May 23, 2016 – The Maine Department of Marine Resources has announced four grant awards from the Research, Education and Development fund. The four organizations receiving funding include the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance, University of Maine System, and Colby College. Each responded to a request for proposal issued in December 2015.
Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries will receive $37,500 to develop four lobster curriculum units for its Eastern Maine Skippers Program (ESMP), an educational initiative for high school students planning a career in Maine’s lobster fishing industry. Two units will cover lobster fisheries management and two will target science and life history. Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, a Deer Isle-based non-profit, will engage industry experts including fishermen, dealers, advocates, managers and scientists in the development and implementation of the curriculum units.