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How we are moving science forward

Sensor Squad Moves Science Forward

We rely on scientific data on the health of Casco Bay to inform our advocacy and stewardship efforts.

Good decisions are made using good data. That’s the idea behind the Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative.

“The Collaborative is made up of some of the best saltwater scientists in Maine,” says Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca. “By sharing research and knowledge of climate change science, water quality monitoring issues, and ocean climate policies, we can better protect all of our coastal waters.”

Ivy coordinates the Collaborative, which includes Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science, Bowdoin College, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, Downeast Institute, Friends of Casco Bay, Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation, and the Future, Island Institute, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Marine Resources, University of New Hampshire’s Ocean Processes Analysis Laboratory (OPAL), and Wells  National Estuarine Research Reserve (Wells Reserve).

Staff Scientist Mike Doan (left photo) and Science and Advocacy Associate Heather Kenyon (right photo) are working with colleagues up and down Maine’s coast to improve our collective knowledge of how acidification and climate change may be affecting our waters.

A key part of the Collaborative’s current work is to develop a report of recommended equipment, sampling techniques, and quality assurance protocols to serve as a guide for researchers, agencies, and institutions up and down Maine’s coast to better monitor climate change and acidification. For this effort, Friends of Casco Bay Staff Scientist Mike Doan is working closely with colleagues from OPAL and Wells Reserve.

“We call ourselves the ‘Sensor Squad,’” says Mike. “Staff from Wells Reserve and Friends of Casco Bay are testing equipment and protocols in real-world conditions and comparing our data to OPAL’s gold standard. The goal is to ensure we are getting the most accurate climate change and acidification data we can. As the science evolves, we have to evolve, too.”

While the “Sensor Squad” may not look like superheroes, by working together, the scientists are helping improve Maine’s understanding of climate change.

“While our mission is all about Casco Bay, we recognize that climate change doesn’t stop at the watershed’s border,” says Executive Director Will Everitt. “The State of Maine can use our work as a model for what a statewide monitoring program can look like. When state agencies who are tasked with managing and protecting our marine ecosystems have better data, ultimately that helps Casco Bay and all of our coastal waters.”

 

The work of the “Sensor Squad” is supported by generous grants from Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, donor-advised funds at the Maine Community Foundation, and by Friends of Casco Bay’s members. 

Join us! Stormwater impacts and water sampling

Want to know how heavy rainfalls, like those we have experienced this summer, impact Casco Bay?

Join Friends of Casco Bay staff in South Portland on September 8 at 10 a.m. to learn about the impacts of stormwater on our local waters using both observational and scientific data.

What: Stormwater Impacts and Water Sampling
When: Friday, September 8, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30  a.m.
Where: Yerxa Park, 725 Broadway, South Portland.
Meet in the parking lot to the left of the old Sea Dog Brewing.
RSVP:  by emailing Sara Freshley at sfreshley [at] cascobay [dot] org

At this event, Friends of Casco Bay staff will guide you through what to look for when posting to Water Reporter.

Did you know that stormwater is the largest source of pollution into Casco Bay by volume? Stormwater that flows from these outfalls can be a source of excess nitrogen. Too much nitrogen can lead to nuisance algal blooms and eelgrass decline. You can help us track pollution from stormwater pipes that empty into our coastal waters.

At this event, we will also take water samples to demonstrate the link between observational data and water quality data. Our science staff, Mike and Heather, will bring the samples back to the lab for an analysis of total nitrogen. Once we have the nitrogen data, we will follow up with attendees, comparing what we observed in the field.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thank you to L.L.Bean, Ferris Olson Family Foundation for Ocean Stewardship, Allagash Brewing Company, and our members for their support of our Water Reporter program.

A Ceremony for Casco Bay and Mother Earth

“Olotahkewakon.”

As more than 115 Friends of the Bay heard at We Are Water — Friends of Casco Bay’s Members Annual Meeting, “olotahkewakon” is the Passamaquoddy word for “ceremony.” Passamaquoddy Language Keeper Dwayne Tomah shared this word in his tribe’s native tongue noting that all of us coming together was a ceremony for our mother earth.

