2017RARGOMAnnualScienceMeeting

GoMACML

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PROGRAM

RARGOMAnnualScienceMeeting

OceanandCoastalAcidification:CausesandPotentialConsequencesforEcologicalandSociologicalSystemsintheGulfofMaine

Date:October12,2017

Location:HannafordHall,UniversityofSouthernMaine,Portland,ME

Featuredkeynotespeakers:LibbyJewett,DirectoroftheNOAAOceanAcidificationProgram

JosephSalisbury,ProfessorattheUNHOceanProcessesAnalysesLab

ContentsMeetingScheduleandOralPresentations...................................................................................................2

PosterSession:TitlesandPresenters...........................................................................................................3

Abstracts:Oralpresentations.......................................................................................................................4

Abstracts:Posterpresentations.................................................................................................................13

Presentingauthoraffiliationsandcontactinformation.............................................................................24

Allattendees:affiliationsandcontactinformation....................................................................................25

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MeetingScheduleandOralPresentations8:30AM 0:30 REGISTRATIONandpostersetup9:00AM 0:05 WELCOME

9:05AM 0:15 Woods Microplasticfiberuptake,ingestion,andegestionratesinthebluemussel(Mytilusedulis)

9:20AM 0:15Valentine

Theshallow,mobilesandecosystemofStellwagenBankandthefishspeciesitsupports,basedonlongline,gillnet,andottertrawlcatchdata

9:35AM 0:15 Farr HowdofishermenunderstandtheecosystemineasternMaine?9:50AM 0:15 Willis LessonsforartisanalfisheriesfromPenobscotBay:1800-196010:05AM 0:40 BREAK&POSTERS10:45AM 0:45 Jewett Keynote1:RespondingtoOceanAcidificationintheUSandBeyond

11:30AM 0:15Chambers

Scopeforresponseofanestuarineforagefish,AtlanticSilverside(Menidiamenidia),toelevatedCO2regimes

11:45AM 0:15 RandallInteractiveeffectsofsedimentbufferingandpredatorexclusiononrecruitmentoftwocommercialintertidalbivalvesinnorthernCascoBay:Resultsfromfieldexperiments(2014-2016)

12:00PM 1:30 LUNCH&POSTERS

1:30PM 0:45Salisbury

Keynote2:WheredoesoceanacidificationhideintheGulfofMaine?Timescalesanddriversofvariabilityofthecarbonatesystem

2:15PM 0:15 Hunt IstheGulfofMaineEspeciallyVulnerabletoCoastalOceanAcidification?2:30PM 0:15 Liebman InstallationofcarbonatechemistrysensorsinNationalEstuaryProgramwaters2:45PM 0:30

BREAK&POSTERS

3:15PM 0:15Honisch

Growingresilient:kelpfarmingasapotentialremediationstrategyforcoastalacidification

3:30PM 0:15 Morrison NECAN—TheNortheastCoastalAcidificationNetwork—inAction

3:45PM 0:15 Strong AcidJustice:AdaptivecapacityandsocialvulnerabilitytooceanandcoastalacidificationintheGulfofMaine

4:00PM 0:45 FacilitatedDiscussion4:45PM Adjourn

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PosterSession:TitlesandPresenters

KyllaBenesLong-termDataIdentifiesDeclinesinCoverandDifferencesinInterannualVariabilityofFoundationSpeciesonAppledoreIsland,ME

IanBreslowPopulationAssessmentofHarbor(Phocavitulinaconcolor)andGraySeals(Halichoerusgrypus)atDuckIslandLedges,ME

IanBreslowEnvironmentalandAnthropogenicFactorsContributingtoHarbor(Phocavitulinaconcolor)SealandGray(Halichoerusgrypus)SealCountsonDuckIslandLedges,ME

AndreF.BucciRemotesensingdatalinkagestointerannualvariabilityoftoxicAlexandriumfundyensebloomsintheBayofFundy(Canada)

KateCouplandBiologicalandphysicaldriversofpHchangeintheDamariscottaRiverandimplicationsforshellfishaquaculture

R.MichaelDoanDeploymentofacontinuouswaterqualityandcoastalacidificationmonitoringstationinCascoBay,ME

AnnieEvankow OceanGenomeLegacy:PreservingmarinebiodiversitythroughDNAbiobankingParkerGassett DisseminatingOCACitizenScienceMonitoringGuidelinesandResources

BriannaKingMultispectralclassificationofGulfofMainewatermasstypesandtheirseasonalandinterannualvariability

CollinC.LoveAlteredBehaviorofParasitizedCarcinusmaenasDecreasesSusceptibilitytoPredationbyDefinitiveBirdHosts

RachelMarshall IncidentalcatchofAtlantichalibutinCapeCodcommercialfisheries

ChristopherS.Murray

ApreliminarystudytestingtheeffectsofhighCO2ontheearlylifestagesofthenorthernsandlanceAmmodytesdubius

PeterMurdochModelingandMeasuringChangeintheGulfofMaine:TheLegacyoftheEcoSystemIndicatorsPartnership(ESIP)

JenniferSeavey NetworkingacrosstheGulfofMaine

KadieTommasiInterspecificInteractionsandHabitatPreferencesofHarborSeals(Phocavitulinaconcolor)andGraySeals(Halichoerusgrypus)onDuckIslandandLedges,ME

TylerVanKirkInfectiondynamicsofanAcanthocephalanparasite,Profilicollisbotulus,inthegreencrab,Carcinusmaenas,onthecoastofMaine

MarkWhiting Monitoringmarinesedimentasanindicatorofachangingocean

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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Abstracts:OralpresentationsScopeforresponseofanestuarineforagefish,AtlanticSilverside(Menidiamenidia),toelevatedCO2regimesChambers,R.C.Boyce,D.J.,Habeck,E.A.,Habeck,K.M.,Drown,M.,Poach,M.E.Presentedby:ChristopherChambers,chris.chambers@noaa.govElevatedlevelsofatmosphericCO2,duelargelytohydrocarboncombustion,accelerateclimatechangeandacidifycoastalandoceanwaters.VariableandincreasingglobaltemperaturesandCO2levelsareexpectedtoaffecttheocean’sbiotainwaysrangingfromminimalandsubtletostrongandpervasivewithoutcomesthatmaybeeithernegativeorpositive.Marinescientistslargelylackapredictiveunderstandingofthepatternsofresponsesandthedownstreamconsequencesoftheseeffects.PoorpredictivecapabilitymaybedueinparttothefactthatpriorexperimentalassessmentsofCO2effectsonmarinefaunatypicallyuseasmallnumberofelevatedCO2environmentsintowhichexperimentalsubjectsareplacedandevaluatedforresponses.WhileappropriatefordeterminingwhetherCO2hasaneffectontheresponsesmeasured,thisapproachrevealslittleaboutthescopeandshapeofthebiologicalresponses,theresilienceoftheorganism,anditsadaptivepotential.HerewedescribeexperimentalstudiesthatachievealargenumberofdifferentCO2environmentsamongexperimentaltanksatonetime,andreporteffectsofthesemultipleenvironmentsonearlylife-stagesofAtlanticsilverside(Menidiamenidia),acommonforagefishofcoastalhabitatsthroughouttheAtlanticCoastoftheUSAandtheCanadianMaritimes.WehavealsocomparedoutcomesbetweenconstantandhighlyvariableCO2regimes,theinteractionsbetweenCO2anddissolvedoxygen,andthepotentialforadaptiveresponsesofthisspeciestofutureCO2conditions.Overall,thesehigh-frequencytreatmentsystemsrevealtheorganismalresponsestoCO2variationsinauniquelyusefulway.SuchdataareneededinordertoestablishaquantitativeunderstandingofCO2effectsonourlivingmarineresourcesinfutureCO2-impactedenvironments.HowdofishermenunderstandtheecosystemineasternMaine?Farr,E.,Stoll,J.Presentedby:EmilyFarr,efarr@coastalfisheries.orgMaine’scommercialfishingsectorhasacollectivebodyoflocalecologicalknowledge(LEK)thatishigh-resolution,continuous,andplace-based,andcanmeaningfullycontributetofisheriesscience

