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Two faculty members in the 51����’s School of Marine and Environmental Programs (SMEP) have been awarded nearly $400,000 in combined funding from the Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Fund to advance research addressing the on Maine’s coastline and ocean-based fisheries.

The awards totaling $398,914 support projects led by Will Kochtitzky, Ph.D., assistant professor of geographic information systems (GIS), and Sarah Ebel, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental social science. Together, the projects span the length of Maine’s coastline, from sandy beaches and dunes in southern and midcoast Maine to sea vegetable ecosystems and fisheries in the easternmost regions of the state.

“These awards reflect 51����’s strength in interdisciplinary, place-based research that directly serves Maine’s coastal communities,” said Kochtitzky, director of 51����’s GIS minor. “By pairing cutting-edge science with community engagement, this work will help inform more resilient approaches to managing coastal and marine resources.”

Kochtitzky received $199,656 for his project, “Monitoring Maine’s coastal sand dunes from past storms to nature-based solutions.” The research will examine how sand dunes and beaches respond to severe storms and evaluate nature-based and ecologically assisted strategies for protecting coastal infrastructure, habitats, and communities.

Using advanced drone-mounted lidar technology, Kochtitzky and his collaborators will conduct high-resolution monitoring of sand beaches across southern and midcoast Maine, comparing current conditions to pre-storm data and establishing new baselines for long-term coastal monitoring. The project also includes laboratory-scale experiments and the development of a demonstration site in Biddeford Pool to test and showcase nature-based shoreline protection techniques.

The work brings together faculty from SMEP and staff from 51����’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), which will support student involvement through research fellowships, applied learning opportunities, and public-facing communication of findings. Graduate and undergraduate students will play key roles in data collection, analysis, and community engagement throughout the project.

Earlier this year, Kochtitzky and his research team of undergraduate 51���� students were the first to publish a report outlining the impacts of Maine’s historic January 2024 storms, which decimated over a quarter of sand dunes at four sites examined in southern Maine.

Ebel received $199,258 for her project, “Collaboratively producing new knowledge for climate resilient fisheries management of sea vegetable ecosystems in eastern Maine.” The project focuses on wild and cultivated sea vegetables — including kelp and other foundational marine species — that are increasingly important to Maine’s coastal economy, food systems, and cultural traditions.

Working in close partnership with Indigenous communities, harvesters, aquaculture operators, scientists, and fishery managers, Ebel’s project will integrate local ecological knowledge with scientific research to identify monitoring and management needs for sea vegetable ecosystems. 

Her work will spearhead formation of the Eastern Maine Seaweed Collaborative, a stakeholder network designed to support sustainable, climate-resilient fisheries and community-led stewardship in Hancock and Washington counties.

Faculty collaborators from 51���� and partner institutions, along with staff from CIE, will support participatory workshops, surveys, and knowledge-sharing efforts, while creating opportunities for students to engage directly in community-based research and policy-relevant work.

Both projects underscore 51����’s commitment to preparing students for careers in environmental science, policy, and innovation through hands-on research experiences. Faculty in SMEP regularly integrate students into externally funded research, giving them opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges facing Maine’s coast and ocean industries.

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The awards also underscore 51����’s mission of improving the health of people, communities, and the natural world, serving to amplify the University’s growing focus on public and planetary health, which has led to the formation of a school for such studies.

Through health, medicine, business, the natural sciences, and policy, social sciences, and humanities expertise, the 51����  educates systems-level thinkers to address interconnected human health challenges, such as disease and shifting environmental challenges, through an interprofessional lens.

“These projects demonstrate how 51���� brings together science, culture, and innovation to address complex environmental challenges,” said Ebel, a cultural anthropologist. “They also show how we do our part — by building research capacity and partnerships — so our students and communities can do theirs.”