Leaders of marine laboratories in the northeast and Great Lakes will be at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay this week, June 25-27, to plan a way forward to cope with federal budget reductions, to address implications of ocean acidification, and to deliberate about how to best guide policy that affects their regions.  Scientists and government officials also will participate in the annual meeting of the North East Association of Marine and Great Lake Laboratories.

“These are challenging times for the marine and Great Lake environments and laboratory directors are at the forefront, said Dr. Graham Shimmield, president of the North East Association of Marine and Great Lake Laboratories and executive director of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.

“This meeting provides us with the opportunity to share our ideas for how to best address these challenges and openly engage with government officials and research scientists. We are particularly pleased to be including a session that showcases Maine’s lead in ocean acidification with the establishment of a commission to figure out how to preserve our marine resources in a changing marine environment.”

The three-day meeting is bringing together leaders with shared interests from 20 different institutions. Topics to be discussed range from the implications of federal budget reductions, ocean acidification in the northeast, the state of the ecosystem in the Gulf of Maine, to how to have a greater role in the policy debate about issues affecting the northeast marine and Great Lakes regions.

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences conducts research ranging from microbial oceanography to large-scale ocean processes that affect the global environment. Recognized as a leader in Maine’s emerging innovation economy, the Laboratory’s research, education, and technology transfer programs are spurring significant economic growth in the state.