Maine Seaweed Council
Included below is the beginning of a list of research which has been done on seaweed.
Please Contact Us if you know of other research so that we can include it on the list!

We'll be adding links to the research documents as they become available electronically.
Please come back soon for more links…


The specific scientific information that Vadas, Fegley, and others have on this species in Maine include:
    •         Biomass estimates
    -  Cobscook Bay, Quahog Bay, Boothbay (Fegley, 2000)
    -  Frenchman's Bay, Blue Hill Bay, Penobscot Bay (Fegley, 1997-1999)
    -  Cobscook Bay (Vadas et al., 1995-1996)
    -  Jonesport region, Frenchman's Bay, Montsweag Bay (Vadas & Wright, 1980-1981)
    -  Lincoln County (Topinka et al., 1978)
    -  Montsweag Bay, Damariscotta River, Pemaquid Point (Keser et al., 1973-1976)

    •         Biomass regeneration data following experimental harvesting
    -  Frenchman's Bay, Blue Hill Bay, Penobscot Bay (Fegley, 1997-1999)
    -  Montsweag Bay, Damariscotta River, Pemaquid Point (Keser et al., 1973-1976)

    •         Post-harvest growth rates
    -  Frenchman's Bay, Blue Hill Bay, Penobscot Bay (Fegley, 1997-1999)

    •         Annual growth rates and plant population characteristics
    -  Cobscook Bay, Quahog Bay, Boothbay (Fegley, 2000)
    -  Frenchman's Bay, Blue Hill Bay, Penobscot Bay (Fegley, 1997-1999)
    -  Cobscook Bay (Vadas et al., 1995-1996)

Biomass and Productivity of Intertidal Rockweeds
(Ascophyllum nodosum LeJolis) in Cobscook Bay
ROBERT L. VADAS, SR.,*, WESLEY A. WRIGHT, AND BRIAN F. BEAL

    Abstract
    Rockweeds dominate much of the New England and Canadian Maritime coasts and serve as food and habitat
    for numerous species. Cobscook Bay is unique in New England for its high tidal amplitude, wide intertidal
    expanse, diverse flora and fauna, and presumed high intertidal productivity, much of which is thought to be
    related to extensive intertidal fucoid populations. The goals of this study were: 1) to estimate intertidal rockweed
    biomass and productivity, 2) to quantify the variation in rockweed productivity over a range of temporal and spatial
    scales (high- vs low-flow sites at headlands and coves, respectively), and 3) to estimate the contribution of
    rockweeds to detrital pools. Net productivity was determined by separately weighing growth in the current year vs
    growth from preceding year classes. Sampling the same populations in both the fall and following spring
    allowed adjustment for winter mortality of thallus structures and productivity at two sites. Variation in the length of
    apical tips of canopy shoots was high, and differences among sites were not significant. However, growth of tips
    of sub-canopy and lateral shoots was site-specific. Standing crop at low-flow sites ranged from 11.4 kg wet
    weight m-2 at Bar Island to 28.9 kg wet weight m-2 at Bell Farm. Standing crop at high-flow sites ranged from 8.5
    kg wet weight m-2 at Birch Point to 26.7 kg wet weight m-2 at Mahar Point. Adjusted productivity estimates
    ranged from 22 to 105% greater than unadjusted values. Highest productivity estimates for Ascophyllum (14.9 kg
    wet weight m-2 yr-1 or 894 g C m-2 yr-1) occurred at Mahar Pt., a high-flow site. This unadjusted estimate was
    50% higher than the average value (594 g C m-2 yr-1) from the two sites adjusted for winter losses, Bell Farm
    and Bar Island. Turnover rates of Ascophyllum ranged from 29 to 71% (mean over all sites = 54%) indicating that
    the biomass of this alga turns over approximately every two years. About 60% of the standing biomass (3.96 x
    106 g C yr-1) is added to detrital pools, contributing large amounts of energy for secondary consumers.
    Rockweeds in Cobscook Bay are among the most productive cold-water intertidal assemblages and contribute
    substantial amounts of carbon to this large embayment.