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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andmanagement.However,fishermen’sknowledgeisoftenpatchyandconstrainedbytheinstitutionalarrangementsthatshapetheirinteractionswiththeenvironment.WeareexploringthistensionthroughresearchonLEKintheeasternGulfofMaine,workingtowardatheoreticalmiddlegroundthatissensitivetotheunevennatureoffishermen’sknowledgewhilesimultaneouslyrecognizingitsimmensevalue.Throughongoingsemi-structuredinterviewswithcommercialfishermen,weuseanetworkapproachtomaptheecosystemstructure,ecosystemdynamics,andenvironmentalchangesasdescribedbyindividualsandthecommunity.Theseinterviewshaveprovidedinsightintolocalfluctuationsinwatertemperatureandweatherpatterns,predatorpreydynamics,interactionsofspeciesofcommercialinterestwiththeirpredators,competitors,andpreyspecies,andthecomplexinteractionsbetweenfisheriesandtheirhabitat.PreliminarydataalsopointstoanimportantrelationshipbetweendiversifiedaccesstofisheriesandtheproductionofLEK.Namely,fishermenwhoholdorhaveheldlicensesformultiplefisheriesseemtodevelopamoreholisticunderstandingofthemarineenvironmentanditsdynamicsbecauseofregularinteractionswithdifferentcomponentsofthesystem.Thishasimportantimplicationsforboththekindsofinformationfishermencancontributetoecosystemscience,andthecapacityofthosefishermentoengageinthemanagementofacomplexandmulti-scalarecosystem.Growingresilient:kelpfarmingasapotentialremediationstrategyforcoastalacidificationHonisch,B.,Price,N.N.,Arnold,S.N.,Salisbury,J.,Dobbins,P.,Hunt,C.,Shellito,S.,Meléndez,M.,andFachon,E.Presentedby:BrittneyL.Honisch,bhonisch@bigelow.orgTheGulfofMainehasavibrantshellfishaquacultureindustry.Coastalacidificationpresentsaseriousthreattoshellfishdevelopmentandsurvival,makingMaineecologicallyandeconomicallyvulnerabletochangingoceanconditions.Recentexpansionofthekelpfarmingindustryprovidesnutritiousconsumerproductsandvitaleconomicgrowthanddiversification.Kelpfarmingmayimprovewaterquality,or‘phytoremediate’marinecoastalwatersintheimmediatearea,providingapossiblelocalmitigationstrategyforcoastalacidification.Throughtheactofgrowingandphotosynthesizing,thesesmallmarineforestsremovecarbondioxide(CO2)fromseawater,creatinga‘halo’ofhigherseawaterpHandsaturationstate(Ω).Laboratoryandfieldevidenceshowthatfarmedsugarkelpareeffectiveatremediatingacidification.AtBigelowLaboratory,weexposedfivespeciesofmacrophytes(Saccharinalatissima,Ascophyllumnodosum,Fucusvesiculosus,Ulvalactuca,andZosteramarina)topast,currentandfuturepCO2andtemperaturelevels.SeawaterCO2consumptionratesandabilitytoraiseseawaterpHandΩdifferedacrossspecies,butincreasedathigherpCO2treatments,withsugarkelptakingupthemostCO2.Inthefield,instrumentsmeasuringpCO2,pH,dissolvedoxygen,salinity,temperature,anddepthweredeployedinsideandoutsideoftheOceanApprovedsugarkelpfarminCascoBay,Maine.Fromthe

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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timeofdeploymentinearlyJanuarythroughmid-February2016,CO2waslowerinsidethefarm,andasaresult,pHandΩwere13%and23%higher,respectively.Werepeatedinstrumentdeploymentsin2017andaddedcruisesmappingtheseawaterpCO2aroundthekelpfarmtoestimatethespatialextentoftheremediated‘halo’,whichappearstobeconcentratedwithin100mfromthekelpfarm.Wereportinitial2017resultshereanddescribeourupcomingfieldeffortstoimproveourunderstandingofthehalo’sspatiotemporalpatternsandcapacitytoenhanceshellfishgrowth.IstheGulfofMaineEspeciallyVulnerabletoCoastalOceanAcidification?Hunt,C.,Salisbury,J.,Vandemark,D.Presentedby:ChrisHunt,chunt@unh.eduOceanacidificationisdrivenbyatmosphericcarbondioxide(CO2)absorptiononaglobalscale;however,individualcoastalareasmaybeexposedtoverydifferentacidificationpressuresduetouniquecircumstancesoflocalbiogeochemicalprocesses,physicalsettings,circulation,andterrestrialinfluences.Predictionsofcoastalacidificationneedtotakethisgeographicvariabilityintoaccounttobetterforecastfutureconditions.PastobservationshaveshowntheGulfofMainetobecolder,fresher,andmorepoorlybufferedthanotherEastCoastregions-allfactorswhichinfluencetheacid-basesystemandprovidecauseforconcernunderwarmer,higher-CO2futurescenarios.NewstudiesintheregionareprovidingbetterunderstandingofthecomplexsetofcontrolsoncoastalacidificationintheGulfofMaine,aswellasbaselinedataforfutureevaluations.ThesestudiesaretakingadvantageoftechnologicaladvancestostudyGulfofMainewatersandthoseofsurroundingregionsatpreviouslyunknownresolution,andmayoffernewinsightsintofactorswhichwilldictateacidificationeffects.InthispresentationIwilldiscussthecircumstanceswhichmakethechemistryoftheGulfofMaineuniquelysituatedinthecontextofcoastalacidification,aswellaswhatwearelearningabouttheregionthroughongoingresearchefforts.InstallationofcarbonatechemistrysensorsinNationalEstuaryProgramwatersLiebman,M.,Bohlen,C.,Salisbury,J.,Hunt,C.,Valle,P.,Santoni,A.Presentedby:MatthewLiebman,liebman.matt@epa.govCoastalacidificationisthemodulationofoceanaciditybycoastalprocesses,includingmicrobialrespirationofnutrientenrichedphytoplanktonbloomsand(potentiallyacidic)riverinedischarge.

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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Combinedwithstratification,respirationresultsinlocalizedincreasesinCO2andreductionsinpHandcalciumcarbonatesaturationstate.Thesedepressionsareofconcerntoaquaticresources,includingbothwildandculturedshellfish.In2015EPAbegantofundcarbonatechemistrysensorsatlocationswithineightEPAfundedNationalEstuaryPrograms,includingthreeinNewEngland:CascoBay,MassachusettsBaysandLongIslandSoundtobettercharacterizecarbonateconditionsandvariabilitythroughouttheyearata“continuous”timescale.InCascoBay,UniversityofNewHampshireinstalledaCO2,pHandoxygensensorsuiteatapiernearastationwithalong-termnutrientrecord.Combinedwithmeasuresofsalinityandtemperature,UNHhascalculatedcalciumcarbonatesaturationstateforalmostthreeyears.Thesensorsin2015and2016recordedhighvariabilityofpCO2andpHconditions;pCO2rangedfromabout300toalmost1400uatmandpHrangedfrom7.4to8.3.Inbothyears,saturationstatedeclinedperiodicallyorforseveralweeks,inassociationwithrespirationofphytoplanktonbloombiomass(in2015)orriverineinputs(in2016).TheMassachusettsBaysProgramisworkingwithUMassBostontoinstallapumpedsystematapierinDuxburyBayandarecontinuouslyrecordingCO2,andpHinrealtimefollowingtheprotocolusedinCascoBay.ThesystemwasdeployedinSeptember2017.TheEPAhasfundedeconomicmodelingtoprojectfutureimpactstothecommercialshellfishindustryintheGulfofMaineandPugetSound.Preliminaryresultsindicatepotentialimpactstoclam,oyster,scallopandcrabindustries.Continuousmonitoringdemonstratestheimportanceofobservingkeyoceanandcoastalacidificationparametersthroughoutthegrowingseasonforshellfish.NECAN—TheNortheastCoastalAcidificationNetwork—inActionMorrison,R.,Turner,E.,Ball,J.Presentedby:J.RuMorrison,ru@neracoos.orgNECAN,theNortheastCoastalAcidificationNetwork,isanexusofscientists,federalandstateresourcemanagers,andmarineindustrypartnersdedicatedtocoordinatingandguidingregionalobserving,research,andmodelingendeavorsfocusedonoceanandcoastalacidification(OCA).NECANstrivestobetteridentifycriticalvulnerabilitiestoOCA,particularlywithrespecttoregionallyimportantandeconomicallysignificantmarineresources.Additionally,NECANhelpstomakeavailableOCAinformation,resourcesanddataproductstailoredtoandinformedbytheinterestsofregionalstakeholdersanddecision-makers.SinceNECAN’sinceptionthegroup’seffortshavecontinuedtodiversifyandexpand,andwecurrentlyhavefourworkinggroupsforScience,Policy,CommunicationandOutreach,andIndustry.Wealsohostawebinarseriestohighlightnewresultsrelevanttotheregion,andconvenetopicalworkshopsonOCAissuesincollaborationwithotherpartners.WewillprovideabriefhistoryofNECANandthecurrentandfutureactivitiesofthisregionalcollaboration.WewelcomediscussionandinputfromRARGOMparticipantsondesired

