Citizen for Science! Gulf of Maine
Donation protected
For over 50 years, Dr. Walter Adey has been at the helm of climate change science at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. His research has spanned tropical reefs in the Caribbean to the iceberg-filled waters of northern Canada. Now, in what may be his final scientific voyage, Adey is returning to where his career began – the Gulf of Maine. Joining him will be Doug Rasher and Thew Suskiewicz, two young researchers who will continue this research for the next several decades.
Our oceans are changing dramatically, and the Gulf of Maine has changed more than almost any other region on earth. Sadly, traditional funding sources for such research have nearly disappeared. That is why we are seeking funds to support our ten-week scientific expedition this coming summer. Our expedition will target remote sites in eastern Maine quantitatively sampled by Adey over 50 years ago. In many cases these sites have not been sampled since. This research will be possible with the incomparable research vessel, the Alca i. A three-masted motor schooner built and designed by Adey, the Alca i. is a floating laboratory and dive platform which can support seven scientists in remote locations for weeks at a time. Your donations will help support these researchers while at sea and defray the running costs of this expedition.
The Maine Coast has been a rich marine resource for humans for thousands of years, but has undergone profound and accelerating changes over the past several centuries. Large cod, which were hyper-abundant in the early 20th century, have essentially disappeared from our coasts. In their place, lobsters have become not only the iconic symbol of New England but also the rock bottom of support for many coastal communities. Now even these tasty and valuable crustaceans face an uncertain future. Beginning in the late 1990s, warming coastal waters have created the perfect conditions for the spread of lobster shell rot disease, resulting in the near total collapse of the lobster fishery in southern New England. Recently, shell rot disease has spread into Maine, putting the state’s most valuable fishery at risk. At the same time, overharvesting has led to the collapse of the primary herbivore in Maine, the green sea urchin. Without these once-abundant grazers, areas which were once barren grounds have suddenly become productive kelp beds. We are now in a completely novel ecosystem; large finfish and urchins are rare. Kelp beds have expanded and rising temperatures may threaten Maine’s iconic lobster fishery.
To understand our coastal ecosystem, we need to look at all the components, and seaweed communities are the base of coastal food webs. Not only do changes in their abundance and species composition reflect local conditions, but kelp beds directly influence species further up the food chain. Additionally, certain species of long-lived calcified algae can be used as environmental proxies, telling us about water temperatures at that specific spot over the past several centuries.
Our goal is to determine how the coast of Maine has changed over the past several decades, and make predictions about its future. We will do this by closely examining the seaweed and invertebrate communities. As economical as this small team of scientists will be, the ten-week scientific expedition requires supplies such as fuel, food, sampling gear as well as basic support for Alca i. Your contribution to this important and worthwhile project will help the world better comprehend the role of seaweeds in regulating nearshore fisheries, and how they adapt to global warming.
Our oceans are changing dramatically, and the Gulf of Maine has changed more than almost any other region on earth. Sadly, traditional funding sources for such research have nearly disappeared. That is why we are seeking funds to support our ten-week scientific expedition this coming summer. Our expedition will target remote sites in eastern Maine quantitatively sampled by Adey over 50 years ago. In many cases these sites have not been sampled since. This research will be possible with the incomparable research vessel, the Alca i. A three-masted motor schooner built and designed by Adey, the Alca i. is a floating laboratory and dive platform which can support seven scientists in remote locations for weeks at a time. Your donations will help support these researchers while at sea and defray the running costs of this expedition.
The Maine Coast has been a rich marine resource for humans for thousands of years, but has undergone profound and accelerating changes over the past several centuries. Large cod, which were hyper-abundant in the early 20th century, have essentially disappeared from our coasts. In their place, lobsters have become not only the iconic symbol of New England but also the rock bottom of support for many coastal communities. Now even these tasty and valuable crustaceans face an uncertain future. Beginning in the late 1990s, warming coastal waters have created the perfect conditions for the spread of lobster shell rot disease, resulting in the near total collapse of the lobster fishery in southern New England. Recently, shell rot disease has spread into Maine, putting the state’s most valuable fishery at risk. At the same time, overharvesting has led to the collapse of the primary herbivore in Maine, the green sea urchin. Without these once-abundant grazers, areas which were once barren grounds have suddenly become productive kelp beds. We are now in a completely novel ecosystem; large finfish and urchins are rare. Kelp beds have expanded and rising temperatures may threaten Maine’s iconic lobster fishery.
To understand our coastal ecosystem, we need to look at all the components, and seaweed communities are the base of coastal food webs. Not only do changes in their abundance and species composition reflect local conditions, but kelp beds directly influence species further up the food chain. Additionally, certain species of long-lived calcified algae can be used as environmental proxies, telling us about water temperatures at that specific spot over the past several centuries.
Our goal is to determine how the coast of Maine has changed over the past several decades, and make predictions about its future. We will do this by closely examining the seaweed and invertebrate communities. As economical as this small team of scientists will be, the ten-week scientific expedition requires supplies such as fuel, food, sampling gear as well as basic support for Alca i. Your contribution to this important and worthwhile project will help the world better comprehend the role of seaweeds in regulating nearshore fisheries, and how they adapt to global warming.
Organizer
Thew Suskiewicz
Organizer
Burke, VA