The tribes in Maine were the original stewards of this land and of Casco Bay, beginning more than 12,000 years ago, and today, although there are no official tribal lands on the shores of Casco Bay, Wabanaki people still live within the watershed. Passamaquoddy means “the people who spear pollock.” An important part of Passamaquoddy culture is protecting our air, land, and waters. It is in partnership to those values that we remain honored to have hosted Dwayne, who lives Downeast on Passamaquoddy Bay, as our featured speaker at the event. 

Dwayne’s refrain throughout the evening was “We are all in this together.” The Annual Meeting was attended by local residents, dozens of our volunteers, current and former State Representatives from towns around Casco Bay, federal officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, staff from Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and colleagues from partner organizations, all of whom are working together to improve and protect the health of Casco Bay. As Dwayne said, “We are all in the same canoe, we just didn’t know it.” 

You can listen to Dwayne talk by clicking play on the video below. As caveat, due to the tent we were under and the setting sun, the video quality is low, but we hope you find Dwayne’s talk as inspiring as we did. 

Passamaquoddy Language Keeper Dwayne Tomah

Until recently, Dwayne was the youngest fluent speaker of the Passamaquoddy language. He has dedicated his life to teaching Passamaquoddy language and culture to tribal members. As the Passamaquoddy Language Keeper, Dwayne has been an ambassador, using native words to teach others about his people’s culture while helping us all connect, heal, and learn together. 

His efforts have been vital to keeping the Passamaquoddy language alive. Beginning in the 1600s, European colonizers began taking tribal lands and attempted to extinguish tribal cultures. In the 1800s, Federal policies forced tribes to assimilate into white, christian culture by requiring children be taken from their community and put into boarding schools, among many other egregious acts. Through this process, much of the Passamaquoddy language was lost. 

However, in 1890, the heart of this forced assimilation era, many Passamaquoddy tribal members recorded stories, songs, facts, and conversations on wax cylinders borrowed from Thomas Edison. This was the first field recording of people telling stories and singing ever! 

Although these wax cylinders were owned by the Harvard Peabody museum, they were returned to the tribes in 1980. Dwayne Tomah and others have spent hours meticulously listening to and learning from these recordings, which has resulted in revived energy and pride in Passamaquoddy culture and sovereignty. As one tribal member stated about this project, “it isn’t just language preservation or cultural preservation, it’s people preservation.” Dwayne has been at the heart of this preservation effort.

Frame the Bay

At the Annual Meeting, we announced the winners of “Frame the Bay,” our inaugural photo contest. More than 60 photos were submitted to the contest, which asked Friends to share their favorite photos taken of, near, or on Casco Bay. Participants could submit up to five photos. The judges included internationally recognized sports photographer Kevin Morris, Lindsay Heald, a visual artist, photographer, and producer from Maine, and Board President Sandy Marsters, who has a background in photojournalism.

Scenic Category Winner 1st Place, Student Category Winner, Best of Show wooden posts: Portland Maine, April 2023 by Ava McKinley
Scenic Category 2nd Place Photographer: Timothy R. Brokaw
Scenic Category 3rd Place Photographer: John Bald
Working Waterfront Category Winner 1st Place Photographer: Glenn Michaels
Working Waterfront Category 2nd Place Photographer: Glenn Michaels
Working Waterfront Category 3rd Place Photographer: Adam Mistler
Wildlife Category Winner 1st Place Photographer: Stephen Hobson
Wildlife Category 2nd Place Photographer: Stacey Keefer
Wildlife Category 3rd Place Photographer: Stacey Keefer
Recreation Category Winner 1st Place Photographer: Heidi Holloway
Recreation Category 2nd Place Photographer: Glenn Michaels
Recreation Category 3rd Place Photographer: Bill Brokaw

Our winners in the recreation category were:
First Place: Heidi Holloway
Second Place: Glenn Michaels
Third Place: Bill Brokaw

Our winners in the wildlife category were:
First place: Stephen Hobson
Second Place: Stacey Keefer
Third Place: Stacey Keefer

Our winners in the Working Waterfront category were:
First Place: Glenn Michaels
Second Place: Glenn Michaels
Third place: Adam Mistler

Our winners in the scenic category were:
First place: Ava McKinley
Second Place: Timothy R. Brokaw
Third Place: John Bald

Ava was also our first place student photographer winner and her scenic photo won Best in Show. 

Congratulations to all of our winners!

