Gulf of Maine Sea Change

I feel so lucky to be a part of the Gulf of Maine Sea Change Series. Thanks to Doug for including me, the production team, the crew of the R/V Connecticut, the other researchers, and PBS. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dive on Cashes Ledge (the healthiest kelp forest in the Atlantic); I feel fortunate to be included – even for a short time. During filming, we conducted numerous underwater surveys. We collected seaweed samples, fish tissue, stomachs, otoliths, and water for eDNA and metabolomics, all to learn about the health and resilience of Cashes Ledge. While I spotted large clumps of the invasive Dasysiphonia japonica (seen before in low abundance), the sentiment on the boat was how well Cashes Ledge kelp forest looked and had fared given rising seawater temperatures.

Check out the whole series or specifically our Cashes ledge adventure (Episode 2: Peril in the Gulf of Maine)