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NECANactivitiesandhowtoaligneffortswithinthebroaderregionalandnationalOCAcommunities.Indoingso,theregioncanbetteraddresstheimpactsofOCAintheNortheast.InteractiveeffectsofsedimentbufferingandpredatorexclusiononrecruitmentoftwocommercialintertidalbivalvesinnorthernCascoBay:Resultsfromfieldexperiments(2014-2016)Beal,B.,Randall,S.,Coffin,C.,Goodenow,C.Presentedby:SaraRandall,sara.randall1@maine.eduSoft-shellclam(Myaarenaria)landingsinCascoBaycommunitieshavedeclineddramaticallyoverthepastdecadebynearly70%,andthishascoincidedwithunprecedentedincreasesinGulfofMaineseasurfacetemperatures.Decliningclamstockscouldbeduetoover-fishing,pollution,ocean/coastalacidification,predation,disease,lossofintertidalhabitat,recruitmentlimitation,oracombinationoftheseandotherfactors.In2014,weinitiatedathree-yearfieldstudyatfourintertidalflatsinFreeporttoinvestigatesimultaneouslytwoofthepurportedcauses.SiteschosenhadlowsedimentpH(<7.4),andweattemptedtobufferthosesedimentsbyaddingcrushedclamshellstolarge(100ft2)orsmall(0.20ft2)plots.SuccesswasmeasuredasthedensityofwildrecruitsofMyaandnorthernquahogs,Mercenariamercenaria,after4-5months(April/May-October/November).In2014and2015,weobservednosignificantdifferenceinmeanrecruitdensityforbothspeciesbetweencontrols(withoutcrushedshells)andplotswithcrushedshell(13or26lbs.ofshell/plot).Small-scalestudiesdemonstratedsimilarfindings–thatis,thepresenceofcrushedshellmaterialdidnotresultinasignificantenhancementofclamrecruits.However,whenweappliedpredatornetting(aperture=4.2mm)toplotswithorwithoutcrushedshell,wefoundsignificantlymoreclamscomparedtotheunprotectedplots.In2016,wecarriedoutasmall-scalestudyattwointertidalsitestoexamineeffectsofdifferentsizesofcrushedclamshellaswellascrushedoystershellonclamrecruits.Neitherthepresencenorsizeofshellmaterialhadasignificanteffectonclamrecruitmentateithersite,butplotsthatwereprotectedfrompredatorswithnettingcontainedsignificantlymoreclams.WeconcludethatbufferingsedimentstocombatlowsedimentpHisnoteffectivecomparedwithapplyingnettingtodeterpredators.Wheredoesoceanacidification(OA)hideintheGulfofMaine?TimescalesanddriversofvariabilityofthecarbonatesystemJoeSalisbury,BrorJonssonandtheUNHCoastalCarbonGroupPresentedby:JoeSalisbury,joe.salisbury@unh.edu

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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TheGulfofMaineisoneoftheworld’smostvaluableecosystemsintermsoffisherieslandings,yieldingover$1billion/year,primarilyfromlandingsoflobstersandscallops.TheseorganismsandothersaresubjectedtoOA,butalsotowideenvironmentalrangesintemperature,salinity,nutrientsandcarbonatesystemparameters.Annualvariabilityalonealterseachofthesewithtemperaturesrangingfrom<2°Cto20°C,orderofmagnitudechangesinlimitingnutrientconcentrationsandaragonitesaturationstatesrangingfrom~0.8–3.0.However,wefindthatsubdecadalvariabilitycausedbyheatfluxandcirculationalsoplayimportantsynergisticandantagonisticrolesindrivingenvironmentalconditions.Forexample,therecentwarmingandsaltfluxintotheGulfofMaineoverthelastdecadehadaconsiderableimpactonthecarbonatesystem,assuagingtheimpactofOA.Whilethiseventisunprecedentedinover100yearsofobservation,wefindsignificantvariabilityintemperature,andcarbonateparametersoccurringatsubdecadaltimescales.Dependingonthesourcewaters,localproductivity,riverdischargeandheatflux,sucheventscouldbeeitherstressfulorhelpfultocalcifyingecosystems.ThisvariabilityalsotendstomasktheexpressionofglobalOAintheGulfofMaineanditmaybeanotherdecadebeforewewitnesstheemergenceofOA.AcidJustice:AdaptivecapacityandsocialvulnerabilitytooceanandcoastalacidificationintheGulfofMaineA.StrongPresentedby:AaronL.Strong,aaron.strong@maine.eduSeveralstatesintheNortheast–Maine,NewHampshire,RhodeIsland,NewYorkandMassachusetts–havecompleted,areundergoing,areinitiating,orareexploringformalgovernmentalprocessesforassessingthethreatofoceanandcoastalacidificationtoourcoastalecosystemsandeconomies.Oneemergenttoolinthetoolboxtocombatoceanacidificationistheuseofformalriskassessmentswhichseektoidentifyhotspotsofphysical,chemical,biologicalandecologicalexposuretoacidificationthatarealsoareasofhighsocialvulnerabilityandlimitedadaptivecapacitytotheimpactsofacidification.Astheuseofriskassessmentsspreads,determiningwhatkeyindicatorsarerelevant,measurable,andmeaningfulinthecoupledsocial-ecologicalsystemsoftheGulfofMaineisemergingasakeyfocalpointofresearch.Inthisstudy,IfirstassesstheadaptivecapacityaroundtheGulfofMainetoaddressoceanandcoastalacidificationinourregion,usingstandardandwidely-acceptedsocialvulnerabilityindicators.Isubsequentlyassesswhatregionalandlocalconcernsremainunaddressedbytheuseofstandardriskassessmentprocedures,usingthecasestudyofMaine’swild-harvestfisheriesandaquacultureindustry.Iconcludebyassessingopportunitiesforthedevelopmentofregionally-specific,bottom-upvulnerabilityindicatorsthatmaybetailoreddirectlytotheoutcomesofrecentandon-goingstate-levelacidificationmanagementprocessesinourregionthatcouldenablestatemanagersto

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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moreeffectivelyprioritizetheallocationofresourcesforacidificationmonitoringandbetteridentifykeyhotspotsofhighacidificationrisk.Theshallow,mobilesandecosystemofStellwagenBankandthefishspeciesitsupports,basedonlongline,gillnet,andottertrawlcatchdataP.C.ValentinePresentedby:PageC.Valentine,pvalentine@usgs.govMappingofthesouthcentralpartofStellwagenBankhasrevealedthepresenceof19geologicsubstratesinanareaof211km2,extendingfromthebankcrest(25mwaterdepth)westwardintoStellwagenBasin(100m).CatchresultsfromNOAAFisheriesobserversoncommerciallongline(20sets),gillnet(135sets),andottertrawl(51tows)vesselsfrom2010toearly2017wereexaminedtodeterminethedistributionoffishspeciesonsubstratetypes.Fishingeffortisseparatedgeographicallybygeartype.Ottertrawlsfishednorth-south(30-45m)alongthebankcrestandwesternflankonsubstrateA1,arippled,coarse-grainedsand.Gillnetsandlonglinesweresettogethernorth-south(30-35m)alongthebankcrestandtheeasternflankonsubstrateB,arippled,coarse-grainedsandthatpartiallycoverspebble-cobblegravelandboulderridges.Therippled,coarse-grainedsandsofsubstratesA1andBaretexturallyidentical.Theother17mappedsubstratesexperiencedlittlefishingeffort.OnA1,ottertrawlscaught30fishspecies.OnB,gillnetscaught25fishspecies(23incommonwithottertrawls),butlonglinescaughtonly12species.Acombinedtotalof33fishspecieswasobserved.Ottertrawlscaught7flounderspecies,gillnets5,butlonglinesonly1.Allgeartypescaught4to5speciesofskate.OnB,gillnetscaughtcodathalfofthesites,butlonglinescaughtitatallsites;gillnetscaughtmonkfishandlobsteratmostsites,whilelonglinescaughtneither.Thecombinedobserverdataforthreegeartypesdocumentthattheshallow,rippledsandsubstrateofthebanksupports26benthic,5bentho-pelagic,and2pelagicfishspecies.Theapparentundersamplingbylonglines,andthenon-observanceofsandlanceandherring(knowntoinhabitthispartofthebank),suggestthatgeartypeandspeciesbehaviorinfluencethenumbersandkindsofspeciescaught.