Casco Bay Award Winner Honorable Jay McCreight

As the State Representative for Harpswell for eight years, Joyce “Jay” McCreight has gone above and beyond for Casco Bay. Executive Director Will Everitt presented her with our Casco Bay Award. As he shared, “Over the course of her legislative career, Jay has been a true Clean Water Hero.” Her achievements include:

  • Passing a bill to set up a process for the disposal of expired marine flares. All seagoing boats are required to have flares in the case of an emergency. These flares expire, remain a fire hazard, and contain toxic chemicals. Until Jay worked on this issue, there has been no safe, ecological, or cost effective way for fishermen and boat owners to dispose of marine flares.
  • Ensuring that the state budget included funds to map eelgrass, a vital habitat known as “the nursery of the sea.”
  • Hosting a forum on water quality in Casco Bay that helped shape recommendations for the Maine Climate Council. 
  • Convening conversations about aquaculture siting.
  • Working hard for fishing families by sponsoring a bill to allow an immediate family member of a lobsterman to fish with their license if the licensee has a serious illness or injury. She introduced this bill after hearing from a lobsterman with cancer who needed his son to keep hauling his traps while he went through treatment.

After eight dauntless years and four rounds of being elected to the statehouse, she was term limited but Jay’s clean water work continues. Jay now serves on Harpswell’s Resiliency and Sustainability Committee and she remains tireless in continuing to help get the flares disposal bill implemented.

Down to Business

Our We Are Water event began with the official business of our Members Annual Meeting. As they looked out at Casco Bay from Spring Point in South Portland, Friends of Casco Bay members unanimously voted Mark Green and Steve Bushey to their second terms on the Board of Directors. We are proud to have their wisdom, experience, and dedication, all in service to our mission to improve and protect the health of the waters we all love. 

Presumpscot Celebration

You’re invited to celebrate the healthy future of the Lower Presumpscot with Friends of Casco Bay and Friends of the Presumpscot River!

Where: Riverton Trolley Park and Allagash Brewing Company in Portland
When: Thursday, July 13, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Join us at Riverton Trolley Park on the banks of the Presumpscot to hear about how the new moratorium on industrial and wastewater discharges into the river supports the health of the Casco Bay watershed. After some brief remarks at the park, we will head to nearby Allagash Brewing to raise a toast and celebrate.

Please RSVP by emailing keeper@cascobay.org.

We hope to see you there!

Great news for the Presumpscot River and Casco Bay

Presumpscot Falls is a natural haven that many visit for recreation and solace in the middle of Maine’s most densely populated and continuously developing region. The Falls are located in the lower Presumpscot River, which currently has only Class C protections (see our fact sheet linked below for more information).

The largest river that flows into Casco Bay is officially protected from new sources of pollution under Maine law! A four-year moratorium on new industrial or wastewater discharges into the Lower Presumpscot River was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Mills on Friday.

The Lower Presumpscot flows from Saccarappa Falls in downtown Westbrook to head of tide along the Portland-Falmouth border. This section of river was historically heavily polluted by untreated industrial discharges. Today it is a thriving urban waterway thanks to years of restoration efforts under the Clean Water Act. Temporarily preventing new discharges into the river – for example, from a new factory or other industry – will protect the Lower Presumpscot’s substantial gains in water quality while a long-term solution is identified to preserve the river’s health.

“The Presumpscot River drains two-thirds of the Casco Bay watershed,” says Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca. “Flowing from pristine headlands through some of Maine’s most densely populated and diverse neighborhoods, this river is intimately tied to the health of Casco Bay, the wildlife it supports, and the people who live here. Protecting the Lower Presumpscot from new discharges over the next four years will help us figure out how to more permanently protect the health of the river.”

If you were one of the many Friends of the Bay who submitted testimony in favor of the moratorium, thank you. The legislators truly heard the importance of the connection between the health of the river and the Bay, strengthening their support for the moratorium. We are also grateful for our partners at Friends of the Presumpscot River and their leadership on this effort. You are all Friends of Casco Bay!

If you want to learn more about the many reasons we supported the moratorium, check out the fact sheet on our website. In short, we believe this bill supports our region’s growing communities, the local economy, and most importantly, the health of the Presumpscot River and Casco Bay.

If you would like to celebrate this clean water victory, we would love for you to join us in Portland on July 13! Click here to learn more and RSVP.

