Applications are now open for the 2027 Knauss Fellowship.
The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship is a paid, one-year opportunity for emerging professionals interested in public service. Fellows work in the Washington, D.C. area, in legislative or executive branch offices that support weather, ocean, coastal and Great Lakes priorities, helping translate science into policy.
Learn more at seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss.
#SeaGrant #KnaussFellowship #Knauss #GradStudents #Students #Opportunity
Have you heard peepers yet this year? Is your forsythia blooming? Maine Sea Grant's Signs of the Seasons Program will be hosting volunteer trainings and educators' workshops in April, May, and June. Please check out our 2026 dates and locations (link in bio). We'd love to have you help us observe and record seasonal changes in your backyard or community!
Our sincere thanks to the 2026 Maine Office of Tourism for awarding LoveMaineWaters Coalition and Maine Sea Grant the Stewardship Award. We're thrilled to be recognized for Maine Sea Grant’s collective efforts with partners to sustainably grow tourism in a way that supports the local economy, environment, and community. This is part of our larger initiatives to reduce Marine Debris in coastal and Great Lakes funded by NOAA.
“This year’s award recipients embody the spirit of our brand platform, Forged by Nature. The experiences they provide and the stories they share are authentic, resilient, and deeply connected to the landscapes and communities that shape Maine,” said Maine Office of Tourism Director Carolann Ouellette. “Through their work and dedication, they highlight our beautiful landscapes, cultural institutions, and foodways while inspiring visitors to explore more of our beautiful state. I am grateful for the opportunity to honor these inspiring individuals and organizations through the Maine Tourism Awards.” (March 17, 2026)
It's official! The application for the 2027 Knauss Fellowship in Washington, D.C. is open. The fellowship provides a one-year, paid experience for highly-qualified early career professionals to work on issues related to coastal, marine and Great Lakes science and policy offices within the executive and legislative branches of government in Washington, DC.
Applications are due June 3, 2026. You can find more details here:
https://bit.ly/knauss2027
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#fellowship #federal #legislation #dc #marinepolicy #gradstudents #KnaussFellowship
On March 17, 2025, Maine Sea Grant hosted the workshop “Reducing Marine Debris at the Source: Embracing Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic Food Packaging.”
This event was a major milestone for the Marine Debris Challenge Project, a NOAA National Sea Grant Office–supported initiative led by the University of Maine and Maine Sea Grant to prevent and remove marine debris through innovative research-to-application projects.
Here are a few highlights from the day:
🌊 Scaling the ReuseME Pilot: We shared results from our ReuseME pilot program, which has been testing reusable take-out container systems in Bath, Bar Harbor, and South Portland. The goal is to determine how these systems can be scaled into a statewide program that benefits Maine’s communities and industries.
🌊 Cutting-Edge Biobased Materials: Our research tracks featured exciting updates on non-plastic packaging made from wood, seaweed, and even lobster shells.
🌊 Interdisciplinary Collaboration: It was inspiring to see our diverse team—from Engineering and Anthropology to Maine Sea Grant—working alongside Advisory Board members representing the food service, hospitality, and lobster industries.
🌊 Student Innovation in Action: Participants wrapped up the day with interactive tours of the Process Development Center and the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center, seeing firsthand the biodegradable materials our students are developing in the lab.
A huge thank you to our partners, industry leaders, and community members who joined the discussion and helped us turn research into practical, implementable solutions for a cleaner Gulf.
#MaineSeaGrant #MarineDebrisReduction #NOAASeaGrant #MarineDebrisChallenge #UMaine #ReuseMe
The Sea Grant Association presented U.S. Senator Susan Collins with its Sea Grant Association Award, in recognition of her extraordinary efforts to support the Sea Grant program, including the research, outreach, and education programs that strengthen U.S. seafood competitiveness, improve supply chain efficiency, and build a skilled workforce. Maine Sea Grant appreciates Senator Collins' tireless work to fully fund our program and buoy up the entire Sea Grant network. We are incredibly grateful for Senator Collins' leadership. Read more here: /news/maine-senator-susan-collins-receives-the-sea-grant-association-award
#SeaGrantAssociationAward #SusanCollins #SeaGrantAssociation #MaineSeaGrant
📷: Sea Grant Association
Maine Sea Grant is now accepting applications for our annual Undergraduate Scholarship in Marine Sciences! The scholarship is open to undergraduates completing their second or third year at participating Maine institutions.