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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LessonsforartisanalfisheriesfromPenobscotBay:1800-1960Willis,TV;Alexander,K;Leavenworth,W;Schmitt,C;Wilson,K;Wilson,JPresentedby:TheodoreV.Willis,theodore.willis@maine.eduTraditionalArtisanalfisheriessupplyaround70%offishproteinconsumedworldwide.Thesefisheriesarelocal,near-shore,oftenuserudimentaryfishinggearandfocusonabroadcatch,intermsofspeciesandtargetsize.FisheriesintheGulfofMaineoncefitthesecriteriaaswell.In1800,PenobscotBaywasthefrontier:lightlypopulatedandminimallyexploited.Thefishingcentersfocusedonlocalmarkets,supplyingadiversityofmarinevertebratesandinvertebratesforeverythingfromfertilizertotabledelicacies.WedocumentedtheprogressivespecializationofPenobscotBayfisheriesover160yearsusinghistoricalcatchrecordsandcontemporarypressarticles.Wefocusonsixspecies,andtheirfisheries,demonstratinghowoutsideinfluenceandeconomicdrivers“from-away”repeatedlyfocusedandrefinedeffortuntilsustainableharvestwasachievedthroughcollapse,bankruptcyand,ultimately,restructuringmarkets.Wedocumentedthreestagesofexploitation:harvestfocusedonlocalconsumption(slow-burn),focusondistantmarketsforconsumptionorcommodity(fast-burn),andlessdestructiveharvestwithrelativelymorelocalcontrol(medium-burn).Inthiscontextweusedmultivariateanalysisandquantitativedatafromtheturnofthe19thcenturytoexplorerelationshipsbetweengear,catchandeffort.Catchesweresignificantlylargerandmorediverseearlyon.Landingsprogressedfromafocusondiadromousriverinespeciestoanoffshorespeciesfocus.TherewasaNorthtoSouthspatialpatternintheexploitation.Thefisheriesthatreachedthemedium-burn,“sustainable”stagewerethosewherethefishautecologylimitedharvestduringsomeportionoftheyear.Onceinitialdeclinesresultedincommercialextinction,therefugeperiodandlocalmanagementhelpedmaintainpopulations.Ourlessonsforartisanalfisheriesarethatlocalpopulationsarenearlyimpossibletomaintainunderstrongpressurefromdistantmarkets,andlocalmanagementthatrecognizesthevulnerabilityofcertainlifestagesiscriticaltomaintainingasustainedfishery.Microplasticfiberuptake,ingestion,andegestionratesinthebluemussel(Mytilusedulis)Woods,M.N.,Stack,M.,Fields,D.M.,Matrai,P.Presentedby:MadelynWoods,mwoods@meriresearch.orgMicroplasticsareaubiquitouscontaminantinthemarineenvironment.Theirsmallsizeandhighavailabilityqualifythemasadditionalstressorstofilter-feedingorganismsalreadyfacedwithincreasingseawatertemperatureandoceanacidificationintheGulfofMaineandbeyond.Herewepresenttheeffectsofpolyethyleneterephthalatemicroplasticfibers(MPF)onbluemussel(Mytilusedulis)feedingrates,quantifiedusingimagingflowcytometry.Thisstudyrepresentsthefirststep

Oralpresentations(alphabeticalbypresentingauthor)

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inathree-partassessmentofmulti-stressoreffectsofmicroplastics,elevatedseawatertemperature,andoceanacidification.MusselswerefedadietofRhodomonassalinaandexperimentaltreatmentsrangedfrom3,000to30,000MPF/L.Experimentalmicroalgaluptakeratesweregreatlyreducedinmusselsexposedtolevelsof15,000MPF/Lorhigher.AlthoughpseudofecesproductionshowedapositivecorrelationwithMPFuptakeratesat30,000MPF/L,furtherexaminationrevealedupto70MPFinasinglefecalpelletandanaverageofapproximately100to1000MPFaccumulatinginthedigestivetrack.Basedonourresults,itispossiblethatmusselsactasmicroplasticsinksinGulfofMainecoastalwaters.DepurationtimesofexposedmusselswerealsoexaminedtoassessMPFegestionratesandmaybeanimportantprocessingstepforcommercialfarmers.EcologicalimplicationsofMPFintakeandegestionbyGulfofMainebivalvesalreadyexposedtowarmerandpotentiallyacidifiedwaterswillbediscussed.

Posterpresentations

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Abstracts:Posterpresentations

Long-termDataIdentifiesDeclinesinCoverandDifferencesinInterannualVariabilityofFoundationSpeciesonAppledoreIsland,MEKinsman,N.,Lindsay,T.,Rhodes,E.,Wilcox,R.Presentedby:KyllaBenes,kbenes@uci.eduTherockyintertidalecosystemishighlydynamic,yieldingwell-documentedorganismalzonationpatterns.Thealgalfoundationspeciesrepresentativeofthesezonescompeteforspaceandresourcesandaresubjecttostochasticdisturbances.Theseprocessesleadtochangesinspeciesdensitiesandzoneboundariesacrossseasons,years,andevenlongertimescales.Long-termdataarecriticaltodiscernseasonalorotherwisecyclicnoisefromalterationsduetohuman-inducedclimatechange.ShoalsMarineLaboratoryhasmaintainedastudent-drivenspeciessurveyatfivepermanentintertidaltransectssince1976.Presentlythesurveyincludespermanentphotoquadrats,point-intercepttransects,andmoreexhaustivecensusestoobserveandquantifytrendsinspeciesabundanceanddistributionatthesesites.Analysisofdatafrom1995topresentshowshighvariabilityinallfourofthefoundationspeciesofalgae:Ascophyllumnodosum,Fucussp.,Mastocarpusstellatus,andChondruscrispus.Ofthefourspecies,FucusandChondrusshowedthehighestinterannualvariabilityinpercentcover.Chondrus,aonceconspicuousmemberofthelowintertidalzone,hasdiminishedtonearzeropercentcover.Nucellalapillis,asmallwhelkassociatedwitheachalgalzone,alsoshowshighvariabilitywithapositivecorrelationtoMastocarpuspercentcover.Calculationsandpatterns,suchastheonespresentedhere,canbeusedtoselectindicatorspeciestotrackchangesintheintertidalcommunityduetoclimatechange.Further,highvariabilityofthefoundationspeciesislikelytohaveanotableimpactontheinvertebrateslikeN.lapillis.Todeterminetheimplicationsandpersistenceofthesefindings,futureresearchshouldexaminethesensitivityofalgalspeciestoclimatechangeandtherelationshipbetweenthedominantcanopyformersandtheassociatedcommunity.

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PopulationAssessmentofHarbor(Phocavitulinaconcolor)andGraySeals(Halichoerusgrypus)atDuckIslandLedges,MEBreslow,I.,Tommasi,K.,Bogomolni,A.,Lysiak,N.,Sette,L.Presentedby:IanBreslow,irb4@cornell.eduDuckIslandanditssurroundingledgesareapartoftheIslesofShoalsintheGulfofMaine(GoM).Thisareaactsasacentralrestingpointalongtheseasonalmigratoryrouteofharborandgrayseals,makingitahighlyrelevantstudysiteforpopulationassessment.TheabundanceofpinnipedsintheGoMhasincreasedsincetheMarineMammalProtectionAct(MMPA)wentintoeffectin1972.PriortotheMMPA,twospeciesofphocids,Halichoerusgrypus(grayseal)andPhocavitulinaconcolor(harborseal),werehuntedforbountyandexperiencedasignificantpopulationdeclineintheNorthwestAtlantic.AnnualcountsofsealpopulationsintheGoMwilltrackthedegreeofrecovery.Accordingly,20-30shipboardphotographicsurveyswereconductedeachsummerfrom2011-2017duringlowtidesoffDuckIslandandadjacentledges.Duringthisperiod,graysealsincreasedeveryyear,whereasharborsealsnumbersfluctuatedanddeclinedafter2016.Duringsummer2017,13graysealsandoneharborsealwereentangledinfishinggearandmarinedebris;protrudingandbulgingeyesweredocumentedinharborsealsoneightdifferentoccasions;and53sealswerere-sighted,severalonanannualbasissince2011.Correlationofsealcountsandtimeoflowtideshowedthatcountsconductedbetween0500and1000wereleastvariable,possiblybecauseofminimaldisturbancebyrecreationalandlobsterboats.EnvironmentalandAnthropogenicFactorsContributingtoHarbor(Phocavitulinaconcolor)SealandGray(Halichoerusgrypus)SealCountsonDuckIslandLedges,MEBreslow,I.,Bogomolni,A.,Lysiak,N.,Sette,L.Presentedby:IanBreslow,irb4@cornell.eduDuckIslandanditssurroundingledgesareapartoftheIslesofShoalsintheGulfofMaineandserveasacentralrestingpointalongtheseasonalmigratoryrouteofPhocaviulinaconcolor(harborseal)andHalichoerusgrypus(grayseal).Bothspecieshauloutforavarietyofreasons,bothbiotic(restandmolting)andabiotic.Todeterminetherelativeinfluenceofseveralabioticfactors,weconductedandanalyzed20-30shipboardphotographicsurveyseachsummerduringlowtidesfrom2011-2017offDuckIslandandadjacentledges.Airtemperature,watertemperature,windspeed,anddisturbancebyrecreationalandlobsterfishingvesselsappeartohavenoassociationwithnumbersofeithersealspecies.Typeofvesselmayhavedifferentinfluencesonsealhauloutbehavior.However,sealcountsdidvarywithtimeofday;graysealsnumbersgreatlydeclinedasthedayprogressed,whereasharborsealcountsfluctuatedthroughouttheday.Basedonminimum

