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Full-Text Articles in Aquaculture and Fisheries
Climate-Driven Stock Shifts And Expansions In The U.S. Northeast Shelf: Identifying Challenges, Opportunities, And Barriers Through Fishermen And Manager Perspectives, Sophie A. Swetz
All Theses And Dissertations
Climate-driven warming in the U.S. Northeast Shelf (NES) has led to changes in the spatial distributions of many marine resources. Shifts and expansions of commercially important fish stocks pose major challenges to fishermen and fisheries managers in this region. American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) is one of these impacted stocks and is projected to continue its shift towards more northern and offshore areas. Continued ocean warming could potentially reduce the GOM lobster stock by up to 60% over the next several decades. Given Maine’s reliance on its lobster fishery—which contributes over 80% of …
Possible Surf And Turf Mutualism: The Potential Of Yeast Grown From Maine Wood As Feed For Atlantic Salmon, Gina Scott
Possible Surf And Turf Mutualism: The Potential Of Yeast Grown From Maine Wood As Feed For Atlantic Salmon, Gina Scott
All Theses And Dissertations
With fed aquaculture expanding, challenges are being faced with increasing demands for protein for feed. Fishmeal as a protein is at high cost and low supply, and meals from terrestrial agriculture can impact fish health; both also generate environmental challenges. One potential alternative protein is yeast, which can be grown using waste softwood. Simultaneously, Maine forestry has lost buyers of waste wood with several paper mill closures. If yeast is produced as an alternative protein for fish feed using this wood, both Maine Atlantic salmon farming, Maine’s most valuable form of aquaculture, and Maine forestry could benefit. Environmental impact and …
The Waste Management Of Large-Scale Recirculating Aquaculture Systems And Potential Value-Added Products From The Waste Stream, Franco R. Pilone
The Waste Management Of Large-Scale Recirculating Aquaculture Systems And Potential Value-Added Products From The Waste Stream, Franco R. Pilone
All Theses And Dissertations
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) is an emerging technology that is capturing the attention of many in aquaculture due to its ability to produce high-quality seafood using sustainable models. This study explored the waste management of RAS, specifically further treatment technologies, and the potential value-added products from the RAS waste stream that can be reused. Advanced, tertiary, or down-stream treatment technologies available for RAS were investigated through a literature review. Utilizing the constant comparative method and semistructured interviews with stakeholders in RAS, opinions and attitudes were collected about advanced treatment of RAS waste and reuse opportunities presented from value-added products generated …
Adding Value Through Sustainability: Incentivizing An Ecosystem Approach To Oyster Aquaculture In Maine, Samuel Feldman
Adding Value Through Sustainability: Incentivizing An Ecosystem Approach To Oyster Aquaculture In Maine, Samuel Feldman
All Theses And Dissertations
This study identified oyster farming practices that have the potential to increase the sustainability of Maine’s oyster industry while increasing its value. Practices aligned with the principles of the ecosystem approach to aquaculture were gleaned from semi-structured interviews and surveys of oyster farmers and their buyers. Themes from interview transcripts were developed using thematic analysis. Survey data was used to triangulate interview transcript data. As a result, sustainable oyster farming practices were identified that had direct and indirect connections to the value of Maine’s oysters. Practices with direct connections to increased oyster value included conducting and advertising actions of increased …
Investigating Larval Spillover From Oyster Aquaculture Through Geospatial Habitat Suitability Index Modeling: A Damariscotta River Estuary Case Study, Daniel F. Delago
Investigating Larval Spillover From Oyster Aquaculture Through Geospatial Habitat Suitability Index Modeling: A Damariscotta River Estuary Case Study, Daniel F. Delago
All Theses And Dissertations
The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) supports the ecological function of estuarine ecosystems by creating biogenic reef habitat (Purchon, 2013), and positively influencing coastal biogeochemistry in intertidal, and subtidal environments (Humphries et al., 2016; Ray and Fulweiler, 2020). As anthropogenic impacts continue to influence the health of marine environments globally (Halpern et al., 2008), oyster reef restoration is gaining increased attention as a means of maintaining the function of estuarine systems (Beck et al, 2011). Shellfish aquaculture has gained increased attention, contributing 21% of all aquaculture production globally (FAO 2020). Shellfish aquaculture provides a suite of social-ecological benefits while …
Cultivating Cooperatives: Benefits And Challenges Of Co-Ops And Recommendations For Maine’S Emerging Aquaculture Industries, Phoebe Walsh
Cultivating Cooperatives: Benefits And Challenges Of Co-Ops And Recommendations For Maine’S Emerging Aquaculture Industries, Phoebe Walsh
All Theses And Dissertations
Two emerging Maine industries, kelp (Saccharina latissimi and Saccharina angustissima) and Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) aquaculture, have enormous market, environmental, and social potential but are faced with challenges of small scale and limited operations, inadequate infrastructure, market visibility, and limited expertise. Because many industries, particularly the dairy industry, have benefited from the use of cooperatives (co-ops) to aggregate an extremely perishable product, quickly process and effectively market and distribute, this research explores the cooperative model as a potential tool for the nascent scallop and kelp industries. Aquaculture co-ops are new in Maine. The first, the …
