What in the world is “ear-hanging” and what does it have to do with Maine scallops? Find out by reading a recent story in the Portland Press Herald. The project, funded by Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, will help shellfish growers assess the financial and biological viability of ear-hanging as a method of scallop aquaculture in Maine, and will involve growers from Cape Elizabeth to Penobscot Bay. Marine Extension Associate Dana Morse reports that last weekend, the Maine Mariculture Company (Brendan Atwood, Ryan Atwood, Genevieve Atwood) hung about 800 scallops on their farm in western Penobscot Bay. “We took measurements on shell length/width/height, and began the investigation about where best to drill a scallop. We'll take repeat measurements every four months or so over the next year, and will eventually be able to say something about growth, mortality, meat yields, and some preliminary estimates of value.” Learn more about the project. Maine Healthy Beaches season has started! Program coordinator Keri Kaczor and assistant Megan Sims are hitting the beaches from Mount Desert to Kittery, training town officials, lifeguards, state park staff, and other volunteers in how to monitor water quality at Maine’s coastal beaches. The program also works closely with beach communities to identify sources of pollution affecting beaches, and find solutions such as repairing and replacing sewer pipes and septic systems, surveying watershed drainage patterns, and educating the public about safe swimming and boating practices. How clean is your favorite beach?

Maine consumers would be willing to pay more for food that is sustainably harvested and some may even be willing to spend extra for seafood harvested in Maine waters, according to a recent survey conducted by researchers at the University of Maine and funded by Sea Grant. The issue, according to researchers, is that information about the source and sustainable practices of food production isn’t always available. Read the full story and learn more about the project. The results of last year’s American Lobster Settlement Index survey are in! The index shows a widespread decline in settlement from Cape Cod to the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The update includes the first index-based forecasts of trends in future lobster landings. The Global Human Ecodynamics Alliance has featured UMaine researcher Alice Kelley’s new study of Maine’s coastal archaeological sites in a forum on coastal erosion.

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