Beals —The Downeast Institute (DEI) has received a $5,000 grant from the Belvedere Natural Resource Preservation Fund (Downeast) of the Maine Community Foundation to support the incubation of a scallop hatchery.
“This grant will allow us to continue to work with a local business on techniques to grow scallops in a hatchery to help grow the burgeoning scallop aquaculture industry right here in Downeast Maine,” said Dianne Tilton, Executive Director of DEI. “Currently scallop farmers must collect wild scallop spat to seed their farms, so developing a reliable method to produce scallops in the hatchery is critical to the sustainability of both aquaculture and the wild fishery.”
The nonprofit Downeast Institute is the easternmost marine research laboratory and education center in the U.S. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for the people of downeast and coastal Maine through marine research, marine science education, and innovations in wild and cultured fisheries. For more information, call 259-5039.
Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, and Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.
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