Applications close April 27, 2026. Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply here: https://seagrant.umaine.edu/funding-opportunities/maine-sea-grant-undergraduate-scholarship-in-marine-sciences/
#MaineSeaGrant #MarineSciences #Scholarship #Maine #SeaGrantOpportunities
Thank you so much for all of your support in 2025. To help us continue our work, please fill out and share this form: /forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPwGTKPk4hO07rvEwtKGS8YiDXcVNBkS9t0Dg19m8DM7JFNA/viewform
#MaineSeaGrant #YearInReview #SeaGrant #Maine
When Abby Barrows and Ben Jackson of @deerisleoysterco bought their oyster farm, they inherited a lot of gear — all of it made of plastic. For Abby, a marine researcher focused on microplastics in the world’s oceans, this was a big problem. So, Abby and Ben set out to change the amount of plastic on their farm. Along with other innovators like Katie Weiler at @viablegear in Portland, Maine, they’re developing plastic-free solutions for fisheries and sea farms.
In this month's episode of #CoastalConversations, we hear stories about innovation in materials on Maine’s coast and how Deer Isle Oyster Company and Viable Gear are forging ahead with research and development to reduce plastic in the ocean — demonstrating how even small changes can have a big impact on the sustainability of our fisheries.
Tune in this Friday, January 27 at 4 PM, for this month’s Coastal Conversation. Only on WERU Community Radio, 89.9 FM in Blue Hill and online at WERU.org.
Coastal Conversations is supported by Maine Sea Grant, in partnership with #SchoodicInstitute and #TheFirstCoast.
#MaineSeaGrant #CoastalConversations #ViableMaine #DeerIsleOysterFarm #WERU #Podcast @schoodicinst@thefirstcoast
In early February, Maine Sea Grant hosted the Working Waterfront Resilience Workshop Series in Machias, Portland, and Belfast. The workshops brought together over 200 municipal officials, waterfront property owners, harbor masters, regional planners, fishing and aquaculture industry members, and community volunteers to explore strategies, tools, and resources to strengthen waterfront infrastructure and resilience. The series is part of Maine Sea Grant’s ongoing effort to help coastal communities plan for and respond to increasing storm and climate impacts.
To read more about the workshop, check out /document/d/1-yRWLe3I7LUnJfKZnEkIQaYlh6XzhViizJIpcUr-YRQ/edit?tab=t.0
#MaineSeaGrant #WorkingWaterfront #CoastalResilience #CoastalMaine
In October, Maine Sea Grant’s Dana Morse traveled to Japan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Maine–Aomori sister-state relationship and participate in a scallop farming technology exchange. Alongside growers and scientists from Maine and Canada, Morse met with Japanese scallop farmers, equipment manufacturers, and processors in Aomori and Hokkaido—continuing a long-standing collaboration that has helped advance Maine’s scallop aquaculture industry.
The visit highlighted shared innovation, strengthened international partnerships, and opened doors for future collaboration in scallop, seaweed, and emerging urchin aquaculture initiatives. Read more about Dana’s trip by pasting the link below in to your web browser.
https://seagrant.umaine.edu/2026/02/17/strengthening-aquaculture-ties-with-japan/
#MaineSeaGrant #ScallopFarming #Aquaculture
Do scallops taste different depending on where they come from? Last week, we put that question to the test. 🌊
Maine Sea Grant, alongside a team of Maine scallop enthusiasts, hosted top chefs and food writers from across the country for a scallop meroir tasting focused on Gulf of Maine scallops. The goal: explore how place, harvest method, and management shape both flavor and the future of our seafood.
We dug into what makes Maine’s day boat scallop fishery distinct from the federal fishery, how Maine’s growing farmed scallop sector fits into the bigger picture, and taste-tested six scallop varieties with @osu_foodinnovationcenter .
Hosted live at mainedepted Walter’s Kitchen, Chef Sam Hayward of @288forestreet also prepared live @penbayfarmedscallops , courtesy of farmer and fisherman Marsden Brewer.
This ongoing collaboration (some may call it a scallop obsession) goes beyond taste testing - it’s about sharing knowledge and supporting sustainable seafood from Maine’s coast.
#MaineSeaGrant #MaineScallops #Scallops
