Abstracts

Ecosystem services are an emergent tool that provide a framework for decision making in managing public lands as a socio-ecological system. Broadly, ecosystem services are defined as the benefits that the environment provides to humans for free. Understanding how new developments on public lands im...

In 2011, the Gulf of Maine’s northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) population reached an unprecedented low due to harvesting and climate change. For decades Maine shrimp were a complement to the iconic Maine lobster. In response to the decimated population, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commi...

This project will work to determine ways to utilize aronia berries for consumption. The abstract explains that, allthough, this berry is packed with numerous health benefits, due to it's large amounts of astrigency, it is rarely consumed. This experiment will use the pomace and juice from the aronia...

An important ecological question is how different environments can influence infectious disease dynamics. In particular, anthropogenic factors, such as land use, may play a role in altering nesting and foraging habitats of wild birds, thereby affecting transmission and individual susceptibility to ...

  Our study assessed the long-term ecological effects of riparian management practices on forested headwater streams throughout western Maine in order to provide information that managers can use to balance economic gains from forest harvest while safeguarding freshwater resources. As an undergradu...

Cochlear Implants and Vestibular Dysfunction Isabel Alesse, Willow Beccia, Jordan Belanger, Emily Brackett, Emma Jandreau University of Maine In the United States alone 41,000 adults and 26,000 children have cochlear implants to aid in their communication, according to The National Institute of Heal...

The black bear (Ursus americanus) is an important species native to Maine which provides recreational, sentimental, and ecological value to the region, yet to date we do not have a protocol to assess black bear reproductive success over the entire state. This is a major issue, as reproductive su...

Hydroponic production of plants is a multi-billion-dollar industry that allows for year-round production of crops in temperate climates. Plants in hydroponic systems receive water and nutrients from a chamber of solution in which roots are suspended. However, the components of many commercially avai...

Recent outbreaks in frozen foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes have caused a desire to increase sanitizing capacity of post-harvest processing lines. The goal of this study was to compare the sanitizing capacity of peroxyacetic acid (PAA), and chlorine against Listeria innocua and native ...

Despite containing nutritionally important proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, and minerals, invasive green crabs (Carcinus maenas) are not commercially utilized due to their small size [1]. A variety of peptides derived from muscle foods are known to have health benefits therefore, the primary objec...

Disruption of the global nitrogen (N) cycle has led to environmental problems and increased interest in the fate of N. Denitrification and anammox remove N from systems as dinitrogen, while dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) retains N as ammonium. Controlling factors on the partition...

Candida albicans resides in most humans as a commensal organism. In some cases, however, it is pathogenic and causes infection, including yeast infections that are contracted by many women. In an average healthy human this infection only causes slight discomfort, though in immunocompromised patie...

From 2004 to 2013, the Gulf of Maine warmed faster than 99% of the world’s oceans1, but the processes driving recent temperature change are not fully understood. The Gulf’s increasing temperature poses a threat to ecosystems and fisheries that serve as key economic resources for coastal commun...

  Abstract Invasive plant species can impact the ecology of an ecosystem through modification of habitats, which can influence the ecology and abundance of important disease vectors, such as mosquitoes. Invasive and native plant species harbor different microbial communities, which can alter mosqui...

Caseous lymphadenitis (CL), a disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, causes dry abscesses of the lymph nodes and internal organs of small ruminants. C. pseudotuberculosis is a facultative intracellular parasite, meaning it can live and reproduce inside and outside of ...

Abstract Molecular photoswitches are playing increasingly central roles in interrogating the functions of chemical systems by allowing for selective conversion between two distinct states [1]. With applications in fields including but not limited to; neurobiology [2], chemical synthesis, and even...

    The greatest barrier to growth in the salmon aquaculture industry is infestation by parasitic copepods known as sea lice. Sea lice can render fish unmarketable or vulnerable to secondary infections by feeding on the blood, skin, and muscle tissue of their host. In the infective copepodid stage...

  The microbial community on and within an animal host is of vital importance to its health, due to its role in digestion, energy regulation and metabolism, growth, and immune defense. Despite this, it has been largely understudied in wild avian species. The objective of this study is to contribute...

Over the past few decades, the U.S. coastline has been rapidly transforming. Much of this change is due to growth in marine aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries production, development of recreational and conservation areas and expansion of coastal infrastructure, coupled with increasing coastal p...

The antioxidant capacity of seaweed varies by color and species. Antioxidants have been linked to decreasing oxidative stress, which is crucial in disease treatment and prevention. The overall goal of this research is to compare the total phenolic content (TPC) and radical scavenging capacity of fou...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is free floating DNA left behind by an organism as it travels through an environment. eDNA sampling methods can reduce the logistical, ethical, and financial difficulties inherent in current approaches that obtain DNA from tissue samples. In this study, we tested the hypoth...

