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Hurricane Island Summer Programs

The Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership provides extraordinary opportunities to discover what it takes to make a difference in the world – as students, scientists, citizens, and leaders! Sitting 12 miles off the coast of Rockland, ME, this beautiful off-the-grid community is an ideal setting for middle and high school programs in science, sustainability, and leadership. Our hands-on 1-2 week summer programs invite students to immerse themselves in the natural world, challenging them to explore and ask questions like trained naturalists in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Programs are small (with a maximum of 12 students) and are led by trained field scientists and educators, providing a level of instructor expertise and maturity you won’t find in other summer experiences. We have programs in Sustainability (HS), Marine Biology (HS and MS), and Island Ecology (HS and MS). Financial Aid is available! No day is complete without hiking, swimming, sailing, or rock climbing. Come participate in our field science and leadership programs and make memories and friendships that last a lifetime! Visit our website, email programs@hurricaneisland.net, or call 207 867 6050 for more information and to register! 
 
 
 
Are you interested in becoming a bird bander? This year Hurricane Island is happy to offer Beginner Bird Banding and Advanced Bird Banding workshops taught by world-class instructors from The Institute for Bird Populations. Bird banding data are useful in both research and management projects. By banding birds, we can identify individuals and track their dispersal and migration, behavior and social structure, life-span and survival rate, and reproductive success and population growth. Visit our website, email programs@hurricaneisland.net, or call 207 867 6050 for more information and to register!

Today: Gulf of Maine King Tides Photo Contest

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Today’s the day: go take a photo at high tide!

Join in the second Gulf of Maine King Tides Photo Contest, taking images of the extreme high tide around midday on October 28, 2015. For more details on submitting photos, see their Participate page.

In conjunction with the Contest, communities are encouraged to organize their own King Tides events—helping people envision future changes. These could include photographic excursions, signs marking future sea levels, street theater, and gallery exhibits.

More information at http://gulfofmaine.kingtides.net/

Film Release and Student Essay Contest

“From the Bow Seat” , new documentary on the Gulf of Maine is a “a film of exploration with gems of ocean learning throughout”

The Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association (GOMMEA) has announced a collaborative effort to increase ocean literacy and student awareness of the Gulf of Maine, the rich marine ecosystem bounded by the coasts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and the Canadian Maritimes. The 30-year-old local chapter of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) is partnering with independent film maker Linda Cabot to promote and share the film, “From the Bow Seat.” The film profiles a “voyage of discovery” of a mother and her teenage daughters as they seek out people engaged in understanding and protecting the living resources of the Gulf of Maine.

For details visit From the Bow Seat

or contact Susan Ryan: suzyryan08@gmail.com

Linda Cabot and Kristie Jochmann: info@fromthebowseat.org

RARGOM Call for Abstracts

The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) is holding its annual science meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, October 6, 2010. The one-day meeting will feature focused talks, contributed talks and discussion on the Impacts of Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine. The meeting is intended to be of general interest to a broad range of researchers, managers and stakeholders in the Gulf of Maine region.  Three focused talks are scheduled:

Charles Stock, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory : “The impact of climate variability and change on marine ecosystem productivity across trophic levels”…global and regional perspectives on the effect of climate on primary and secondary productivity of marine food webs.

Terrence Joyce, Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution : “Can changes in silver hake off the Northeast coast of the US and Canada and Gulf of Maine be related to and predicted by the strength of the Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation?”…examining changes in biomass and location of living marine resources in respect to contemporary and anticipated variation on Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation.

Lawrence Hamilton, Sociology Department, University of New Hampshire : “Public Perceptions about Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine Region”…results from surveys recently conducted in the Gulf of Maine area that gauge perceptions about climate change and connections with other coastal issues

If interested in presenting a contributed talk or poster on new, old or developing research,  submit an abstract through the RARGOM registration site: http://www.rargom.org/

Abstract submission deadline is August 27.   Registration is open August 2 – September 30, 2010

Contact information lynn.rutter@unh.edu

Call for Abstracts: 2010 RARGOM Annual Science Meeting

The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) is holding its annual science meeting in  Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the Hilton Garden Inn,  October 6, 2010.  The one day meeting will feature focused talks, contributed talks and discussion on the Impacts of Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine.  The meeting is intended to be of general interest to a broad range of researchers, managers and stakeholders in the Gulf of Maine region.

Three focused talks are scheduled:

Charles Stock, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton University: “The impact of climate variability and change on marine ecosystem productivity across trophic levels”…global and regional perspectives on the effect of climate on primary and secondary productivity of marine food webs.

Terrence Joyce, Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution:  “Can changes in silver hake off the Northeast coast of the US and Canada and Gulf of Maine be related to and predicted by the strength of the Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation?”…examining changes in biomass and location of living marine resources in respect to contemporary and anticipated variation on Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation.

Lawrence Hamilton, Sociology Department, University of New Hampshire: “Public Perceptions about Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine Region”…results from surveys recently conducted in the Gulf of Maine area that gauge perceptions about climate change and connections with other coastal issues.

If interested in presenting a contributed talk or poster on new, old or developing research, please submit an abstract at the registration site:  http://www.rargom.org/ Abstract submission deadline is August 27th.

Registration will open on August 2, 2010.  Registration fee is:  $25 for participants from RARGOM member institutions, $30 for non-members.

