Robert Steneck will present “Maine's changing lobster fishery: some direct and indirect impacts of climate change” at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 10, as a virtual seminar, or webinar, hosted by the University of Maine Darling Marine Center in Walpole.

The UMaine marine ecologist says “challenges for this fishery have never been greater. Today, the economic impact of COVID-19, international trade problems, concerns about the northern right whale and bait shortages all weigh heavily on everyone who fishes for lobsters on the Maine coast. A less conspicuous concern relates to the warming Gulf of Maine.”

Steneck’s research over the last three decades has focused on climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them, here in Maine and around the world. In his talk next week, he will focus on one of the most valuable fisheries in the U.S. — the Maine fishery for American lobster.  

The professor of oceanography, marine biology and marine policy at UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences is internationally known for his dedication to underwater field expeditions from the North Atlantic to the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions, as well as for mentoring hundreds of students from UMaine and other institutions. Just this spring, Steneck was awarded the University’s highest research honor — the Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award — in recognition of his accomplishments.

Steneck’s virtual seminar will kick off the DMC’s three-part summer science summer series. Presentations on July 24 and Aug. 7 will provide additional opportunities for participants to learn about current marine science and policy topics in which UMaine researchers and students are actively engaged, in Maine and beyond.

Visit dmc.umaine.edu for a full description of the talk, to register for this webinar, and for information on upcoming speakers and topics.