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counts,theoptimaltimetoconductasurveywasduringlowtidesoccurringbetween0500-1000hrs.Therefore,estimatesofsealabundancesthroughouttheirrangeshouldbestandardizedwithrespecttotimeoflowtide.RemotesensingdatalinkagestointerannualvariabilityoftoxicAlexandriumfundyensebloomsintheBayofFundy(Canada)Bucci,A.F.;Thomas,A.C.;Martin,J.L.Presentedby:AndreF.Bucci,andre.bucci@maine.eduTheBayofFundyexperiencesannuallyrecurringharmfulalgaebloomsofthedinoflagellateAlexandriumfundyense,presentingriskstohumanhealthduetoparalyticshellfishpoisoning.TheareaisregularlysurveyedforA.fundyenseabundance,resultinginatimeseriesofroughlyweeklydataofalmost30years.Asubset(1998-2014)ofthesehistoricaldatawereusedtoquantifyinterannualvariabilityin3metricsofA.fundyenseblooms:magnitude,durationandtimingofoccurrence.Gaussiancurveswerefittedtotheabundancedataineachyeartoobtaintheparameters.Inmostyears,aonemodeGaussiancurvebestfitthedata,howeverin2001and2008atwomodeGaussianwasnecessaryandtheparameterswereaveragedforcomparisontootheryears.Themagnitudeofthebloomswashighlyvariablebetweenyears,withmaximumvaluesin2004.Since2002,thetimingofthebloomshastrendedtobeearlierintheyear,advancingfromday240(lateAugust)totheminimumofday160(midJune).Thedurationofthebloomswasmaximumintheperiod2003-2007(maximumof21days)andloweroutsidethatperiod(<10daysduration).The3metricsofbloominterannualvariabilitywerethencomparedtotimeseriesofhighresolution(1km)concurrentoceancolor(SeaWiFSandMODIS)andseasurfacetemperature(AVHRR)data.Linkagesbetweenthebloommetricsandtheoceancolordataarehighlyvariable,likelyduetotheopticallycomplexcoastalwatersinthisregion.Atrendwasobservedofbloomsoccurringinwarmerwaters(10-16˚C)priorto2007,whileafterthatperiod,thebloomsdevelopedincolderwaters(4-10˚C).Thisshiftinwatertemperatureistheresultofthetimingofthebloomshiftingsoonerintheyear,whenthetemperatureofthewaterisstilllow.

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BiologicalandphysicaldriversofpHchangeintheDamariscottaRiverandimplicationsforshellfishaquacultureCoupland,K.,Brady,D.Presentedby:KateCoupland,Catherine.coupland@maine.eduTheDamariscottaRiversupportsover80%ofalloftheoysteraquacultureinthestateofMaineaswellassomemusselaquaculture.Theprimarygrowingareaisintheupperthirdoftheestuarywhereresidencetimeisincreasedduetoageologicalconstrictionleadingtoreducedtidalflushing.Thisareahasmarkedlydifferentoceanographicconditions(temperature,chlorophylla,turbidity,nutrients,etc)thanthelowerportionsoftheestuary.OurresearchuseshourlybuoydatafromthepastthreeyearscollectedinthegrowingareatobetterunderstandtheinteractionsbetweenpHandsalinity,aswellasbetweenpH,nitrate,chlorophylla,anddissolvedoxygen.pHcanbeafirstindicatoroflowaragonitesaturation,leadingtopooroystergrowth,ordeathoflarvalorganisms.Thegrowingareaisheavilyimpactedbyfreshwaterrunoff,withsalinitiesdropping8-10psuandtakingoveramonthtoreturntopre-existingsalinities.ThegrowingareapHisalsoimpactedviaphotosynthesisandrespirationondielcycles,aswellasrespondingtopulsesofnitrateenteringtheriverfromtheGulfofMaineonweeklyandmonthlyscales.Thereissomeindicationthatphotosynthesismaybeabletobufferagainstacidityduringlowsalinityeventswithinthegrowingarea.DeploymentofacontinuouswaterqualityandcoastalacidificationmonitoringstationinCascoBay,MEDoan,R.M.Presentedby:R.MichaelDoan,mdoan@cascobay.orgAmajorknowledgegapintheunderstandingofacidificationandwaterqualityinnear-shorecoastalsystemsisthelackofhighfrequencydata.Weaddressthatneedthroughthedeploymentofacontinuousmonitoringstationthatcollectshourlymeasurementsofwatertemperature,salinity,dissolvedoxygen,pH,chlorophyllfluorescence,andthepartialpressureofcarbondioxide.Additionally,dissolvedinorganiccarbon,totalalkalinityandthesaturationstate(omega)ofaragonitearecalculatedfrommeasureddata.Thisstationisdeployedyearroundandundergoesrigorousbi-weeklymaintenanceandcalibration.Datafromthefirstyearofoperationrevealpredominatelyseasonalvariability,withoccasionalweather-relatedinfluences.Carbonatechemistrygenerallyimprovesthroughoutthelatesummerandearlyfall.AstrongnegativecorrelationbetweendissolvedoxygenandpCO2suggeststhatadominantdriveristhebalancebetweenproductivityandrespiration.Inaddition,thesaturationstateofaragoniteshowedepisodic

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dipsbelow1.6,athresholdcriticalinthedevelopmentofbivalveshells.Generally,thesedipsoccurredinthespringandduringrainevents,andhighervaluesprevailedunderdryerconditions.OceanGenomeLegacy:PreservingmarinebiodiversitythroughDNAbiobankingEvankow,A.,Distel,D.Presentedby:AnnieEvankow,a.evankow@northeastern.eduTheprocessofoceanacidificationisapotentialthreattoglobalmarinebiodiversity.ThegoaloftheOceanGenomeLegacyCenteratNortheasternUniversity(OGL)istodocumentandpreservetheocean’svastbiodiversityforresearchandconservationefforts.OGLisanon-profitbiorepositorydedicatedtoarchivingmarinegenomesandmakingthemwidelyavailabletotheglobalscientificcommunity.Currently,theOGLcollectioncontains25,000+genomicDNAsamplesrepresenting1,500+marinespecies.Ofthese,therearecurrently17phyla,33classes,190families,andover260speciesrepresentedfromtheGulfofMaine.Incollaborationwithresearchersandcitizenscientistsaroundtheworld,includinglocalorganizationssuchastheMassachusettsDivisionofMarineFisheriesandNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration,OGLprovidessecurestorageandbroadpublicaccesstogenomicmaterials;createsaforumforsharingsamples,data,andideas;andsupportsresearchthatcanimprovehumanhealth,improvethesustainabilityofglobalfoodandenergysupplies,andprotectmarineecosystems.AnexampleofacurrentcollaborationistheusegeneticresourcestoidentifyseafoodwithDNAbarcoding.WeinviteyoutoexploreouronlineDNAcatalogandcontributetissuesamplestotheOGLbiorepositoryatwww.northeastern.edu/ogl/.DisseminatingOCACitizenScienceMonitoringGuidelinesandResourcesGassett,P.R.,Strong,A.,Stancioff,E.,Turner,E.Presentedby:ParkerGassett,parker.gassett@maine.eduAsoceanandcoastalacidification(OCA)presentsuniquechallengestothehuman-ecologicalinterface,itisasalientissuethatstrategiesforresearchandmanagementsupportapluralityoforganizationalengagement.ThereisatremendousopportunityintheNortheasttobuilduponexistingnetworksofwaterqualitymonitoringgroupstodeveloprobustopportunitiesforcitizenscientistsandstewardshiporganizationstoengagewithOCA.InmovingfromregionalvulnerabilityassessmentsforOCA,toactionablestepstowardsstatewidemitigationandadaptation,itwillbeimportanttodelineatelocalandopenoceandriversofacidificationalongtheNortheast’s

