Community Lab

Though we didn't meet any swimmers at the beach today (brrr!), we did start sampling the water for bacteria as part of the Maine Healthy Beaches program. You can check http://www.mainehealthybeaches.org/index.html for information and advice about swim beaches in your area, wherever you are in coastal Maine. Long-time volunteer Allan poses here in his waders and Healthy Beaches cap!

Eelgrass in the Chesapeake Bay has come back in "the biggest resurgence of grass ever recorded". How's that for a win for all the scientists and volunteers out there fighting for the environment?

Chesapeake Bay grass resurgence is first big conservation success tied to humans, scientists say "The biggest resurgence of grass ever recorded – that's impressive," said Chris Moore, senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "It's a great indication that the changes we're making on

Talk at last month's Fishermen Forum partially focused on the decrease in lobster landings in 2017, down 22 million pounds from 2016. Complicating the story are data from four DMR long-term monitoring programs that indicate an increasing number of sublegal lobsters. What's going on? Read more here:

Contrary survey results are puzzling scientists Given the talk on the wharves all year, it was no surprise to hear the official 2017 numbers on Maine’s lobster fishery—110.8 million pounds with a value of $433.8 million, down nearly 22 million pounds from 2016.