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Congress
designates Maine for Cold Water Marine Research Center
Maine Science and Technology Foundation
June 14, 2002
ORONO
and FRANKLIN, Maine – "We are responding to a congressional
directive to explore the possibility of developing a
cold water marine research facility in Maine," said
Wilda Martinez, North Atlantic area director of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural
Research Service (ARS).
The
project currently is in the pre-design phase, as the
ARS determines how best to establish state-of-the-art
facilities.
When
completed, the cold water marine research center is
expected to employ about 14 scientists, plus technicians
and administrative workers, at two locations in Orono
and Franklin. Final numbers will depend on congressional
decisions.
Congressional
legislation designated Maine as the location for the
USDA's first marine facility. Martinez described the
decision as logical because of Maine's long coastline,
experience with aquaculture and "realistic opportunities
for marine fish production."
Achieving
those production opportunities will be at the core of
the center's mission.
Although
Martinez said Congress will also determine the center's
research topics, she expects it to conduct research
in fish health, nutrition and breeding. It may also
focus on engineering effective equipment for recirculating
water in giant fish tanks where fish could be raised
if offshore pens are no longer viable.
Locating
the new Center in Orono and Franklin, close to the Center
for Collaborative Aquaculture Research, should "provide
a very nice transfer and excellent collaboration" between
the ARS and Maine's aquaculture industry, said Martinez.
Jake
Ward, director of the University of Maine's Department
of Industrial Cooperation, welcomes the opportunity
to share expertise between UMaine and USDA.
"It's
a great opportunity for the university in the sense
that you have the USDA ARS establishing a very large
presence in aquaculture," Ward said.
Martinez
expects the center will begin working with the salmon
industry first to meet its needs, then branch out into
cod and haddock. Because the basic science at the center
will be generic, she sees it as "extremely important
to the Maine aquaculture industry and extremely important
to the nation."
The
USDA is interested in the cold water marine research
center for nutritional as well as commercial reasons.
Fish and fish oil are an increasingly important element
of the American diet, said Martinez.
"This
is another component of [the USDA's] total program,
part of which is a nutrition program," Martinez said,
noting that the department will look at ways to support
health by making fish available.
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