieger-Award. The team were recognized for their paper “Functional morphology of the venom apparatus of Prorhynchus stagnalis (Platyhelminthes, Lecithoepitheliata)” on how Prorhynchus stagnalis, a turbellarian flatworm common in Maine’s ponds […]
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Continued development and dissemination of outreach materials on the risks and regulations associated with moving potentially infested firewood are essential to reduce the spread of invasive forest pests, according to University of Maine researchers. How campers’ knowledge of forest insects affects the transportation of firewood is the focus of a recent study led by John […]
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The University of Maine’s Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has announced the recipients of the 2018–2019 Academic Year Research and Creative Activities Fellowships. The fellowships were developed to enhance and increase undergraduate student involvement in faculty-mentored research. Each fellowship provides a $1,100 award for the student to help cover costs of the project. Funding for […]
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Developing tools and information resources to help small to medium-size farms in New England address climate change-related issues that affect productivity, including changes in growing season, drought risks and new pests, is the focus of a new University of Maine research project. The initiative is part of a nearly $500,000, three-year grant to the University […]
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The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) recently accepted a new assessment of northern shrimp populations in the Gulf of Maine that relied on a computer model developed at the University of Maine. Yong Chen, UMaine professor for fisheries population dynamics in the School of Marine Sciences, and postdoctoral associate Jie Cao created the model, […]
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Rockweed is sometimes called an “ecosystem engineer,” because its branched structure alters the surrounding environment, and creates space for other species to find shelter and food. The marine alga also is a valuable source of nutrients and other compounds with commercial purposes. In the past decade, increased harvesting has led to questions about the effects […]
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Diatoms, sugar kelp, green crabs, lobsters and oysters are iconic organisms on our coast. Their roles in marine ecosystems, their importance as fished and cultured species and their responses to changing ocean conditions were topics of SEA Fellows’ research from Casco Bay to Eastport this summer. The third annual SEA Fellows Symposium featured the work […]
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