CONSERVATION: Wolf Fish deserve protection in the Bay of Fundy too!

The following concerns being expressed for the lower Gulf of Maine apply equally here in the Bay of Fundy.

New research on the Atlantic wolffish, a depleted species that needs our help

By Talking Fish on August 11, 2011

In the deep ocean waters off New England’s coast lives one of our region’s most unique fish species: the Atlantic wolffish. While these fish may look threatening, and indeed they use their canine-like teeth (hence the name “wolffish”) to crush whole clams, scallops, sea urchins and crabs, Atlantic wolffish are themselves under threat from commercial fishing practices and modern fishing gear, which have decimated wolffish populations and destroyed the underwater habitat they call home.

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), over 1,200 metric tons of wolffish were caught in 1983. In 2009, the last year for which data is available, U.S. landings declined 97 percent to only 31.6 metric tons. Although wolffish are not targeted commercially, they are caught unintentionally in nets as bycatch, and they are also threatened by destructive modern fishing practices, such as trawling and dredging, that destroy the seafloor. Because wolffish live on the rocky seafloor and depend on its diverse features to hunt for prey and protect their young, the impact of trawling and dredging on these habitats can significantly limit the fish’s reproductive success and survival.


U.S. Landings of the Atlantic woflfish have declined dramatically over the past 25 years.

In 2008, concerned about the decline in Atlantic wolffish populations, the Conservation Law Foundation petitioned NMFS to list the fish under the Endangered Species Act. Although in 2004 the federal government designated the Atlantic wolffish as a Species of Concern, in 2009, NMFS declined CLF’s petition to list the wolffish as endangered, claiming that such protection was not warranted at this time. The New England Fishery Management Council has implemented a total ban on the

CONSERVATION: Rockweed biologist receives national award

10/6/10 10:40 pm Updated: 10/6/10 10:42 pm
By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff

MACHIAS, Maine — Dr. Robin Hadlock Seeley was driving Wednesday from New York to Pembroke despite still recovering from the flu. She said she needed to come to testify today before the state’s Regulatory Fairness Board in Calais regarding the impact of mechanical and hand harvesting on Maine’s rockweed — a coastal seaweed.

This dedication to environmental issues is why Seeley stands out in her field and was recently honored by the Audubon Society with a $10,000 national Together Green Fellowship.

The fellowship, one of 40 awarded across the country, will enable Seeley to continue her work to protect the rockweed intertidal habitat by working with students, the public and policymakers.

“Rockweed plays a fundamental role in Maine’s coastal and estuarine ecosystems, serving as habitat for more than 100 fish and invertebrate species, as well as shorebirds and ducks,” Seeley said Wednesday. “Unregulated, industrial-scale cutting of rockweed threatens the fishing potential, ecological health and natural beauty that are vital to Maine’s future.”

Seeley is an assistant director at the Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine, which is operated by Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire.

The fellowship is supported by a conservation alliance between Audubon and Toyota. It offers specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. The fellowship stresses community-focused projects that engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy and contributing to greater environmental health.

Seeley is working to preserve intertidal habitat in Maine by protecting rockweed beds from industrial-scale cutting. For her project, Seeley will expand on the work of the Rockweed Coalition, an organization she co-founded, by working with local educators to design lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students on the value of seaweed habitat. She also plans to work with policymakers at the state level to promote the value of the intertidal habitat for Maine fisheries and wildlife.

Seeley has spent the last 10 years working on rockweed management, sharing scientific knowledge on the effects of rockweed cutting while also listening to local communities. She helped mobilize support for a Maine law that strictly manages the cutting of seaweed in Cobscook Bay by putting all federal, state and private conservation areas off-limits to commercial cutting.

“Robin is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” Audubon President David Yarnold said in a prepared statement. “Each of our Together Green Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us today and in the years to come.”

Seeley said the award comes at a key time for the Rockweed Coalition.

“Support from Together Green provides a great boost to our work informing policy-makers and the public about the unrecognized breadth of ecological services provided by rockweed in Maine,” she said.

Seeley, a Maine native, earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies from Bowdoin College, a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Rhode Island and her doctorate in biology from Yale University. She has served as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Marine Science, University of Maine.

A complete list of the 2010 Together Green Fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org/fellows.


Ecology and management of Maine's eelgrass, rockweeds, and kelps: Executive summary