Maine Sea Grant is hosting the Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative’s first Regional Lobster Research and Outreach Summit at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland, Maine, from February 6-7, 2023. This event will bring the network together to share research updates, receive feedback from partners, and embark on new collaborative research and extension projects. We are working with session leads to develop our full agenda, which will be posted here as soon as it is available. Please register here if you plan to attend in person. Students affiliated with or supported by the ALI are encouraged to present a poster during the poster/networking session.

If you are a project PI and have not been contacted to present your work at the Summit and you wish to, please email Amalia Harrington for guidance.

Tentative agenda

Monday, February 6, 2023:

• Registration table open at 8:00 am – pick up name tags, program, and coffee
• Welcome and opening remarks – 9:00 am
• Morning breakout sessions – 9:30-12:00 pm
• Lunch (provided with registration) – 12:00-1:00 pm
• Afternoon breakout sessions – 1:00-4:00pm
• Poster/networking session – 5:00-7:00pm

Tuesday, February 7, 2023:

• Registration table open at 8:00 am
• Welcome and plenary session – 9:00 am
• Morning breakout sessions – 10:00-12:30 pm
• Lunch (provided with registration) – 12:30 – 1:30 pm
• Afternoon breakout sessions – 1:30-4:30 pm
• Group discussion with meeting conclusion by 5:00 pm

Meeting topics and themes:

• Influence of environmental change on larval development and early life history – maternal effects, pelagic food web dynamics, behavioral changes, monitoring, and modeling/forecasting
• Evaluating American lobster stock dynamics under changes to life history and management regulations
• Range expanding species – impacts on food web and community dynamics
• Social-ecological coupling in the lobster fishery
• Supporting communities through change
• Alternative bait sources for the fishery
• Research in support of management
• Best practices for industry engagement

Registration and accommodations:

If you plan to attend in person, please register using this link. The registration form also provides the only opportunity for people to indicate their intent to present a poster. We hope to accommodate those who cannot attend in person, but please email Amalia Harrington for details on remote access.

We have reserved a modest room block with a reduced rate at the Holiday Inn By the Bay. Please use one of the following options to make a reservation:

1. Direct booking link: Click on this link to automatically populate the discount. Then, enter the dates of your stay and click “search”. The block rate will then appear (if rooms are still available).
2. Booking code: Visit the Holiday Inn by the Bay website and click “reserve”. Enter check in/out dates, select “rate preference” from the drop-down menu, select “group rate”, and enter group code “LIW“.
3. Call directly: Call (207) 775-2311 and ask to book a room in the “Lobster Industry Workshop” rate.

For more information or questions, please email Amalia Harrington, or call (207) 581-1440.