To: STATE EDITORS

Contact: Nancy McLeod Carter of Island Institute, +1-207-594-9209, ncarter@islandinstitute.org

ROCKLAND, Maine, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Island Institute has released A Climate of Change, a preliminary assessment of fishermen's observations on a dynamic fishery. It details a collaborative effort by scientists and lobstermen in the Gulf of Maine to compare ocean temperature, salinity, storms, and other climate factors in relation to trends in the fishery such as the timing of the shed, seasonal movement, landings, habitat, larval settlement and other factors affecting the fishery's health. Concerns are also raised about the impact of climate change on acidification, primary productivity such as phytoplankton blooms, and freshwater runoff.

Through surveys, roundtable discussions and interviews, each lobsterman served as a "citizen scientist," bringing a wealth of local knowledge and historical data to the project. Part of a multi-year study, these initial findings will, when combined with ongoing research on global warming, acidification of our planet's waters, and the potential impact of sea-level rise, provide a clearer picture and a more accurate timeline to inform our understanding of climate change and its impact on Maine's signature fishery.

The Island Institute is a membership-based nonprofit organization with offices in Rockland and Portland, Maine that, for 25 years, has sought a balanced future for the islands and waters of the Gulf of Maine, especially the 15 year-round islands and working-waterfront communities along the Maine coast. Robert Snyder, the Institute's vice-president of programs, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the lobstermen whose contributions of observations and data made the project possible. "We truly appreciate the willingness of these fishermen to share their considerable local knowledge with us in order to help the fishery as a whole. It's been an amazing experience so far and we hope to expand on the research in the years ahead."

The report is available online at www.islandinstitute.org.

SOURCE Island Institute

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