Water Reporter Event: Salt Marsh Restoration

On June 29, Water Reporters are invited to Wharton Point in Brunswick to learn about salt marshes from an expert scientist. Salt marshes are under threat from erosion, rising sea levels, and green crabs. Come and learn about these important coastal ecosystems in Casco Bay and what to look for as Water Reporters when observing changes in salt marshes.

Thank you to all the Water Reporters who made it to our kickoff event at Winslow Park in May.

If you’re not already a Water Reporter, please sign up and join us! We would love to see you at this event.

At the event, coastal geologist Peter Slovinsky will lead a lesson about all things salt marsh. Peter works on salt marsh restoration projects among his many duties as a sea level rise and coastal erosion scientist with the Maine Geological Survey.

RSVP by emailing sfreshley@cascobay.org. We hope to see you there!

This image from early spring in 2021 shows a “living shoreline” at Wharton Point in Brunswick. Living shorelines are a technique for stabilizing eroding salt marshes while maintaining the ecosystem’s natural land-water interface.

What: Salt Marsh Restoration Water Reporter Event
When: Thursday, June 29 from 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Where: Wharton Point, Brunswick (Wharton Point is at the southern end of Maquoit Road)

As always, please reach out to Community Organizer and Volunteer Coordinator Sara Freshley if you have questions or want to meet face-to-face to talk about Water Reporter and Casco Bay. Sara can be reached at sfreshley@cascobay.org
or at (207) 807-0785.

Willard Beach Reopens to Public

A sewer pipe near Willard Beach burst last week, causing the City of South Portland to temporarily close the beach to the public. We were in contact with the city as they worked to repair the pipe and are grateful for South Portland Water Resource Protection’s quick response to stop the flow into Casco Bay.

The beach reopened on Wednesday night after water quality tests showed it was safe for the public. For more information about the sewer break at Willard Beach, you can follow the City of South Portland on social media or read the media releases on their website. 

It has been a rough few years for Willard Beach and those who spend their time there. You may remember that in 2021, there was an oil spill and a sewer pipe that burst at the beach.

These incidents are reminders on the importance of investing in our stormwater and sewer systems–and the agencies and departments that maintain them. These investments are expensive and largely fall to municipalities, which often do not have abundant financial resources. Friends of Casco Bay advocates for funds at the state level that help support projects like these. Maintaining stormwater and sewer systems is crucial to keeping our communities healthy and Casco Bay clean. 

Water Reporter shows brown river flowing to Bay

“April showers bring May flowers” goes the old adage. This year, however, Maine’s spring showers were particularly intense, breaking rainfall records.

Stephanie Noyes lives near the mouth of the Presumpscot River, where it runs along the Portland-Falmouth border. On May 1, after a day of heavy rains, Stephanie stopped in her tracks when she saw the surging and discolored Presumpscot River flowing beneath the Allen Avenue Extension bridge. As a new volunteer Water Reporter, she snapped a photo and made her first post.

This section of the Presumpscot River is tidal, influenced by the ebb and flow of Casco Bay. Stephanie says that at low tide in the summer, it is common to see people sunbathing on a large rock in the river. It was low tide when Stephanie took her photo, however, “the water was so high you couldn’t even see the tip of the rock,” says Stephanie. “All of the runoff from the neighborhood was just gushing down into the river.”

At Friends of Casco Bay, we saw Stephanie’s photo and immediately thought of stormwater. When heavy rain falls, water rushes over our cities and towns, collecting pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers from lawns, exhaust and salt from roadways, pathogens from pet waste, and much more. This polluted runoff is called stormwater, which is a major source of pollution into the river and Casco Bay. This toxic soup can sicken swimmers, make seafood unsafe to eat, and harm marine life.

In the case of rivers like the Presumpscot, stormwater runoff can erode the riverbanks, delivering loads of sediments that stain the water brown. This brown water makes it easy to visualize the amount of stormwater the river can carry and its influence on the health of the estuary. As the river empties into the sea, it turns Casco Bay brown, too.

The view from the Eastern Promenade in Portland shows where the Presumpscot River flows into Casco Bay. When the river is stained brown from heavy rains, a massive streak of brown water runs through the Bay. This is a strong visualization of the intimate relationship between these bodies of water and the impact of stormwater pollution.

