science & Research

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation-funded Bagaduce Restoration Project

MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY Ocean Studies faculty and students have a role to play in big things happening for ecological restoration and conservation in the Bagaduce River Estuary, the home watershed of MMA.

In December 2024, local community members and organizations were awarded over two million dollars to enhance habitat and improve infrastructure at the marsh and waterway known as Mill Creek in Penobscot, ME. The funds come from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), who have recently supported 94 projects across the country focused on community resilience, nature-based solutions, and improving fish and wildlife habitat.

In the Bagaduce, and at Mill Creek, the project will replace a tidal barrier in a roadway, restore an area of marsh, and enhance fish passage on Mill Creek by extending a nature-like fishway. One of the more impressive elements of this project is the extent of community involvement and collaboration; the project will involve partners including Maine Coast Heritage Trust, multiple town committees, the Penobscot town Selectboard, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Blue Hill Heritage Trust and landowners on Mill Creek, engineering firms Acadia Civil Works and VHB (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin), the Maine Department of Transportation, and Maine Maritime Academy’s Corning School of Ocean Studies.

The project is expected to take three years to complete and will provide significant improvements in waterflow and quality to support the rich sea-run fish populations of the Bagaduce while also supporting climate-resilient infrastructure for the town of Penobscot.

MMA’s Dr. Kerry Whittaker, Associate Professor of Coastal and Marine Environmental Science, and Sarah O’Malley, Assistant Professor of Ocean Studies, will play a role in leading the biological monitoring of marsh vegetation, water level, and salinity before, during, and after project construction. They will also involve MMA Ocean Studies students in their work, extending the educational and training benefits of the project.

Over the next three years, during summer monitoring, six students will have an opportunity to learn about continuous data collection and vegetation identification needed to track the marsh restoration progress. The data that Whittaker, O’Malley, and students collect will contribute to a NFWF database and offer critical insight into the restoration process and impact of the project. More importantly, this project represents MMA’s role in a community effort to build climate and ecological resilience in a project that benefits both the species and humans who make the Bagaduce River Estuary their home.

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