Sydney Avena is a first-year M.S. student studying Atlantic sea scallop hatchery culture. Sydney obtained her B.S. in Marine Science from the 91±¬ÁÏ in 2021 and has been working with the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center since then, with prior research focused on the social license to operate for aquaculture and on growout technology for juvenile Atlantic sea scallops. Currently, she works to “crack the shell” of sea scallop hatchery production. A lack of a steady, hatchery-sourced supply of seed is one of the barriers to expansion of the sea scallop aquaculture industry in Maine. Sydney is part of a collaborative effort between industry and academia to optimize the survival and growth of larval scallops, with an end goal of producing reliable and reproducible hatchery protocols.

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Dr. Damian Brady is an associate professor of marine science at the 91±¬ÁÏ’s Ira C. in Walpole, ME. Dr. Brady has studied estuaries all over the world for over 15 years. He is especially interested in how to link water quality with ecosystems. Because we rely on the coast for tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, pollution processing, and energy (offshore wind and tidal power generation), Dr. Brady has focused on creating tools and models that can explore hypothetical uses of the coast to help communities better reflect their values in how they use their environment. Dr. Brady is the lead of the Ecological Carrying Capacity of Maine Estuaries Research Theme of NSF’s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network and the assistant director of Maine Sea Grant for Research. Dr. Brady lives in Hallowell, ME with his wife and three daughters.

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Phoebe Churney is a Master’s student in the Brady lab studying on Gulf of Maine kelp forests. Her research investigates how temperature and chemical stressors impact the physiology of kelp gametophytes and the restoration potential of Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp).

She first became interested in kelp forests during her 2022 OWUSS/AAUS internship with Bigelow Laboratory and Shane Farrell, where she conducted statewide kelp forest surveys and environmental DNA (eDNA) research. She earned her B.S. in Marine Biology and Small Vessel Operations (USCG Mate 200 GRT Near Coastal) from Maine Maritime Academy.

Before beginning graduate school, Phoebe held a range of internship and research roles involving scientific diving, conservation, molecular work, and time at sea as a Mate on the R/V Point Sur. She is excited to continue contributing to kelp research in her home state of Maine.

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Aiden is a Masters student currently studying bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) aquaculture in one of the most productive estuaries in Maine, the Damariscotta River. This project includes viewing how stocking density, location of the river, and types of gear affect the growth rate and mortality of this species in Maine waters. This field work combined with research into the potential market for these species will be used to determine if commercial culture of bay scallops is feasible in Maine. Aiden works full time on an oyster farm on the river and enjoys reading and photography in his free time. 

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Struan Coleman is pursuing a Master’s degree in marine policy at the 91±¬ÁÏ. He is particularly interested in the optimization of the emerging sea scallop aquaculture industry in the Northwest Atlantic. As Maine’s shellfish aquaculture sector expands, farmers are beginning to diversify revenue streams with new species. Struan is working to aid in these efforts by developing models and tools that can help inform future scallop site selection and best growing practices. His broader research goal is to decrease uncertainty for potential new entrants into the sector. He is quantifying the impacts of environmental variables and various scallop culture methods on growth and farm performance at different sites along Maine’s coast in order to arrive at these conclusions. Struan is also a Diana Davis Spencer Scholar at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, a diverse cohort of researchers and graduate students in Maine seeking solutions to strengthen Maine’s coastal economies.

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Robert “Bert” Cuddy is a masters student in the Brady lab pursuing a degree in marine biology. Originally from Hudson, Massachusetts, Bert came to Maine to study botany but soon realized he preferred the sea. He has never regretted the switch. As an undergrad, Bert worked in the Brady lab as an intern studying the effects of induced sediment and algal loads on feeding characteristics of Atlantic Scallop. After completing his undergraduate in marine science in 2020, he immediately jumped into a master program. His current research focuses using feeding characteristics of Atlantic scallops to improve site selection for scallop farmers. However, he hopes to expand his studies into other commercially important GOM bivalves as well. When he isn’t working you will find him fishing, playing guitar, or fixing his jeep.

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Claire Enterline is pursuing a PhD studying the impacts of climate change on marine species. Her research will build a scientific understanding of past changes in lobster populations and the influence of oceanographic and ecosystem drivers, with a focus on rapid, high magnitude, and potentially irreversible regime shifts and tipping points. Identifying drivers and indicators of regime shifts and tipping points in lobster populations provides a necessary foundation for climate adaptation and resilience planning in lobster fisheries. Additional research will examine differences and similarities among climate resilience strategies in various global fisheries
systems. Claire brings a background in coastal and marine fisheries and habitat monitoring, modeling, and restoration. Her past research and projects have focused on characterizing the marine benthic environment of the Gulf of Maine, assessing blue carbon stocks, developing habitat restoration practices to fully support ecosystem health and aquatic organism passage at tidal road crossings, and river herring and rainbow smelt assessment and fishery management.

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Personal site: rfrancolini.github.io
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfrancolini/

Rene is investigating the how the kelp forests along the coast of Maine are adapting and responding to
our changing climate. She is studying the genetic structure of our kelp forests – determining how many
populations exist along the coastline and what the thermal tolerance of these populations are. With this
information, she plans to project what we expect the Gulf of Maine kelp forests will look like in the years
to come – which will also provide stakeholders (particularly our growing aquaculture industry) with
information they need to make scientifically sound management decisions. With a better understanding
of these wild kelp beds, we can protect the biodiversity of our environment while simultaneously
informing aquaculturists where may be best to harvest their kelp spores from and create the basis of a
trait-specific breeding program. Prior to working in Maine, Rene spent several years in Woods Hole
developing new protocols to explore the biodiversity of the mesopelagic zone of the ocean, managing a
lab researching the impacts of toxicants on our development, and as an oyster farmer. When not
working in the lab, Rene can often be found on stage performing and playing saxophone, in the kitchen
baking meticulously decorated baked goods, and enjoying the beauty of Maine’s natural environment.

Rene is also a co-host of the LabOratory Podcast.

Personal site:

Linkedin:

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