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While the Gulf of Maine is one of the most productive bodies
of water on Earth, little is known about hundreds of species
abiding in this biodiverse area, and even less about the relationship
of these species to their environment.
Some secrets of the deep may soon be revealed, as teams of
scientists embark on a pilot project of The Census of Marine
Life of the Gulf of Maine, part of a ten-year, multimillion
dollar research initiative that will study changes in diversity,
distribution and abundance of life in the oceans.
USM's Muskie School, in cooperation with USM's Bioscience
Research Institute (BRISM), has been chosen as the organizational
hub for this important pilot, which is part of one of the
most comprehensive, global biodiversity projects ever undertaken:
The Census of Marine Life.
The Muskie School recently was awarded a $1,645,000 grant
from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support its role in
the census, which scientists and others connected with the
project say will provide the tools needed to help ensure the
long-term viability of the Gulf of Maine.
The Gulf of Maine census will include teams of scientists
from the University of Maine and other leading research institutions
around the gulf. The pilot brings together decades of existing
data compiled by scientists, researchers, and marine fisheries
agencies in the U.S. and Canada, and will expand knowledge
of the interconnectedness of life in the Gulf through a variety
of new field studies.
One of the most widely useful tools developed through the
project will be a Dynamic Atlas -- an electronic atlas that
will use GIS technology to combine and map sets of data on
the Gulf of Maine to reveal patterns within the ecosystem.
"It will be available on the Internet and will allow
people to get direct access to the data and to create maps
on demand," said Muskie School Associate Professor Evan
Richert, who is directing the pilot. This information will
be vital in helping scientists, resource managers, educators,
and industry develop plans for ecological resource management.
"The whole ecosystem of the oceans upon which our survival
ultimately depends is tied back to the diversity of life in
the oceans," said Richert. "Right now, we don't
know enough either to conserve biodiversity or to make the
best use of it."
According to Senior Research Scientist Lewis Incze, of USM's
Bioscience Research Institute, the Gulf of Maine's geography
and oceanography combine to make it one of the most productive
water bodies in the world. "It's a marginal sea, with
limited exchange with open sea, which gives it a lot of internal
dynamics. There is a steep biogeographic gradient and wide
range of temperatures. It's also heavily exploited, which
makes it a good place to look at man's impact on the system."
Incze, who recently came to BRISM after many years as research
scientist and director of The Bigelow Laboratory, is chief
scientist for the program. He will oversee scientific objectives
and provide broad leadership to the teams of scientists preparing
for field studies. Major research areas will include studies
of plankton, benthos (bottom-dwelling organisms), commercial
and non-commercial fish, and top predators, such as whales.
"We are trying to understand the extent to which natural
and man-made change has affected the system," said Incze.
"For instance, fish production seems to be way down.
Why? What do we need to do to set things right? We have to
look at how different forms of life relate to each other and
their environments. It's not just a question of fishing removals.
The long-term integrity of the system depends on the full
diversity of organisms."
While the Sloan Foundation grant provides three-year funding
for the Census of the Gulf of Maine, more monies will be needed
to successfully complete the pilot, according to Richert.
A $31,000 grant from the Davis Foundation is helping to fund
the Dynamic Atlas, but additional funding will be needed to
make the atlas fully operational. Funding pathways for field
studies must also be found.
"I'm optimistic because I think it's a great project,
said Richert. "It will be one of the most important conservation
tools we have for the Gulf of Maine." For information
on the census of the Gulf of Maine, visit: www.usm.maine.edu/gulfofmaine-census.
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