Gulf of Maine Symposium (St. Andrews, NB, Oct 4 - 9)

Join fellow researchers, managers, policymakers, and stakeholders from around the region to discuss current scientific advances and ecosystem approaches to management in the Gulf of Maine.  The Gulf of Maine Symposium: Advancing Ecosystem Research for the Future of the Gulf  will be held October 4 - 9, 2009 at the Fairmont Algonquin Hotel in St Andrews, New Brunswick.  

To submit a paper or poster, please reply to the Call for Abstracts by April 30, 2009. 

Sponsored by the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans - St. Andrews Biological Station, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and the Census of Marine Life - Gulf of Maine Area program.

Shoals of herring do the 'wave' (MIT, Mar 26)

according to Nick Makris of MIT, when describing how 250 million herring converge into shoals up to forty kilometers long on Georges Bank in the Gulf of Maine.

Census researcher Nick Makris, Purnima Ratilal of Northeastern University, and others use their own acoustic observation system to observe fish patterns over large scales and determine what triggers the rapid movement of fish into a group of synchronized swimmers.   When a critical density is reached, the fish fall into formation at a pace faster than any one fish can swim and the movement goes through the mass of herring almost instantaneously.  According to MIT News, "the phenomenon is akin to a human 'wave' moving around a sports stadium."   The findings will contribute to our understanding of animal group behavior and contribute to marine ecosystem knowledge.

Their paper, Critical Population Density Triggers Rapid Formation of Vast Oceanic Fish Shoals, was published March 27 in Science.  Congratulations, Nick and all.

Image credit: Hugo Controni, MIT news

Whales in an Urban Ocean: Lessons on Coexistence (Portland, Apr 9)

Join us in welcoming Dr. Scott Kraus, VP of Research at New England Aquarium and Census of Marine Life scientist on Thursday, April 9 at 2 pm and 7 pm at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

Using North Atlantic Right Whales as a model, Dr. Kraus and others have examined the effects of oceanic urbanization on whales. Although challenging, recent advances in both science and management show it is possible to manage ourselves in ways that will support both human activities and whales.

Find out more by attending this informative lecture - part of the ongoing Sea State 4.0 lecture series, Life in the the Gulf of Maine: Past, Present, and Future, hosted by GoMA and GMRI. The lectures are free, but seating is limited. RSVP to Susan Ryan or 207-228-1680.

Image credit: S. Ryan

Time-lapse on Cashes Ledge: A Changing Community (Portland, May 14)

Next up in the Sea State 4.0 Lecture Series, Dr. Jon Witman, Brown University researcher and Census of Marine Life scientist will share his research on the underwater bank, Cashes Ledge, and his insight on how the community of species who live there has changed over time.

Image credit: J. Witman

Census of Marine Life and Google Earth bring Ocean Information to Life (Feb)

The long-awaited  "Oceans" version of Google Earth is now available, complete with ocean floor features and teeming with life.  Everyone "can now share the excitement of Census of Marine Life explorations as scientists uncover the mysteries of what lives below the surface of the global ocean. A world of marine discoveries including 50 different kinds of Arctic jellies, a colossal sea star, and Antarctica’s biggest-ever amphipod and other interesting, rare, and new marine species can be found at Google Earth" (CoML, Feb 2009).