Seaweeds, such as sugar kelp, are rich source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and especially the medicinal bioactive active compounds in the form of dietary fibers (alginates, carrageenan, fucoidan, laminarin) and secondary polyphenolic metabolites (fucoxanthin, phlorotanni...

Ecosystem carrying capacity and aquaculture growth models often incorporate detritus as a diet source for bivalves; however, these models treat detritus as a homogenous entity, which it is not. The purpose of the current study was to assess the viability of detritus from several primary producers to...

Wind induced mortality is an integral part of the Acadian forest natural disturbance regime (Fraver, 2009). The risk of windthrow and windsnap in managed forest stands that undergo commercial thinning, however, is not well quantified. Precommercial (PCT) and Commercial (CT) thinning are important t...

As global temperatures continue to increase, so does the need to better assess the sensitivity of different species to climate change. Such assessments require accurate behavioral and physiological data, including on thermoregulation and the effects of high temperatures on the behavior of endotherms...

  The cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum L., is a tetraploid crop from the Solanaceae family and the fourth most important food crop in the world. Approximately 40 potato viruses are known to infect potato crops, causing tuber defects and reducing crop yield, which results in a loss of income for...

  The North Pacific is atmospherically complex, such that regional climate is a reflection of both local and far-reaching oceanic and atmospheric conditions. Predicting the ways in which regional conditions will respond to warming global temperatures represents a knowledge gap that must be filled i...

Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a chronic disease of sheep and goats caused by the pathogenic bacterium, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Cp). The disease is characterized by the formation of “caseous” abscesses which cause significant decreases in wool, meat, and milk production of these anima...

One major component of a sustainable timber harvest is the trees left behind after the harvest. Depending on landowner objectives, these residual trees may be intended for future growth in value, wildlife habitat promotion, seed supply, or general aesthetics. With large mechanized harvesting equipme...

Camera trapping is one of the best research methods for surveying carnivore populations, and non-invasive survey methods are rapidly increasing in popularity. Detection probability is one of the most important parameters in estimating detection probability. The use of attractants with remote camer...

This project focuses on the age structure of sea pens, particularly Pennatula aculeata, a benthic cnidarian sea pen species found primarily in cold, deep-water environments. Sea pens have a skeletal structure known as the axial rod, that exhibits growth rings in cross sections. In this study, the ex...

Due to rising oceanic temperatures there is an inherent trend of organisms being forced to either adapt or resign to extinction. Despite significant advances in research focusing on identifying “winners” and “losers” of ocean warming, little is known about developmental susceptibility of org...

A large majority of the people of Maine live in the Casco Bay watershed. People living in high density coastal areas tend to lead to increases non-point and point sources of nutrients. Excess nutrients, especially nitrogen, in marine waterways can often lead to eutrophication and hypoxia. If eutroph...

Coastal shellfish aquaculture has expanded substantially in recent years in Maine and New England as traditional wild fishery stocks have declined. As shellfish aquaculture has expanded, producers have become more concerned about marine worm pests (i.e., polychaetes) that infest cultured bivalves. I...

  Seaweeds including sugar kelp (Laminaria saccharina) are highly seasonal and perishable because of high moisture content, limiting their shelf life. Freezing can be employed to extend the shelf-life. Blanching prior to freezing may prevent enzymatic activity that could affect quality during stora...

  Manufacture of value-added foods from maple products, particularly maple sap, represents a significant economic opportunity for Maine maple producers. Kombucha, a popular beverage produced by fermenting sweetened black tea, was prepared with water and sugar (control), water and syrup, sap and sug...

Polymers Kappa-Carrageenan (KC) and Cellulose Nano Fibers (CNF) were successfully grafted with gallic acid, to yield gallic acid modified polymers with anti-oxidant capacity and polymer films with considerable mechanical properties. The polymers KC and CNF were modified using two different methods u...

  Abstract   Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) are highly social odontocetes. Their social structure is poorly understood, with seasonal variation likely to be at play. Mass stranding events are common for this species, particularly in the Northeast US, and provide a valuable o...

  The winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) is increasing in abundance throughout the North, contributing to increased mortality in moose populations across the United States. In this study, we (1) examined the population genetic diversity of winter ticks in Maine, and (2) contrasted winter tick div...

Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) are distributed across northern North America and are a prized gamebird throughout their range. Endoparasitism has been explored as a potential cause of population decline in several regions. Although parasitism was exonerated as the sole cause of specific declines, t...