Grey (Halichoerus Grypus) And Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina) Bycatch And Depredation In New England Sink-Gillnet Fisheries, Laura N. Sirak
Grey (Halichoerus Grypus) And Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina) Bycatch And Depredation In New England Sink-Gillnet Fisheries, Laura N. Sirak
All Theses And Dissertations
Marine mammals interact with commercial fisheries via competition for resources, depredation (feeding on fish caught in gear), entanglement, and bycatch in fishing gear. In New England, gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are often taken as bycatch in sink-gillnet fisheries and are believed to depredate fish in gillnets. As seal populations increase, interactions with fisheries are also likely to increase, affecting both seal stocks and the New England fishing industry. This study aims to understand seal bycatch in the New England sink-gillnet fisheries by identifying the spatial and temporal trends in bycatch as …
Ion Regulatory Capabilities Of The European Green Crab, Carcinus Maenas, Exposed To Low Salinity Environments: An Investigation Into The Physiological Differences Between Two Color Morphs Across Sex, Anthony Himes
All Theses And Dissertations
The European green crab, Carcinus maenas, is a highly invasive species found throughout the world with severe economic and ecological impacts on the regions it invades. This species occurs in two color morphs: green after molting and red after prolonged intermolt. Physiological variations between these two morphs are well documented across various environmental conditions, but little work has focused on female C. maenas. To assess if the variation between color morphs observed in males persists in females, red and green morphs of each sex were exposed to a constant low salinity environment. Constant low salinity exposure was chosen as it …
Species Identification And Phylogeny Of Phycinae Hakes And Related Gadoid Fishes, Laura Ann Whitefleet-Smith
Species Identification And Phylogeny Of Phycinae Hakes And Related Gadoid Fishes, Laura Ann Whitefleet-Smith
All Theses And Dissertations
The term hake refers to a number of species belonging to multiple families of fish in the suborder Gadoidei and includes two main groups: Phycinae hakes (family Gadidae) and Merluccius spp. hakes (family Merlucciidae). The use of the common name hake for this diverse group of fish prompts questions such as: how are these species related and how can they be differentiated? Chapter one details the development of the Rapid Gadoid Identification Assay (RaGIA) for molecular identification of 11 gadoid fishes (including six hakes) using Polymerase Chain Reaction Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RaGIA was used for species identification of …
Application Of A Bioenergetics Framework For Assessing Sub-Lethal Effects Of Pollutants In The Freshwater Mussel Elliptio Complanata, Christopher G. Goodchild
Application Of A Bioenergetics Framework For Assessing Sub-Lethal Effects Of Pollutants In The Freshwater Mussel Elliptio Complanata, Christopher G. Goodchild
All Theses And Dissertations
Although biomarkers are frequently used to assess sublethal effects of contaminants, a lack of mechanistic linkages to higher-level effects limits the predictive power of biomarkers. Bioenergetics has been proposed as a framework for linking cellular effects to whole-animal effects. We investigated sublethal effects of exposure to wastewater treatment facility effluent in freshwater mussels in situ, thereby capturing ecologically relevant exposure conditions. Our study focused on the energetic biomarker AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), while also considering more traditional biomarkers like heat shock proteins (HSP70), and antioxidant enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST)). We examined biomarkers at mRNA and protein levels. …
Assessing The Habitat Use, Diet, And Sex Ratios Of Atlantic (Acipenser Oxyrinchus) And Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser Brevirostrum) In The Saco River, Me, Caitlyn Little
All Theses And Dissertations
Due to the questionable status of sturgeon populations along the east coast of the United States, there has been considerable research focus on these species in recent years. Previous studies have overlooked the Saco River as an important habitat for sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine. However, the incidental capture of a sturgeon in the Saco River in the fall of 2007 raised questions about the presence of this species and the role that the Saco River might play in the life cycle of these fish. The goals of this thesis were to evaluate the utilization of this habitat by …
Invertebrate Zooid Polymorphism: Hydractinia Polyclina And Pagurus Longicarpus Interactions Mediated Through Spiralzooids, Charlotte M. Regula-Whitefield
Invertebrate Zooid Polymorphism: Hydractinia Polyclina And Pagurus Longicarpus Interactions Mediated Through Spiralzooids, Charlotte M. Regula-Whitefield
All Theses And Dissertations
Evaluating the net interaction between symbionts can be challenging when one participant is a colonial animal with polymorphic zooids, because each zooid type has unique functions. The colonial hydroid Hydractinia polyclina has three distinct zooid types, each of which contributes particular components to the interaction with host hermit crabs. Of these three zooid types, the function of spiralzooids is not well understood. Previously, spiralzooids have been proposed to contribute a strong negative interaction component by directly reducing their host hermit crab’s reproductive output. However, this hypothesis is not supported by past or current data. I propose that spiralzooids instead function …