Lobster catch forecasting project seeks NASA funds
A project aiming to predict how lobsters and other key species are moving through the Gulf of Maine will represent the state in a competition for NASA funding.
The Kennebec Journal reported the Maine Space Grant Consortium has selected a proposal from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to compete for a portion of $11.25 million through NASA’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
The research labs proposed a three-year project to develop real-time estimates of the distribution of fish and invertebrates in the gulf, combining data from various sources like satellites and observations by fishermen and researchers. A total of 28 states and Puerto Rico are competing in the program, which will select up to 15 projects for funding.
The project’s senior scientist, Andrew Pershing at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, told the newspaper that warming ocean temperatures are among the many rapidly changing conditions that pose challenges for regulators who base management strategies on historical catch counts.
The project is requesting $750,000 over three years, the maximum award for the program.
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