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heterogeneouscoast.Coordinationanddatasharingamongmonitoringgroupscanhelptofillcriticalgapsincurrentcoastalacidificationresearch.Thisworkaimstohelpcross-calibratecitizenscienceOCAmonitoringprotocolsbyprovidingworkshoptrainings,webinarsandresourcesspecificallyforvolunteerandcitizenscientistaudiences.Ultimately,theobjectiveofthiseffortistomakepossiblemulti-levelinstitutionalcollaborationforOCAmonitoringbysupportingfoundationalimprovementsindatausability.MultispectralclassificationofGulfofMainewatermasstypesandtheirseasonalandinterannualvariabilityKing,B.,Thomas,A.C.Presentedby:BriannaKing,brianna.m.king@maine.eduBio-optically,theGulfofMaine(GOM)isastronglyheterogeneoussystem,exhibitingahighlyvariabledistributioninbothtimeandspaceofsuspendedsediment,coloreddissolvedorganicmatter,andphytoplanktoncommunitycompositionandbiomass.TheconcentrationofthesecomponentsalterstheopticalpropertiesofthewaterandrendersthestandardNASAchlorophyllalgorithmstronglysuspect.However,thespectralsignatureofthewateriswellquantifiedbysatellite-basedmultispectralremotesensingreflectancemeasurements.Ahigh-resolution,multi-yearsystematicanalysisofthespatialandtemporalvariabilityinthesespectralsignatureswithintheGOMhasnotyetbeenconducted.Here,weaimtoidentifythedominantspectralsignaturesofwatertypespresentintheGOMbasedonmonthlycompositeSeaWiFSandMODIS1kmresolutiondata.Weuseacombinationofmultivariateclusteringtechniques,includingk-meansandhierarchicalclustering,todistinguishdifferentgroupsofwatermassspectralsignatures.Resultsareremappedtodevelopaclimatologicalviewofdominantwatermasstypesandtheirseasonalvariability.PreliminaryresultsindicateasmallnumberofspectralwatertypesdominatetheGOMinterannually,especiallyoverthedeeperbasins,augmentedbyseveralsmallergroups.Manyofthesesmallergroupsarepresentonlyduringspecificmonthsorseasonsandareabsentduringtheremainderoftheyear.Futureworkwillincludethedevelopmentofatimeseriesfrom1998-presenttoexamineinterannualvariabilityandquantifytrends.TheseresultswillprovidenewviewsofGOMsurfacewatermassvariabilityoverseasonalandinterannualtimescales.

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AlteredBehaviorofParasitizedCarcinusmaenasDecreasesSusceptibilitytoPredationbyDefinitiveBirdHostsLove,C.,Blakeslee,A.Presentedby:CollinC.Love,lovecol1@msu.eduTraditionalfoodwebanalysesoftenoverlooktheinteractionsbetweenparasitesandtheirhosts,yetsomefoodwebshavemoreparasite-hostlinksthanpredator-preylinks.Parasite-inducedbehavioralmodificationsareaknownstrategythatincreasesthesusceptibilityofinfectedhoststopredation,therebyincreasingtransmissionrates.Severalstudieshavesupportedthishypothesis;however,othershavenot.Thisstudyutilizedlaboratoryandfield-basedexperimentstotesthowthetrematode,Microphallussimilis,altersthepredationratesofitssecond-intermediatehost,Carcinusmaenas.Infectedcrabswerecharacterizedbylethargicbehavior,whichdecreasedinseverity>48hrsafterinfection.Tetheringexperimentsintheintertidalrevealedinfectedwerecrabspreyeduponbygulls(definitivehost)morethanuninfectedcrabs.IncidentalcatchofAtlantichalibutinCapeCodcommercialfisheriesMarshall,R.,McGuire,C.,Zemeckis,D.,McBride,R.,Bank,C.Presentedby:RachelMarshall,rachel.carmen.marshall@gmail.comTheAtlantichalibut(Hippoglossushippoglossus)resourceoffNewEnglandispresentlydepletedandclassedasaSpeciesofConcern.However,reportsfromCapeCodcommercialfishermenindicateincreasingincidentalcatchratesofAtlantichalibutsince2010.Thisprovidedtheopportunitytocollectadditionalbiologicalinformationtosupplementsamplingcompletedduringfishery-independentsurveys,andtoimproveourunderstandingofthelifehistoryofthisdatapoorspecies.CapeCodcommercialfishermencollectedbiologicalsamples(gonads,otoliths,heart,spleen,andfinclip)fromuptotwohalibutcaughtincidentallyperdaytripusinggillnet,trawl,orlonglinegear.Preliminarydataanalysessuggestahigherpercentageoffemalescaughtthanmales,withfivetimesmorefemalesthanmales.Alsoobservedwasahigherpercentageofimmaturehalibutcaughtthanmatureordeveloping.Additionalbiologicalsamplesarebeingcollectedthrough2018,andfurtheranalyses,includinggonadhistologyandotolithaging,willbeperformed.TheimprovedunderstandingofhalibutlifehistorywillbecombinedwithconcurrentstudiesemployingelectronictaggingandgeneticsinordertoinvestigatestockstructureoffNewEnglandandinformfisherymanagement.

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ModelingandMeasuringChangeintheGulfofMaine:TheLegacyoftheEcoSystemIndicatorsPartnership(ESIP)Tilburg,C.,Murdoch,P.,Parlee,K.,Latimer,J.,Elskus,A.,Liebman,M,Russell-Robinson,S.Presentedby:PeterMurdoch,pmurdoch@usgs.govTheEcoSystemIndicatorPartnership(ESIP),acommitteeoftheGulfofMaineCouncilontheMarineEnvironment(GOMC),wasformedtobetterunderstandandconveyinformationonthestatusandtrendsintheGulfofMaineecosystemandtheimpactsofhumanuse.TheprimarygoalsofESIPhavebeento(a)provideconsistent,scientifically-soundbaselinedataandinformationaboutecosystemconditionagainstwhichfuturechangescanbecompared;(b)ensurethatinformationreachesdecision-makerswithintheGulfofMaineandBayofFundyregioninamannerthatisusefultothem;and(c)provideeasyaccesstothecompileddataviaaweb-basedIndicatorReportingTool.Throughcollaborationwithregionalexpertsfromlocal,state,provincialandfederalgovernments,alongwithacademiaandmembersofnon-governmentorganizations,ESIPhasselectedtwenty-onepriorityindicatorsundersevenindicatorthemes.RecentlyESIP2.0hasbegunfocusingonindicatorstotrackecosystemservices--thebenefitsthatpeopleobtainfromtheecosystem.Thisworkisintendedtogobeyondprovidinginformationonhowecosystemsfunctiontoprovidinginformationthatwecanusetobettermanagethoseecosystemstomeetsocietalneeds.ESIPhasalsoreleasedaninnovativetool,linkingmobileSmartphonetechnologyandcitizensciencetovisuallydocumentchangesintheGulfofMaine–theESIPICUC(ISee,YouSee)SmartphoneApp.TheICUCuserscanlookupinformationaboutpre-selectedmonitoringlocations,andcansubmittime-stampedphotosfromthosesitestovisuallydocumentchangesovertime.EffortsareunderwaytopreservesomeorallofthesevaluableESIPcontributionstotheGOMcommunityastheprogramshiftstoaccommodatefundingconstraints.ApreliminarystudytestingtheeffectsofhighCO2ontheearlylifestagesofthenorthernsandlanceAmmodytesdubiusMurray,C.S.,Wiley,D.,Baumann,H.Presentedby:ChristopherS.Murray,christopher.murray@uconn.eduFishearlylifestagesarepotentiallyvulnerabletooceanacidification,yetdivergentresponsesarewelldocumentedacrosssimilarspeciesandevenpopulations.ThisvariationmayreflectlocaladaptationtoexistingCO2variabilityprevalentinmanycoastalsystems.Forexample,populationsthatspawninshallowandhighlyproductivesystemslikesaltmarsheslikelyproduceoffspringcapableoftoleratinglarge,biologicallydrivenCO2fluctuationstypicalduringspringandsummer.

