The past two summers, beach managers along Maine’s coast reported excessive amounts of seaweed washing ashore. In response, Keri Kaczor gathered information on the ecology, regulations, and scope of the problem. Her report has been referenced by the news media, and Keri is working with state legislators on rule changes that will expand community options for dealing with excess seaweed on beaches.

Sarah Redmond prepared a video update of the 2014-15 seaweed season in Maine, which aired at the Second Annual Maine Seaweed Festival took place on August 29 at Southern Maine Community College. The Portland Press Herald covered the evening event, the Full Moon Fishery Feast. Sarah also talked seaweed at the recent Let’s Talk About Food Festival in Boston, with a nice profile by The Boston Globe.

Maine Sea Grant is again working with The Workforce Housing Coalition (WHC) of the Greater Seacoast and other partners to host two-day design Charrettes in Berwick, Maine (October 14 and 16) and Barrington, New Hampshire (October 21 and 23). The Charrettes are intended to envision workforce housing opportunities. Community members, property owners, and an all-volunteer design team comprised of housing professionals will work together to create a conceptual vision for mixed-use developments that include homes for local workers.

NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program has awarded $33,000 to Maine Sea Grant for the project, Aquaculture for Fishermen: A Modular, Collaborative Approach to Marine Aquaculture Training. Marine Extension Team members Chris Bartlett, Dana Morse, Sarah Redmond, and Natalie Springuel  will work with the Maine Aquaculture Association, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, and Coastal Enterprises, Inc., and the Maine Sea Grant Communications Team to provide aquaculture education, training and support to traditional commercial fishing families. The new effort builds on the Aquaculture in Shared Waters project, which has already provided diversification training to 32 fishing families. As part of the new project, the MET will also facilitate connections between seafood producers, consumers, and members of the culinary, tourism and service industries. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Storage Facilities Loan program has been extended to include aquaculture, thanks to efforts by the Maine Farm Service Agency, the Maine Aquaculture Association and the Maine Sea Grant Program at the University of Maine.