Resources Database

Developing oceanographic models of factors that control the productivity of Maine's coastal waters in three bioregions (southern, central, and down east Maine), supplemented by hourly monitoring of biophysical parameters in 6 coastal regions through LOBO buoys in the more sheltered waters, and at the mouths of the bays in more exposed conditions using buoys developed at the University of Maine. The SEANET buoy network is supplemented with other smaller buoys and sensors involving students, citizen monitors, fishermen, and aquaculturists.

Uses an individual growth model over 30 days for Eastern Oyster, Blue Mussel, and European Oysters using satellite inputs for temperature, chlorophyll, and particulate organic matter to determine locations where they will grow best.

Maine aquaculture marking requirements (effective January 1, 2023) for lease sites and LPA sites with a sample marker buoy image.

UC Davis Aquaculture visits Dr. Julieta Martinelli at the University of Washington, Seattle, to learn about the shell-boring marine worm polychaete, otherwise known as blister worms (Polydora websteri), and the treatments to control them in oyster shellfish aquaculture farms.

CEI Ventures manages socially responsible venture capital funds. Our investments help to create quality employment opportunities, especially for those with low to moderate incomes; promote progressive management practices; support socially beneficial products and services; enrich distressed communities; and foster environmental sustainability.

MTI offers grants, loans, equity investments, and services to businesses, organizations, and individuals to support Maine’s innovation economy. MTI defines innovators as individuals or groups who introduce ideas that create something new or improve an existing product, service, or process.

Lists Maine Sea Grant Funding Opportunities, Regional Research and Funding Opportunities, Sea Grant Supported Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities, and Other NOAA Scholarship Opportunities.

Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy and is available in all counties nationwide. This insurance plan is tailored for any farm with up to $8.5 million in insured revenue, including farms with specialty or organic commodities (both crops and livestock), or those marketing to local, regional, farm-identity preserved, specialty, or direct markets.

Displays location and information on aquaculture leases and licenses in Maine along with NSSP water quality information and p90 scores, LPA Health Zones, IFW Essential Habitat Boundaries, historic eelgrass data, conserved land information, and low tide imagery.

An overall business resource on starting a business, business licensing, corporate resources, business taxes, and employer resources.

Step by step guide to help plan, launch, manage, and grow small businesses including, writing a business plan, calculating start-up costs, get funding, managing your finances, and more.

A nonprofit organization providing educational workshops and helping small businesses get started, grow and operate effectively.

A leader in the small business economic and development arenas that assists new businesses as well as existing businesses manage, run and grow.

Provides advising and financing to fisheries and aquaculture businesses to improve their long-term viability, create and maintain quality jobs, safeguard marine-related infrastructure and environments, and help preserve the cultural integrity of Maine’s working waterfront.

The Top Gun training program is designed specifically for the entrepreneur with a desire to grow his/her business and achieve long-term success through the use of the right tools, resources, and related mentorship. MCE has taken the time to develop strong business partnerships and to acquire loyal sponsorships which allow us to provide Maine entrepreneurs with the programing, mentorship, training, and knowledge they need to grow and succeed.

This training program uses a mix of meetings and field trips/site visits to introduce participants to the issues important in running a successful aquaculture business including: site selection, equipment and husbandry, permitting and regulation, environmental monitoring, marketing and sales, farm management and biosecurity, business planning, and financial management.

Established in 1988 by the Maine Legislature with a mission to assist in developing economically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture opportunities in Maine.

If you have been around this business for a while, you’ve probably watched some of the newcomers make the same mistakes you did when you were getting started. ECSGA Executive Director Bob Rheault decided he would try to think of as many of these common pitfalls as he could to help new growers avoid making the same costly blunders. Through the years he has continued to add to the list.

This grant guide was prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in consultation with the Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). This guide focuses only on grant programs that aquaculture farmers or aquaculture researchers may be eligible for. Updates will include Federal cooperative agreements, contracts, loans, or other direct support programs for aquaculture farmers or (non-federal) aquaculture researchers, for the purpose of aquaculture siting, research, development, and operations.

Webinar about research on scallop aquaculture production and economics including comparisons of nursery and growout gear: lantern nets, pearl nets, ear hanging, pocket nets, rigid trays, and adhesives; tissue sampling and testing for biotoxins such as saxitoxin and domoic acid; evaluation of fouling communities; surveys of producers to understand economic inputs and outputs such as capital, labor, and yield; environmental data matched with growth data to better understand good scallop-farming sites.

There are several ways in which birds interact with shellfish aquaculture. Birds can cause significant damage to crops through predation. Some birds fall into the category of protected resources and farmers have been variously accused of interfering with foraging, (either attracting or disturbing or both) and interfering with hunting. Birds can be attracted to aquaculture structures for roosting or foraging and their guano can impact water quality and trigger the need for growers to develop management plans under the National Shellfish Sanitation Plan.