News Archives - Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment

Acadia National Park Stream Crossings Assessed for Erosion Potential and Flood Vulnerability

Joan LeBlanc — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:51:02 +0000

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers working in coordination with the National Park Service (NPS) found that Acadia National Park has had stronger and more frequent precipitation events in recent years, leading to a rise in high, infrastructure-damaging streamflows, stream erosion, and costly impairments to historic carriage roads and trails.

To improve infrastructure management in anticipation of more frequent and intense flooding events, the USGS, in cooperation with the NPS, has developed multiple datasets that can help Acadia National Park’s natural resource managers identify the stream reaches and stream crossings (i.e. culverts and bridges) that have the highest potential for erosion and flood damage.

In addition to the report, USGS and NPS have created an online dashboard that enables users to click on a stream reach or crossing to view its erosion potential and flood vulnerability details.

Read the complete update from the USGS New England Water Science Center: HERE

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RARGOM Annual Science Meeting Set for November 4, 2026

Joan LeBlanc — Wed, 06 May 2026 12:56:19 +0000

Mark your calendars for the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) Annual Science Meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH.

The theme for this year’s meeting is:

Navigating Change in the Gulf of Maine: Science, People, and the Next Generation

Exploring a changing system: biological, ecological, physical, and chemical perspectives
Connecting science, communities, and management
Building resilience and advancing remediation
Innovating with emerging tools and approaches
Finding the bright spots: stories of progress and hope

The meeting will feature keynote speakers, presentations, lightning talks, a poster session, and a networking reception to catch up with colleagues and make new connections. Students and early-career participants are especially encouraged to participate.

Registration and abstract submission details for posters and presentations coming soon!

The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) Science Meeting serves as a vital and inclusive platform for sharing innovative research and fostering collegiality among Gulf of Maine scientists and environmental decision-makers. RARGOM meetings provide a venue for attendees to network with peers, gain inspiration from expert keynote speakers, and access opportunities for regional collaboration.

Meeting details and updates will be posted to the RARGOM website at https://www.rargom.org/annual-science-meeting/.

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NOAA Releases New Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan

Joan LeBlanc — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:34:00 +0000

NOAA’s Marine Debris Program recently released an updated Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative and voluntary effort across the marine debris community in the Gulf of Maine. The Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan was drafted through the collaborative effort of more than 30 organizations conducting work in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia to address marine debris through coordinated voluntary actions over five years (2026 – 2031).

The plan is available for download: HERE

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2025 Gulf of Maine Temperature Report Now Available

Joan LeBlanc — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:47:00 +0000

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute recently released its 2025 Gulf of Maine Temperature Report, which summarizes recent ocean temperature changes in the region through three perspectives: facts, drivers, and impacts.

Highlights from the Year

In 2025, the Gulf of Maine experienced its 15th warmest sea surface temperature (SST) year on record (51.3°F; +0.74°F above normal).
Bottom temperature (BT) ranked as the 11th coolest year on record (-0.38°F below normal), marking a notable surface-bottom contrast.
Surface warming was strongest during late summer and early fall, with three marine heatwave events between July and October, while bottom temperatures remained relatively cool and did not reach extreme thresholds.
Long-term trends continue to show rapid warming in the Gulf of Maine, nearly triple the global ocean average at the surface, with the strongest warming occurring during the stratified summer months.

The complete 2025 report is available on the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s website: HERE

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GOMC Accepting Award Nominations through March 13, 2026

Joan LeBlanc — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:08:41 +0000

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment recognizes efforts by individuals, groups or organizations that seek to protect, enhance and restore the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine region and safeguard and improve the wellbeing of the communities that depend on its resources. The Council has established awards to bestow on individuals and organizations for their exemplary work as stewards of the ocean. Each year the Council accepts nominations for its Visionary Awards, Sustainable Communities Award, Industry Award, Longard Volunteer Award, and Susan Snow-Cotter Leadership Award.

The Gulf of Maine Council is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Awards Program. Award winners will be recognized during an awards dinner on May 27, 2026, at The Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 13, 2026.
Detailed call for nominations: Download here
Online nomination form: Access here

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Nova Scotia and Massachusetts Sign Agreement on Offshore Wind

Joan LeBlanc — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:20:31 +0000

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed an agreement on February 4, 2026 to strengthen collaboration on offshore wind development in the North Atlantic. The memorandum of understanding between the Province of Nova Scotia and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts affirms a commitment to advance shared goals to develop clean, reliable and affordable energy; facilitate the development of resilient regional infrastructure, and create high quality jobs throughout the supply chain.