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Conversely,fishthatspawnintheopen-oceanorduringwintergenerallyexperiencemorestableCO2conditionsduringearlylifeandmaylackadaptationsnecessaryforhighCO2tolerance.Asapilotstudy,weconductedaCO2exposureexperimentonoffspringofthenorthernsandlanceAmmodytesdubius,anecologicallyimportantforagefishthatspawnsonthenorthwestAtlanticshelfinearlywinter.Spawning-ripeadultswerecollectedfromStellwagenBankNationalMarineSanctuary.Fertilizedembryoswererearedattwotemperatures(5°and10°C)crossedwiththreeCO2levels(~400,900,and2,000µatm).At10°C,hatchingsuccesswasnearzeroacrossCO2treatments.At5°C,moderatehatchingsuccesswasobservedat400(22%)and900(15%)µatmCO2.However,at2,000µatmlessthan1%ofembryossurvivedtohatch.Hatchlength(treatmentaverage±SD)wassimilarat400(5.84±0.32mm)and900(5.78±0.57mm)µatmCO2.Insufficientsamplesprohibitedhatchlengthmeasurementsat2,000µatm.ThispreliminarystudysuggestshighCO2mayinfluencehatchingsuccessofA.dubius,howeverfurtherexperimentsareneededtoproducemorestatisticallyrobustresults.NetworkingacrosstheGulfofMaineSeavey,J.,Webber,H.,Sewall,L.,Cleaver,C.Presentedby:JenniferSeavey,jennifer.seavey@unh.eduTheNortheasternCoastalStationsAlliance(NeCSA)isanetworkofsmallfieldstationsspanningtheGulfofMaine—fromtheMaine/NewHampshirebordertoNovaScotia.Allstationsarecommittedtousingandleveragingexistingresources(location,personnel,equipment)tocontributecoupledabioticandbioticdatatoeachotherandtothelargercommunitytounderstandchangeintheGulfofMaine.Memberstationsrangeincapacity,structureandmission.In2015,fieldstationdirectorsandresearchersparticipatedinayearlongstrategicplanningprocesstodeterminealliancepriorities.Giventhespatialextentofmemberstationlocations,amajorprioritythatemergedwasimplementingstandardizedmonitoringtotrackchangesinthecoastalzone.In2016,wedistributedautonomoustemperatureloggers(Onset®TidbiT®v2TempDataLoggers)andasimple,lowcostdeploymentprotocoltotenNeCSAfieldstationstoexplorestandardizedmethodologiesandbestpracticesfordatasharing,andtoinformourgrowthasanalliance.In2017,wepilotedaprotocoltomonitortheintertidalbiota.Wewillreportonlessonslearnedaboutourcollaborativeeffortstodate,whichincludetheneedtobeadaptiveinstructureandfunctionandtoletinitiativesemergeorganically.

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InterspecificInteractionsandHabitatPreferencesofHarborSeals(Phocavitulinaconcolor)andGraySeals(Halichoerusgrypus)onDuckIslandandLedges,METommasi,K.,Bogomolni,A.,Lysiak,N.,Sette,L.Presentedby:KadieTommasi,kkt2001@wildcats.unh.eduThenumberofpinnipedsintheGulfofMainehasincreasedsincetheMarineMammalProtectionAct(MMPA)wentintoeffectin1972,makingitillegaltoharmorhuntallmarinemammalsintheUnitedStates.GrayandharborsealsinhabittheNorthwestAtlanticandfrequentlyutilizethesamehauloutareas,sometimesleadingtoaggressiveinterspecificinteractions.Subtledifferencesinhauloutareas,however,mayminimizeaggression.Previousstudiesshowedthatharborsealspreferredtohauloutonlargelandingareaseasilyaccessibleatbothhightideandlowtide,whilegraysealspreferredrockyledgesonlyaccessibleatlowtide.Between20and30shipboardphotographicsurveyswereconductedforthehauloutareasonDuckIslandandadjacentledgesduringsummerlowtidesin2011-2017.Wecountedthenumberofharborsealsandgraysealsperledgeforallsurveys.By2017,oneledgeoncedominatedbyharborsealsshiftedexclusivelytograysealsandthreeledgesgraysealsarebecomingmoreabundant.Harborsealshauloutareahaveshifted,possiblyinresponsetothesteadyincreaseofgrayseals.InfectiondynamicsofanAcanthocephalanparasite,Profilicollisbotulus,inthegreencrab,Carcinusmaenas,onthecoastofMaineVanKirk,T.,Bricknell,I.,Joyce,O.,Redcay,A.,Westbrook,M.,Spangenberg,C.,Lopez-Anido,R.,Gallandt,L.Presentedby:TylerVanKirk,tyler.d.van@maine.eduTheEuropeangreencrabCarcinusmaenasisaninvasivespeciestothecoastofMainethathasbeenproposedassustainablebaitforthelobsterindustry.C.maenasisalsotheintermediatehostoftheAcanthocephalanparasiteProfilicollisbotuluswhichhasbeensuspectedtoinfecttheAmericanlobsterHomarusamericanus.Littleisknownabouttheinfectiondynamicsofthisparasite,thereforemoreinformationaboutparasitedynamicsonthecoastofMaineisneeded.Moreinformationwillallowecologiststounderstandtheparasite’simpactonthecoastalMaineecology,andinformpolicymakersastowhetherC.maenascansafelybeusedasbait.CrabswerecollectedfromMay2017throughAugust2017fromthreealternatinglocationsontheMainecoastandtestedforparasiteprevalenceandintensity.Datacollectedwereputthroughpreliminaryanalysistotesttheimpactofavarietyoffactorsonparasiteinfectiondynamics.Foreachcrab,fivepiecesofdatawerecollected:sex,colormorph,carapacewidth,parasitepresence,andnumberofparasites.Fisher’sExactTestsandKruskal-WallisTestswereusedtocompareprevalenceamongdifferentsub-samples.Overall

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prevalenceforthesummerof2017was17%fortheentirecoast,aninsignificantincreasefrom14%inthesummerof2016.PrevalencewassignificantlyhigherinthesouthernmostbioregionofMaineat32%,followedbythemidcoastat13%andthenorthernmostlocationat10%.Prevalencewassignificantlyhigherthanaverageamongstthefollowinggroups:female,redcolormorphs,andberriedfemalecrabs.Intensitywasfoundtobehighestinthesouthernmostlocationatanaverageof5cystsperinstanceofinfection.Thesedatasupportthehypothesisthatachangingenvironmentcouldsignificantlyimpacthost-parasitedynamicsofgreencrabsonthecoastofMaine.MonitoringmarinesedimentasanindicatorofachangingoceanWhiting,M.,Steele,Z.,Clift,A.&Gropp,R.Presentedby:MarkWhiting,mark.c.whiting@gmx.comThepurposeofthisstudyistomonitorintertidalmarinesedimentpHandshellfishrecruitmentinHancockandWashingtonCountiesasindicatorsofoceanacidification.ThemonitoringprotocolandqualityassuranceproceduresaredesignedtoengageNGOs,citizenscientistsandacademicsinlong-termmonitoringoflocalresources.Datawillbeusedtoguidecommunitiesandothergovernmentagenciesinresourcemanagementdecisions.Preliminarydatashowssomepatterns,namely(1)sedimentpHisverylow,(2)thereareseasonalandintertidalvariations,(3)eelgrassappearstoprovideanimproved(higher)pHenvironmentcomparedtobaremudflats,and(4)clamrecruitmentispooratallsitesinvestigatedsofarfromDeerIsle,BlueHill,FrenchmanBayandGreatWassIsland.

