The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the University of Maine System $1 million on January 1, 2027, under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) to support the American Lobster Settlement Index, an international collaborative monitoring program that tracks the health of juvenile American lobster populations at their most vulnerable life stage.
The award funds expansion and continuation of ALSI monitoring through two complementary survey methods: nearshore SCUBA surveys and passive bio-collectors deployed at deeper locations unsuitable for diving. The program monitors over 100 sites annually across Maine and beyond. The Maine Collector Survey component represents a direct science-industry collaboration that works with lobstermen to monitor juvenile lobster settlement patterns in deeper waters where ocean temperature changes may be shifting populations beyond the reach of inshore surveys. This distribution data informs both the fishing industry and management agencies on year-class strength and population health as a critical economic and cultural resource.
The award supports work performed in Orono, Maine, with a period of performance extending from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029. The University of Maine's Research & Sponsored Program division is the recipient. The Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program provides assistance to facilitate education, research, and development in marine and atmospheric science, with multi-year awards of up to five years subject to the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years and recipient performance against project objectives.