Invasive Species in the Gulf of Maine

CZM’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program has released a review paper, Marine Invasive Species (PDF, 14.4 MB), which describes the impacts, vectors, emerging threats, and management responses to these species in the Gulf of Maine. Authored by CZM’s Adrienne Pappal, the paper presents the first synthesis of marine invasive species information specific to the Gulf of Maine ecosystem—a useful resource for managers, researchers, and those with an invasive species interest. This paper was written as part of the Gulf of Maine Council’s State of the Gulf of Maine Report—a modular, living document that presents an on-going evaluation of priority issues in the Gulf of Maine. A number of theme papers on climate change and emerging issues have been released to date and additional theme papers are in production. For more information on CZM’s invasive species efforts, see the Aquatic Invasive Species Program website.

Research Experience for Undergraduates: Gulf of Maine and the World Ocean

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences invites undergraduates to apply for the 2010 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer research program, Gulf of Maine and the World Ocean.  We are looking for promising students from colleges and universities around the country interested in gaining hands-on research experience.  Areas of research include the marine microbial food web, ocean biogeochemistry, optical oceanography, remote sensing, sensory biology, climate change and fisheries oceanography.  Eight students will be selected and each paired with a Bigelow scientist/mentor based on mutual research interests.  Participants will spend ten weeks (June 7 – August 13) working closely with their mentors on current research projects. Participants receive a stipend and food, housing, and travel allowances.  Undergraduates in their sophomore year or later may apply; applications are due January 15, 2010.  More information and application materials are available.  Prospective applicants may also contact Rebecca Fowler with questions, reu@bigelow.org or (207) 633-9632.

Gulf of Maine Seascape Modeling Website and Blog

Most of us can imagine scientific discoveries made in field research and in the lab, but some researchers are making discoveries at their computer – by modeling the interactions between marine life and the Gulf of Maine.  By focusing on a few key sets of data, they can better visualize the ecosystem and predict if, and how, it is changing.  According to the developers, “The goal of Seascape Modeling is to provide up-to-the-minute (well, more likely, the month) information on efforts to understand the link between physical and biological conditions in the ocean. As our name suggests, modeling is major thrust of our research, although we interpret modeling broadly to include analytical models, computer simulations, and statistical models.”  The website and the blog are great resources for students, teachers and researchers alike.

Seascape Modeling presents the news, results, and opinions of personnel in the Ecosystem Modeling Lab, a joint effort between the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

Gulf of Maine Area-Census of Marine Life Newsletter

July 29, 2009

CALENDAR: Gulf of Maine Symposium – Early registration ends July 31st

Early registration ends Friday, July 31st for the Gulf of Maine Symposium, to be held in scenic St Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, October 4-9, 2009.

GoMA will host a one-day workshop on Biodiversity in the Gulf of Maine on Monday, October 5th.  We invite members of the science, management and conservation communities to join us.

The symposium is sponsored by the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine, in collaboration with COMPASS, Department of Fisheries and Oceans – St. Andrews Biological Station, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and the Gulf of Maine Area – Census of Marine Life.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Isles of Shoals (NH), Platts Bank (ME), Cobscook Bay (ME) and Discovery Corridor (Canada)

Here are a few highlights of summer research activities from our partners:

Leading a team of students at Shoals Marine Lab, marine archaeologists Nate Hamilton and Ingrid Brack (photo) found evidence of prehistoric Native Americans on Smuttynose Island, Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire.

Studies of biological hotspots – areas teeming with marine life – continue at Platts Bank, an off-shore bank 30 miles east of Portland, Maine.

Sampling of intertidal and nearshore species continues in Cobscook Bay, near the Maine/Canadian border.

A two-week cruise is underway in the Discovery Corridor, from the shores of the Bay of Fundy to the deep sea.  A 2008 National Geographic video shows you what this Canadian project is all about.

PUBLICATIONS: Recent papers on ecosystem dynamics

Gulf of Maine researchers have published two recent papers on changing ecosystem dynamics and fish communities using decades and centuries worth of data:

Using fish survey data from 1963 to the present, Peter Auster and Jason Link co-authored Compensation and recovery of feeding guilds in a northwest Atlantic shelf fish community (April 30, 2009, Marine Ecology Progress Series ).  The abstract begins “Disturbance by fishing activities in marine ecosystems has resulted in significant shifts in the distribution, abundance and diversity of fish communities.” Dr. Auster (photo) is a key contributor to the GoMA Census of Marine Life.

Based on historic records dating back to 1630, a team of researchers led by Stefan Claesson and Andy Rosenberg published their final report on Stellwagen Bank Marine Historical Ecology (2009, Gulf of Maine Cod Project, UNH). Dr. Rosenberg is a project leader for the Historical Marine Animal Populations of the Census of Marine Life. Recent guest lecturers and historians, Karen Alexander and Bill Leavenworth, contributed to the report.

Congratulations to all on their significant contributions to our understanding of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.

EDUCATION NEWS: Student video wins national recognition

A poignant and well-produced video, Our Oceans, Our World , by high school students Eric Kao and Jorie Heilman of Lexington, Mass. captured the admiration of regional and national judges.  The winning video will be on display at the Smithsonian’s Ocean Hall throughout the year.  The winner and runners-up can be viewed on our website – kudos to all who participated in the contest.

Living on the Ocean Planet video contest is a project of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, initiated by GoMA and co-sponsored by the Census of Marine Life.

Editor’s Note

A special thanks to Census of Marine Life scientist, Dr. Michael Sinclair of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, NS for his recent interview for our blog, Celebrating Darwin.  In Part 1, Reflections on Darwin , Dr. Sinclair discussed how scientific theories come to be, and in Part 2, Music and Darwin,  how music inspired – and was inspired by – Darwin.

As part of our ongoing celebration of Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of Origin of Species, we invite colleagues to contribute to our blog in the coming months.  If interested, please contact Susan Ryan.

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