Students

Research focused on how abiotic environmental factors influence sea lettuce reproductivity.

2023 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE): Commercial Cultivation of Ulva lactuca – Establishment of baseline cultivation parameters

2024 SURE: Reproductive timing of Ulva lactuca with the lunar cycle

Focused on how aquaculture gear type affects microplastic loading quantities in eastern oysters.

2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE): A Comparison of Microplastic Loading in Oysters Grown in Traditional Plastic Gear and Novel Plastic-free Gear

2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE): Comparing species presence methods in a marine habitat; identifying the overlap of eDNA methods and traditional visual observation of crustaceans

2023. Cara Blaine, MS in Marine Science, “Interactions of the marine snail Lacuna vincta with kelp farms in the Gulf of Maine”

• Detecting the marine gastropod Lacuna vincta at seaweed farms using a novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay. in prep
• Grazing and residence of the marine gastropod Lacuna vincta on cultivated kelp. in prep

2022. Jessica Vorse, MS in Marine Science, “Effect of post-harvest processing methods on the microbial safety of edible seaweed”

• Effect of post-harvest processing methods on the microbial safety of edible seaweed

2022. Emilly Schutt, MS in Marine Science, TNC Fellow, “Supporting Ecosystem Services of habitat and biodiversity in temperate seaweed (Saccharina latissima)”

• Supporting ecosystem services of habitat and biodiversity in temperate seaweed (Saccharina spp.) farms

2022. Will Bolduc, PSM in Ocean Foods Systems, TNC Fellow, “Consumer Willingness to Pay for Farmed Seaweed with Education on Ecosystem Services”

• Consumer willingness to pay for farmed seaweed with education on ecosystem services

2021. Gretchen Grebe, PhD UMaine/UNE NSF EPSCoR SEANET Fellow, “Evaluating and advancing opportunities for ecosystem services, increased production, and sustainability of kelp aquaculture in the Gulf of Maine”

• An Ecosystem Approach to kelp Aquaculture in the Americas and Europe
• The nitrogen bioextraction potential of nearshore Saccarina latissima cultivation and harvest in the Western Gulf of Maine
• The effect of distal-end trimming on Saccharina latissima morphology, composition, and productivity 

2020. Emma Taccardi, PhD UMaine/UNE NSF EPSCoR SEANET Fellow, “Biophysical and stable isotopic profiles of the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis”

• Stable isotopes reveal contrasting trophic dynamics between host-parasite relationships: a case study of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and parasitic lice (Lepeoptheirus salmonis & Argulus foliaceus)

2020. Adrianus Both, PhD UMaine/UNE NSF EPSCoR SEANET Fellow, “Sourcing and evaluating detritus as supplementary diet for bivalve aquaculture using stable isotopes and fatty acid biomarkers”

• Detrital subsidies in the diet of Mytilus edulis: macroalgal detritus likely supplements essential fatty acids. 
• Solubilization of nutritional lipids from three coastal and estuarine primary producers using sodium taurocholate as a model surfactant to mimic typical consumer gut-fluids

2019. Olivia Barberi, MS in Marine Science, “Assessment of bacterial pathogens on sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) farmed in coastal waters”

• Assessment of bacterial pathogens on edible macroalgae in coastal waters

2019. Connor Jones, M.S. in Marine Science, “A histological-biochemical health and condition assessment of farmed blue mussels (Mytlis edulis) in a changing Gulf of Maine”

• A histopathological-biochemical health assessment of blue mussel Mytilus edulis

2018. Carissa Maurin, M.S in Marine Science, “Determining the effects of bivalve aquaculture on the coastal food webs structure of Casco Bay, ME using stable isotope analysis”

• Food webs and species biodiversity of the fouling community associated with bivalve aquaculture farms compared to analogous non-farm structures

2017. Eric Chapman, post-doc, “Social-ecological systems and carrying capacity of bivalve aquaculture”

• The flexible application of carrying capacity in ecology
• Effects of climate change on coastal ecosystem food webs: Implications for aquaculture

2015. Lauren Bamford, M.S. in Marine Science, “A parasite-pinniped-fisheries interaction: Codwom (Pseudoterranova) in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Gulf of Maine”

2023. Anna Winkler, B.S. in Marine Science. Effects of kelp farm removal on small invertebrate community dynamics in the Gulf of Maine.

2022. Marc Millette, B.S. in Marine Science. Digitizing histological slides of mussel (Mytilus edulis) tissue.

2022. Hannah Korper, B.S. in Marine Science. Post-harvest time and temperature exposure of edible seaweed for promotion of food safety.

2022. Elena Shippey, B.S. in Marine Science. An analysis of reproductive and storage tissue variability of farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in Casco Bay, Maine.

2020. Aubrey Jane, B.S. in Marine Science. Histological and PCR assessment of potential non-native trematode Proctoeces maculatus infections and environmental stress responses in farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis).

2020. Alexandra Giesser, B.S. in Marine Science. Nitrogen bioextraction potential of Saccharina latissima cultivation and harvest in the Gulf of Maine

2020. Everett Pierce, B.S. in Marine Science. Exploring how post-harvest processing techniques impact microbial quality of farmed sugar kelp.

2020. Kyle Brennan, B.S. in Marine Science. Mapping  optimal locations for kelp farming based on temperature in Saco and Casco Bay.

2019. Michele Condon, B.S. in Marine Science & Environmental Science. Interannual analysis of reproduction and energy investment within a population of farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis).

2019. Erynn Mills,  B.S. in Marine Science, Energetic pathways in bivalve aquaculture: using biomarkers to trace organic matter.

2019. Kylee DiMaggio, B.S in Marine Science & Environmental Science, Ecosystem modeling of food web dynamics explicitly considering the effects of climate change in a macro-tidal coastal estuary.

2019. Emily Hanson, B.S. in Marine Science, Quantifying the amount of microplastics in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) found in pelagic and intertidal zones.

2018. Andrew Davidsohn, B.S. in Marine Science & Aquaculture and Aquarium Science, Trophic shifts introduced to the Saco river estuary by a central secondary consumer, the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas). [Primary advisor]

2018. Mary Hollandbeck, B.S. in Marine Science, Establishing the relationship between coliform and vibrio bacteria species on the surface of farmed sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) and in surrounding water. [Primary advisor]

2018. Katie Parker, B.S. in Marine Science, Histopathological analysis of parasites and environmental stress responses of farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in Casco Bay, Maine.

2018. Katie Perry, B.S. in Marine Science, Ecological implications of commercial bivalve aquaculture on coastal food web dynamics.