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A Cooperative Partnership for Ecosystem Monitoring in the Western Gulf of
Maine
Project summary: This regional cooperative partnership is contributing to
coastal ecosystem monitoring in the Gulf of Maine. Eight commercial fishermen
were trained to collect zooplankton and larval fish samples at stations
located in Ipswich Bay, on Jeffreys Ledge, near GoMOOS Buoy "A" and along the
western boundary of the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, representing the
upstream entrance to Massachusetts Bay.
The fishermen are responsible for
applying a standard methodology to collect samples that can be used to
observe seasonal and interannual changes in the plankton over important
spawning and fishing grounds in the western Gulf of Maine. The data collected
will extend a time series previously collected with the assistance of
commercial fishermen showing a dramatic decline between 2003-2005 in the
abundance of Calanus finmarchicus, a key component of the region's planktonic
food web. The need for monitoring the abundance of Calanus finmarchicus is
critical, because it is a key prey for herring, sand lance and mackerel as
well as right whales in the western Gulf of Maine. The data showing seasonal
and interannual patterns in abundance of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton will
be invaluable for the validation of physical-biological models that simulate
effects of climate variability on Gulf of Maine ecosystems.
These physical-biological models will evolve into management tools that
will provide valuable insight into regional connectivity among spawning areas
and impacts of variability in climate on recruitment into commercially
harvested stocks. Support from the Northeast Consortium enabled project
partners to build research capacity within the commercial fishing fleet and
to secure a role for scientist-fishermen partnerships in developing a Gulf of
Maine observing system.
Project partners:
Dr. Jeffrey Runge, University of Maine/Gulf of Maine
Research Institute
Rebecca Jones, University of New Hampshire
Olivia Free,
Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership
Erich Anderson, F/V Kris N Kev
BG
Brown, F/V Kathryn Leigh
Peter Kendall, F/V Elizabeth Ann and F/V Kelley Rose
George Littlefield, F/V Lady Regena
Peter Marshall, F/V Venture
Craig Maverikis, F/V Marion Mae
Daniel Murphy, F/V Bantry
Bay
Dennis Robillard, F/V
Julie Ann II
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