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Interview with Scott Johnston, US Fish and Wildlife
One of Manomet’s core beliefs is that by working in partnership, we can more effectively influence and scale our impact. One key example of this partnership is the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative (AFSI), led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Manomet serves on the Executive Committee of AFSI, working closely with Scott Johnston of the USFWS. We had the opportunity to sit down with Scott to get an update on the ASFI business plan and some of his other work. Tell us a little bit about your work at the USFWS. I am the Branch Chief for Populations in the Division of Migratory Birds, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region. The Branch of Populations focuses on waterfowl,...
Understanding the rise of blue crabs in the Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine's warming waters are making conditions just right for this historically mid-Atlantic resident to set up shop. How will their emergence affect Maine's fishing industry, and what are community members doing to help scientists measure their impact? By Rafeed Hussain Beautiful. Savory. Swimmer. That’s what the scientific name for Atlantic blue crabs aptly translates to. These delectable decapods are quintessential to the fabric of the mid-Atlantic seafood scene, culture, and economy. In fact, about half of all blue crabs sold in the U.S. come from Chesapeake Bay. But climate change may be redefining what’s considered home territory for blue crabs—and for the North Atlantic fishing communities whose livelihoods depend on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. “Historically, outside...
Boosting coastal resilience with shorebirds
Rather than armoring our coastlines, we should help people and shorebirds alike by turning to living shorelines to strengthen resilience to sea level rise and extreme weather events By James Lowen Setting his throne on the seashore, Canute the Great commanded the incoming tide to halt. He knew it would not. The 11th-century King of England, Denmark and Norway – whose name is today carried by Red Knot (Calidris canutus) – was illustrating the limits of human power when faced with the mighty elements. Let all men see, he reportedly beseeched, how empty and worthless is the power of kings. A millennium later, as people and wildlife living along coastlines are swamped by rising seas and battered by intense storms,...
Manomet and partners receive NOAA funding for outdoor learning and climate literacy in Brockton
One of nine projects funded by NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program, the new Brockton Kids Lead the Way initiative aims to foster city students’ connection to nature. BROCKTON, MA — This fall, Manomet, Wildlands Trust, and Brockton Public Schools will launch Brockton Kids Lead the Way, an ambitious education initiative designed to boost climate resilience and environmental stewardship in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts. This work is made possible thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Environmental Literacy Program and is one of nine projects chosen to receive funding to advance climate resilience through education in the U.S. this year. Manomet and its partners will use the funding to design and build outdoor learning spaces in collaboration with teachers...
Why New England’s coastlines are especially vulnerable to climate change
By Emily Renaud All of Earth’s natural systems will be impacted by our rapidly warming climate, but some habitats–the natural homes where animals, plants, and other organisms live–are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than others. A recent climate vulnerability assessment, published in PLOS ONE, is the first report of its kind aimed at determining which habitats in the Northeast are most likely to feel the worst effects. Take, for instance, the Gulf of Maine. It’s a highly diverse and productive marine ecosystem, with coastal waters teeming with biodiversity, but it's warming faster than 99 percent of the world's oceans. The Gulf of Maine is getting hotter, quickly, and that's changing the population dynamics of the region's species...
Emily Farr
Emily joined Manomet’s Fisheries team in October 2021. She is focused on supporting local fisheries leaders and communities in diversifying fishing opportunities, strengthening adaptive management, and building collaborative networks. Before joining Manomet, Emily worked for the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation, where she collaborated with partners to integrate climate and ecosystem information into fisheries management. Previously, she worked with Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries researching fishery diversification. She has milked goats in Vermont, worked on seaweed and shellfish aquaculture research in Connecticut, and written about food policy for Edible magazine. Emily received a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Master in food systems from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy.
Setting the stage for fisheries recoveries
On a sunny Saturday in spring 2019, several hundred people gathered to watch the spectacle of alewives making their way up a tributary of the Bagaduce River to Pierce’s Pond in Penobscot, a community on the shores of Maine’s Penobscot Bay. Kids and adults marveled at the powerful instinct that drives this small fish to work its way upstream. Ospreys and eagles circled overhead, looking for an opportunity to snatch a meal from the teeming waters. But this lively natural event hasn’t always been so, and there is still a lot of potential for conservation progress. Manomet and partners like the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (MCCF) are working closely with local communities in Downeast Maine and other nonprofits like...
Whimbrel Migration: Summer 2020 Update
Whimbrel migration is in full swing! From July through late September, Whimbrel migrate southward from their Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding grounds and some spend up to a month with us along our coast. While in Massachusetts, Whimbrel spend almost all of their time in the saltmarshes feeding on fiddler crabs—an important staple in their diet. After replenishing their energy reserves, Whimbrel in Massachusetts will typically make a non-stop, trans-oceanic flight to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean Islands or all the way to the north coast of South America. Manomet’s Shorebird Recovery team is excited to share an update on what “our” satellite-transmittered Whimbrel have been up to over the last few months. These birds’ stories continue to help us...
Manomet wins awards to support work diversifying fisheries through aquaculture
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s oceans. The very foundations of the ecosystem are changing, causing new species to move in and others to leave. To maintain the livelihoods of New England fishers and healthy, delicious, and sustainable seafood options, it’s important for humans to adapt to the changing ecosystem. Manomet has recently received multiple grants for one project that is a potential diversification strategy for shellfish harvesters hit hard by historically low soft-shell clam landings, and for oyster farmers looking to hedge against a rapidly increasing supply of oysters in Maine and across the Northeast. In August, Manomet was awarded a grant from The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program to...
Is a soft-shell green crab industry viable in New England?
NOAA Fisheries awards Manomet $267,440 to investigate Brunswick, ME – September 11, 2018 – Manomet has been awarded a grant of $267,440 by the NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program to expand work to develop a lucrative green crab fishery in New England and provide a new source of economic opportunity for fishers and coastal communities. The grant will be used to implement long-term green crab population monitoring, explore new pathways to developing the soft-shell green crab fishery, increase marketing and outreach efforts, and begin to determine the economic viability of a soft-shell fishery. The European green crab was brought to the U.S. in the early 1800’s. As the Gulf of Maine warms, this invasive species is thriving. It is a voracious...