View the MOU here: Memorandum of Understanding

View the media releases here:

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New Hampshire Updates Coastal Flood Risk Summary

Joan LeBlanc — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:45:00 +0000

New Hampshire recently released the first in a series of planned updates to the state’s Coastal Flood Risk Summary. The New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary – Part 1: Science provides a synthesis of the state of the science relevant to coastal flood risks in New Hampshire. Specifically, this document provides updated trends projections of sea-level rise, coastal storms, groundwater rise, precipitation, and freshwater flooding for coastal New Hampshire. This 2025 report updates the earlier 2019 report. This information is intended to serve as the scientific foundation for the updated companion resource, Part II: Guidance for Using Best Available Science, which will be published in 2026.

This report and details about additional planned updates are available on the NH Department of Environmental Services website: HERE

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ACCESS/BoFEP Conference Set for May 2026

Joan LeBlanc — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:20:47 +0000

ACCESS/Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) will host a science conference from May19 to Friday May 22, 2026 at Mt. Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick. The theme of the conference will be “Connecting communities to ocean science”. The deadline for submission of abstracts is March 31, 2026. A public forum organized by BoFEP, and tentatively scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, May 20th, will explore the themes of “Making Connections and Ocean Literacy”. Suggestions for session topics can be sent to: Heather Hunt, Dept. of Biological Sciences, UNB Saint John, NB, Heather.Hunt@unb.ca with a copy to Peter Wells, BoFEP, at oceans2@ns.sympatico.ca

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New Brunswick Launches State of the Coast

Joan LeBlanc — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 01:11:00 +0000

The New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government has launched a State of the Coast report to begin tackling complex coastal pressures. This is a foundational step toward understanding the challenges facing New Brunswick’s unique coastal regions and identifying opportunities for improvement and action. This report will lead to recommendations to help protect and strengthen coastal communities in the face of increasing pressures. New Brunswick is collaborating with other provincial and federal departments, Indigenous groups, coastal experts, and members of the public to develop the report:

In the fall of 2025, the Department of Environment and Local Government hosted two coastal expert engagement sessions with more than 100 participants. The first session focused on information gathering and sharing, while the second explored key challenges and practical solutions to reduce coastal risks impacting natural, built, and socioeconomic systems. A summary of feedback received from these discussions and details about future public engagements planned for 2026 are available: HERE.

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Massachusetts Releases ResilientCoasts Final Plan

Joan LeBlanc — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:32:00 +0000

On November 6, 2025, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) released the ResilientCoasts Final Plan, which outlines guidance and strategies to address near- and long-term vulnerability to coastal hazards like sea level rise, storm surge, and erosion along the Massachusetts coastline over the next 50 years.

The Executive Summary and complete Final Plan are available on the MA CZM website: here

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Blue Mussel Samples Available for Gulf of Maine Research

Joan LeBlanc — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:44:40 +0000

Thanks to funding from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Marine Environmental Quality Program, the Huntsman Marine Science Centre is providing long-term archival support for the Gulf of Maine Council’s Gulfwatch mussel samples.

The Gulfwatch program conducted a transboundary chemical contaminants monitoring effort through the collection of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) at rotating sites across all Gulf of Maine jurisdictions—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Samples were collected between 1993 and 2012. The preservation of this unique collection provides an invaluable opportunity to:

gain a regional perspective on the distribution and concentrations of toxic contaminants,
establish a critical baseline for future monitoring efforts, and
improve understanding of threats to environmental quality in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy.

Researchers interested in accessing archived samples must submit a research proposal to the Gulfwatch Archive Steering Committee in accordance with the proposal guidelines outlined in the Gulfwatch Management Plan.

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Ocean and Coastal Acification Monitoring Priorities for Northeast US and Eastern Canada

Joan LeBlanc — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 14:39:46 +0000

The Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NECAN) has published a report to identify the most critical needs for tracking ocean and coastal acidification in the Northeast US and Eastern Canada. The report outlines key gaps, challenges, and opportunities for future ocean acidification monitoring in the Northeast. The report is available at: NECAN 2025 OA Monitoring Plan.

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CLIMAtlantic Coastal Adaptation Toolkit

Joan LeBlanc — Thu, 08 May 2025 19:56:20 +0000

During the Gulf of Maine Council’s May 2025 meeting, Jenna Miller presented an overview of New Brunswick’s CLIMAtlantic Coastal Adaptation Toolkit, which provides guidance to help coastal communities in Atlantic Canada prepare for coastal climate impacts. View the presentation here. Link directly to the toolkit here.

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