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PresentingauthoraffiliationsandcontactinformationFirst Last Affiliation EmailaddressIan Breslow CornellUniversity irb4@cornell.eduAndre Bucci UniversityofMaine andre.bucci@maine.eduChris Chambers NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC,SandyHook chris.chambers@noaa.govKate Coupland UniversityofMaine-DarlingMarineCenter catherine.coupland@maine.eduMike Doan FriendsofCascoBay mdoan@cascobay.orgAnnie Evankow OceanGenomeLegacy,NortheasternUniversity a.evankow@northeastern.eduEmily Farr MaineCenterforCoastalFisheries efarr@coastalfisheries.orgBrittney Honisch BigelowLaboratoryforOceanSciences bhonisch@bigelow.orgChristopher Hunt UNH chunt@unh.eduBrianna King UniversityofMaine brianna.m.king@maine.eduMatt Liebman EPA liebman.matt@epa.govCollin Love FisheriesandWildlife;MichiganStateUniversity lovecol1@msu.eduRachel Marshall CapeCodCommercialFishermen'sAlliance rachel.carmen.marshall@gmail.comRu Morrison NERACOOS Ru@neracoos.orgPeter Murdoch USGeologicalSurvey pmurdoch@usgs.gov

Sara RandallDowneastInstituteforAppliedMarineResearch&Education sara.randall1!@maine.edu

Joseph Salisbury UniversityofNewHampshire joe.salisbury@unh.eduJennifer Seavey ShoalsMarineLabortory,UNH&Cornell jrs583@cornell.eduKadie Tommasi UniversityofNewHampshire kkt2001@wildcats.unh.eduPage Valentine U.S.GeologicalSurvey pvalentine@usgs.govTyler VanKirk UniversityofMaineEPSCoR-SEANET tyler.d.van@maine.edu

Mark WhitingHancockCountySoilandWaterConservationDistrict mark.c.whiting@gmx.com

Theodore Willis UniversityofSouthernMaine theodore.willis@maine.eduMadelyn Woods Marine&EnvironmentalResearchInstitute mwoods@meriresearch.orgLibby Jewett NOAA libby.jewett@noaa.govChristopher Murray UniversityofConnecticut christopher.murray@uconn.eduParker Gassett UniversityofMaine parker.gassett@maine.eduAaron Strong UniversityofMaine aaron.strong@maine.edu

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Allattendees:affiliationsandcontactinformationFirst Last Affiliation Emailaddress

Susie Arnold IslandInstitute sarnold@islandinstitute.orgJackie Ball NERACOOS jball@neracoos.orgMarti Blair CascoBayEstuaryPartnership marti.blair@maine.edu

Curtis Bohlen Director,CascoBayEstuaryPartnership curtis.bohlen@maine.eduDiane Borggaard NOAA/NMFS diane.borggaard@noaa.govIan Breslow CornellUniversity irb4@cornell.edu

Angela Brewer MaineDEP angela.d.brewer@maine.govAndre Bucci UniversityofMaine andre.bucci@maine.eduChris Chambers NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC,SandyHook chris.chambers@noaa.gov

James Chhor Marine&EnvironmentalResearchInstitute jchhor@meriresearch.orgKate Coupland UniversityofMaine-DarlingMarineCenter catherine.coupland@maine.eduJames Coyer ShoalsMarineLaboratory james.coyer@unh.edu

David Divins UNHSchoolofMarineScienceandOceanEngineering david.divins@unh.eduMike Doan FriendsofCascoBay mdoan@cascobay.orgClaire Enterline DepartmentofMarineResources claire.enterline@maine.gov

Annie Evankow OceanGenomeLegacy,NortheasternUniversity a.evankow@northeastern.eduEmily Farr MaineCenterforCoastalFisheries efarr@coastalfisheries.orgIvy Frignoca FriendsofCascoBay ifrignoca@cascobay.org

Graham Giese CenterforCoastalStudies ggiese@coastalstudies.orgJason Grear USEPA-AtlanticEcologyDivision grear.jason@epa.govAmy Grondin GlobalOceanHealth Ajgrondin@gmail.com

Robin Gropp MaineConservationCorps:HancockCountySWCD rgropp@hancockcountyswcd.orgBen Haskell StellwagenBankNationalMarineSanctuary(NOAA) ben.haskell@noaa.govChrissy Hernandez WoodsHoleOceanographicInstitution chernandez@whoi.edu

Brittney Honisch BigelowLaboratoryforOceanSciences bhonisch@bigelow.orgChristopher Hunt UNH chunt@unh.eduMichael Johnson NOAA mike.r.johnson@noaa.gov

Brianna King UniversityofMaine brianna.m.king@maine.eduNate Kinsman UniversityofNewHampshire nak1001@wildcats.unh.eduZack Klyver BarHarborWhaleWatchCo. zackklyver@yahoo.com

John Kraeuter Univ.NewEngland jkraeuter@une.eduMick Kuhns MaineDEP mick.kuhns@maine.govAlix Laferriere TheNatureConservancy alix.laferriere@tnc.org

James Latimer USEPA latimer.jim@epa.govKate Leavitt SeacoastScienceCenter k.leavitt@sscnh.orgJoan LeBlanc GulfofMaineCouncil jleblanc@gulfofmaine.org

Matt Liebman

liebman.matt@epa.govTaylor Lindsay UniversityofNewHampshire trl1004@wildcats.unh.eduJoel Llopiz WoodsHoleOceanographicInst. jllopiz@whoi.edu

Collin Love FisheriesandWildlife;MichiganStateUniversity lovecol1@msu.eduRachel Marshall CapeCodCommercialFishermen'sAlliance rachel.carmen.marshall@gmail.comChristopher McGuire TheNatureConservancy cmcguire@tnc.org

Melissa Melendez UniversityofNewHampshire mm19@wildcats.unh.edu

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Jeremy Miller WellsNERR jmiller@wellsnerr.orgKathy Mills GulfofMaineResearchInstitute kmills@gmri.orgRu Morrison NERACOOS Ru@neracoos.org

Peter Murdoch USGeologicalSurvey pmurdoch@usgs.govRichard Nelson CommercialFisherman-MOCA fvpescadero@yahoo.comJanet Nye StonyBrookUniversity janet.nye@stonybrook.edu

Anneliese Pugh UMaineDarlingMarineCenter anneliese.pugh@maine.edu

Sara RandallDowneastInstituteforAppliedMarineResearch&Education sara.randall1!@maine.edu

Thomas Robben COA robben99@gmail.com

Josep Salisbury UniversityofNewHampshire joe.salisbury@unh.eduAmanda Santoni EPA Santoni.Amanda@epa.govSusan Schubel NationalAudubonSeabirdRestorationProgram sschubel@tidewater.net

Teresa Schwemmer SoMAS,StonyBrookUniversity teresa.schwemmer@stonybrook.edujennifer seavey ShoalsMarineLabortory,UNH&Cornell jrs583@cornell.eduPaula Shannon Audubon pshannon@audubon.org

Geoffrey Smith TheNatureConservancy geoffrey_smith@tnc.orgAnna Soule UniversityofMaine anna.soule1@maine.eduMargaret Stack Marine&EnvironmentalResearchInstitute mstack@meriresearch.org

Esperanza Stancioff UMaineExtension/MESeaGrant Esp@maine.eduZachary Steele HancockCountySoilandWaterConservationDistrict zsteele@hancockcountyswcd.orgJoshua Stoll UniversityofMaine joshua.stoll@maine.edu

Justin Suca WoodsHoleOceanographicInstitution jsuca@whoi.eduPeter Taylor WaterviewConsulting peter@waterviewconsulting.comDianne Tilton DowneastInstitute dtilton@downeastinstitute.org

Kadie Tommasi UniversityofNewHampshire kkt2001@wildcats.unh.eduTheresa Torrent

theresa.torrent@maine.gov

David Townsend UniversityofMaine davidt@maine.edu

Dwight Trueblood NOAA/OfficeforCoastalManagement dwight.trueblood@noaa.govBeth Turner NOAA/NOS/NCCOS elizabeth.turner@noaa.govPage Valentine U.S.GeologicalSurvey pvalentine@usgs.gov

Tyler VanKirk UniversityofMaineEPSCoR-SEANET tyler.d.van@maine.eduPRASSEDE VELLA MassBaysNationalEstuaryProgram PRASSEDE.VELLA@STATE.MA.USChris Vonderweidt GMRI cvonderweidt@gmail.com

Lifei Wang GulfofMaineResearchInstitute wanglifei2005@hotmail.comHannah Webber SchoodicInstituteatAcadiaNationalPark hwebber@schoodicinstitute.orgLinda Welch USFishandWildlifeService Linda_Welch@fws.gov

Bik Wheeler CollegeoftheAtlantic/AcadiaNationalPark bruce_connery@nps.govMeredith White MookSeaFarm meredith.megan.white@gmail.comMark Whiting HancockCountySoilandWaterConservationDistrict mark.c.whiting@gmx.com

Theodore Willis UniversityofSouthernMaine theodore.willis@maine.eduMadelyn Woods Marine&EnvironmentalResearchInstitute mwoods@meriresearch.org