Stephanie, thank you for being a Water Reporter and helping us keep an eye on the Presumpscot River and Casco Bay. Stephanie’s photo is helping us illustrate the impacts of stormwater pollution, a major threat to the health of the estuary, and a top priority at Friends of Casco Bay. The photo is worth more than a thousand words as to why we need to improve Maine’s stormwater protections.

Thank you to L.L.Bean, Ferris Olson Family Foundation for Ocean Stewardship, Allagash Brewing Company, and our members for their support of our Water Reporter program.

Fact Sheet: Presumpscot River Discharge Moratorium, LD 1926

Protect the restored health of the lower Presumpscot River: the largest freshwater source to Casco Bay

LD 1926, An Act to Impose a Moratorium on New Point Source Waste Discharge Licenses on the Lower Presumpscot River, places a four-year moratorium on new pollution discharges into the river from downtown Westbrook to head of tide.

Presumpscot Falls is a natural haven that many visit for recreation and solace in the middle of Maine’s most densely populated and continuously developing region. The Falls are located in the lower Presumpscot River, which currently has only Class C protections.

This bill provides emergency, temporary, and necessary water quality protection for the lower Presumpscot River. This section of the river is designated a Class C water, though it functions at or near Class B following years of restoration efforts.* LD 1926 places a four-year moratorium on new point source discharges into the lower Presumpscot River. Temporarily preventing new discharges will protect the Presumpscot’s substantial restorative gains in water quality until stakeholders agree on a plan for long-term protection.

  • The lower Presumpscot River is designated as Class C, but in almost all respects meets the higher Class B water quality standards. This is a remarkable improvement in water quality as the lower Presumpscot was once known as “the dirtiest little section of river in the state,” and could not meet Class C standards.** 
  • The Presumpscot River drains two thirds of the Casco Bay watershed. The river has a significant influence on the health of the Casco Bay estuary and its many species that depend on both fresh- and saltwater habitat. 20% of Maine’s population lives in the Casco Bay watershed, an area that represents only 3% of land in Maine. 
  • This four-year moratorium will preserve the river’s significant advances in water quality. These advances have restored habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. At the same time, the lower Presumpscot has seen a surge in recreational use and property values along its shores. This section of river flows through Maine’s most densely populated and ever growing region, from revitalized downtown Westbrook to head of tide in Falmouth. 
  • The moratorium allows for continued operation of existing discharges and will not thwart urban growth. The existing discharges are the Portland Water District, Westbrook Wastewater Treatment Facility, and the Sappi Mill. They are all permitted with ample discharge capacity to treat current and future wastewater loads, and to continue commercial operations. 
  • The four years allotted in this moratorium will allow sufficient time to finish studies of the lower Presumpscot River and determine appropriate means of protecting water quality, including a potential upgrade to Class B status. 

*Under the Clean Water Act, bodies of water in Maine are classified as Class AA, A, B, or C based on their health. Class AA and A waters are the healthiest and receive the highest protections. Class C waters allow for some modification to natural conditions caused by human activity, but must still be swimmable, drinkable, and fishable.
**Robert M. Sanford et al., River Voices: Perspectives on the Presumpscot, North Country Press, Unity, ME, 2020. p. 239.

The Presumpscot to Casco Bay:

  • The lower Presumpscot River flows through downtown Westbrook, along the northern border of Portland, to head of tide in Falmouth. 
  • The Presumpscot provides habitat for fish that live part of their life in the ocean and part in rivers, including commercially important species like alewives and American eels. The only remaining area for commercial elver fishing is just below the head of tide. The river also provides nesting and hunting grounds for many sea birds. 
  • The Presumpscot is the largest river that flows into Casco Bay. Its freshwater inputs to the bay support the health of the estuary, including the nursery grounds for countless species. We need a healthy Presumpscot River to have a healthy Casco Bay. 
  • Together, the environmental health of the Presumpscot River and Casco Bay sustain our regional economy and quality of life. These waters draw many to the region for work, play, and solace. 
  • The lower Presumpscot River is heavily used for recreation. People swim and fish in areas that were once too polluted for human contact and fish consumption. The lower Presumpscot hosts public trails, preserves, and boat launches. There are many areas for fishing, as well as locations for swimming, tubing and white water kayaking. Its waters flow past Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm as it enters the bay, another highly visited nature preserve that showcases the ecology of the estuary, such as jumping sturgeon.
  • The lower Presumpscot River is rich in indigenous and colonial history. In 2019 the Falmouth Town Council adopted a resolution designating this stretch of the river “The Lower Presumpscot Historic and Natural River Corridor.”
Whitewater kayakers paddle Saccarappa Falls in Westbrook (credit: westbrookmaine.com).

