Search Results

Webinars

Want to learn from Manomet's staff and partners? Watch one of our webinars! Our scientists and experts explain the mysteries of why birds migrate, the importance of river herring in coastal food webs, and so much more. Attend future webinars listed under "Upcoming Virtual Programming", or catch up with recordings of previous webinars! Stay up-to-date with Manomet's events and conservation news stories by joining Manomet's e-news.

River Herring: Little Fish, Big Impact

To continue our work in light of the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation, Manomet is expanding our virtual programming. We invite you to join us for a webinar presentation led by Anne Hayden from Manomet’s Fisheries Division. River herring are the foundation of healthy coastal ecosystems, which stretch from the headwaters of coastal watersheds through estuaries to the deeper waters of the Gulf of Maine. River herring are critical forage for fish, birds, and other wildlife. Populations are likely less than 10% of historic levels, due to dams, overfishing and pollution. Growing momentum for river herring restoration is helping to rebuild populations of these ecologically important fish, enhancing coastal ecosystems, and increasing resilience to climate impacts. Join us to hear and see the...

Celebrating Citizen Science Month

April is citizen science month! There are plenty of ways you and your family can participate in citizen science projects this spring while being safe and also having fun. Check out some activities from our science staff to learn how you can become a #ManometCitizenScientist! Use this hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your family’s adventures in field science with us. Migration Magic Did you know that billions of birds fly north every spring from South and Central America to breed and nest during the summer? Right now, warblers, vireos, orioles, and more are heading to a forest, park, or yard near you to rest and feed before continuing their northward migration. Many will even stay for the summer!...

New England’s Fisheries: The Good, the Bad, and How You Can Help

Amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus, it is reassuring to know that spring is on track here in New England. Manomet Fisheries staff conducted a survey (which doubled as both forest bathing and a sanity walk) of nearby coastal waters this week and we can report that the spring phytoplankton bloom is well underway! As they do every year, single-celled algae, known as phytoplankton, are flourishing in response to increased sunlight and a replenished nutrient supply; the water is visibly greener [photo]. We are looking forward to the return of the river herring in May; a new grant will allow us to continue our work with community-driven restoration projects. Similarly, our quahog aquaculture experiments, currently overwintering on four oyster...

Green crab fish sauce, anyone? Making the most out of the invasive green crabs

Manomet wins Sea Grant award to continue research into value-added food products which utilize green crabs BRUNSWICK, ME – Manomet, as part of a partnership with the University of Maine and others, has been awarded a grant of $83,700 by the Maine Sea Grant program to expand work to develop commercial markets as a mitigation strategy for ecosystem damage and predation by invasive green crabs. Experts from both food and fisheries science— including University of Maine (lead), Manomet, New Hampshire Sea Grant, Chef Ali Waks— will collaborate under this project to assess the potential for utilization of green crab waste streams in novel versions of established food products, like fermented seafood sauce and surimi. The European green crab was brought...

Maine Fishermen’s Forum

Fishing in the Gulf of Maine generates nearly $4 billion each year and provides as many as 100,000 jobs. This economy is threatened if we don’t understand how to adapt to the changes in species brought on by the warming Gulf of Maine. Manomet fisheries scientists Marissa McMahan and Anne Hayden will represent Manomet at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, Maine, from March 5-7. This annual event is the largest gathering of fishermen, scientists, and policymakers in New England and a great place to showcase our work to sustain fish and fishing livelihoods in a changing Gulf of Maine. Manomet believes solving today’s complex global issues like adapting to the warming Gulf of Maine requires bringing together people with diverse points of...

Winners of the 2020 Wade Fellowship and Leddy Award

Each year, Manomet is able to provide additional support to key projects thanks to two internal awards. We are pleased to be able to announce that the following staff and projects are the recipients of the FY2020 awards. The Emily V. Wade Fellowship for Science The Emily “Paddy” V. Wade Fellowship for Science is awarded annually for the purpose of funding “those ideas that best articulate the spirit and excitement of scientific discovery through field research. While field science will be given preference, syntheses and/or compilations of earlier data collected by Manomet scientists, may also be considered.” The award was established to honor Paddy Wade who served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Manomet from 1993 to 2010...

Flight Feathers

In Chevak, Alaska, right now (January 29, 2020), the temperature is twelve below zero, but it feels like forty below zero with a strong wind out of the northwest.  Chevak is a village of Cup’ik people on the coast of the Yukon River Delta. While the coastal village is currently deep into winter, with just seven hours of daylight, rapid day-length gains during the next few months with eventually bring light onto the land for almost twenty-four hours a day. The sun will pump new life into the tundra of the vast Delta surrounding Chevak and other villages, bringing a virtual crescendo of wildlife activity by late May. In the spring seasons of both 2015 and 2016, Manomet’s shorebird biologists...

Ospreys: A dramatic recovery story

Ospreys might be one of the most famous conservation success stories of all time, with populations dipping dangerously low during the mid-20th century due to pesticide use post World War II. Today, Ospreys have bounced back in huge numbers and can easily be found throughout the coastline during the spring and summer months here in New England. But, did you know that Ospreys are actually found on every continent except Antarctica and migrate tremendous distances, just like the landbirds and shorebirds our program staff study? Dr. Alan Poole has been studying Ospreys for 35 years and has written two books on his work with the species. We sat down with him to talk about Ospreys’ amazing resurgence, thoughts on their...

First recorded sighting of a Smooth Mud Crab in Maine

Brunswick, ME – October 8, 2019 – A Manomet scientist found the first recorded Smooth Mud Crab in Maine while doing research on quahog aquaculture last week. The Smooth Mud Crab, which has a native range from the Gulf of Mexico to Massachusetts’ Vineyard Sound, is commonly found in shallow coastal habitat and is known to prey upon juvenile oysters and other small invertebrates. “After checking numerous sources, we believe this is the first recorded sighting of a Smooth Mud Crab in Maine,” said Dr. Marissa McMahan, Manomet’s Fisheries Division Director who found the crab in an oyster bag in the New Meadows River in West Bath, Maine. “The Smooth Mud Crab typically likes warmer waters than are found here....