Fact Sheet: Presumpscot River Discharge Moratorium, LD 1926

The Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative Provides a Model to Move Maine Forward

Studying changing coastal ecosystems comes with unique challenges – Friends of Casco Bay and our partners are taking them on.

Staff Scientist Mike Doan designed Friends of Casco Bay’s Continuous Monitoring Stations, which serve as a model for measuring the influence of climate change on Maine’s coastal waters. Mike is working with other scientists to develop shared methods to collect and analyze marine climate change data, a key goal of Maine’s Climate Action Plan.

Friends of Casco Bay is facilitating the newly formed Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative, a coalition of scientists and marine organizations from the University of New Hampshire to the border of Maine and Canada working to improve climate change data collection. The Collaborative’s work acts as a model for establishing a coastwide climate change monitoring network, a key goal of Maine Won’t Wait, Maine’s Climate Action Plan.

“[The state of Maine is] participating in an ocean climate collaborative with academic and non-profit partners to coordinate and improve Maine-focused coastal and ocean acidification monitoring relevant to meeting the goals of Maine Won’t Wait,” reads the state’s two-year progress report on the Climate Action Plan. This is the Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative, which Friends of Casco Bay helps to lead!

In order to respond to the impacts of climate change, policymakers, resource harvesters, and other marine-dependent persons and industries must have reliable data. With these data in hand, they can make informed decisions to protect coastal resources, foster resilient habitat, and adapt fisheries management. 

This is easier said than done. Collecting data in coastal ecosystems comes with highly technical and unique challenges. In nearshore environments such as Casco Bay, the confluence of freshwater and saltwater, and the influences of human populations make studying water chemistry complex and difficult. 

“Climate change is challenging to measure, especially along the coast,” says Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca. “The Collaborative brings together some of the best scientific minds in Maine who are working to better understand how nearshore conditions are changing in response to excess carbon in the water. Together we can best compare equipment, evaluate data, and understand the changes we are seeing.” 

One of the Collaborative’s current tasks is to compare and refine technology, quality assurance standards, and monitoring methods to better measure acidification in coastal waters. Staff Scientist Mike Doan is working closely on this effort with two other members of the Collaborative: Wells National Estuarine Reserve, and University of New Hampshire’s Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory. 

Friends of Casco Bay collects pH data (a measure of acidity) at our three Continuous Monitoring Stations. Click on the graph to view these and our other continuous monitoring data yourself!

The ability to effectively measure acidification is vital because oceans around the world are becoming more acidic as they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Ocean acidification lowers the amount of minerals available for shell-building organisms like clams and oysters. It can also cause some harmful species of algae to bloom faster and produce more toxins. Our understanding of these impacts and others are constantly evolving because ocean acidification is a relatively new area of scientific research. 

Measuring acidification along the coast is uniquely challenging because most scientific monitoring equipment is designed specifically for freshwater or offshore ocean environments.

“Effective water science in the nearshore calls for creative solutions,” says Mike. “Fortunately, everyone in this group has experience doing just that, innovating to move coastal and climate science forward.”

This technology and monitoring methods work is supported by a $200,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation. What Mike and the team learn will be shared with the rest of the Collaborative, enabling comparable marine climate data to be gathered throughout the Gulf of Maine.

Maine and ocean acidification: how did we get here?

Maine was the second state in the nation to recognize that ocean acidification poses a serious and little-understood threat to shellfisheries and coastal ecosystems. Since 2014, the state and marine organizations have convened multiple initiatives to better understand and address ocean acidification. This work ultimately resulted in a goal outlined in Maine’s Climate Action Plan to create a coastwide network of scientists to collect climate and ocean acidification data in the Gulf of Maine. These data would be accessible to inform environmental policy and fisheries management. 

The Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative provides a model for how this network can work. The Collaborative includes Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Bowdoin College, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, Downeast Institute, Friends of Casco Bay, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, Island Institute, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Marine Resources, the University of New Hampshire, and Wells Reserve. The Maine Climate Council Coordinator also participates.