University of Maine

Global origins of tuna and billfish fisheries reveal the transition from coastal access to oceanic exploitation

Ocean ecosystems have played a crucial role in people’s lives around the world for millennia. However, questions persist about when, why, and how people first began removing biomass from offshore habitats and established fisheries in distant, oceanic environments. We explore the...

Seasonal surface melt onset and firn freeze-up across the central Wrangell and St. Elias Mountains

Abstract. High-elevation alpine firn is increasingly influenced by surface melt and meltwater retention, yet the spatial extent and timing of these processes remain poorly quantified. Here we present spatially distributed estimates of seasonal surface melt onset and firn freeze-u...

Uncovering the role of biogeography, resources, food web composition and time during microbial primary succession

Ecological succession is shaped by multiple processes that operate simultaneously across spatial and temporal scales. While classical succession theory generally focuses on a single trophic level within a single location, often in plants or other macroscopic organisms, recent eff...

Upper Palaeolithic mariners? Evaluating experimental evidence for intentional early seafaring

Brought to popular consciousness by Thor Heyerdahl in the 1940s, the role of seafaring in human migration has been intensely debated. Aiming to stimulate discussion around the ways in which experimental archaeology is used to support such grand narratives, the authors of this deb...

Forest feedstock procurement for sustainable aviation fuel in the U.S. Northeast

A spatial biomass supply and cost framework was developed to evaluate forest residue feedstock potential for sustainable aviation fuel production in the U.S. Northeast. The model integrates Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data with a radius-based procurement approach to quant...

Can Cybernetic Twins Function as Regulators for Sustainable (Sea)Food Systems?

Feeding the growing global population without permanently overshooting local-to-planetary boundaries demands a transition from conventional resource extraction to holistic models. Current digital twin applications in (sea)food systems primarily emphasize predictive monitoring and...

Turbulence and mixing along a microtidal and stratified estuary-shelf transition

Abstract. This study investigates the hydrodynamic and mixing processes at the estuary–shelf transition of a microtidal system, and the buoyant plume generated at the Patos Lagoon mouth (Brazil). Using measurements of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation (ϵ), current veloci...

Onsager Symmetry beyond Linear Response in Chemically Coupled Systems

Abstract Onsager reciprocity is commonly regarded as a consequence of near-equilibrium linear response. We show that, for chemically coupled systems satisfying microscopic reversibility and Curie symmetry, the underlying process rate matrix remains exactly symmetric arbitrarily f...

A global consistent database of plankton and detritus from in situ imaging by the Underwater Vision Profiler 5

Plankton and detritus are essential components of the Earth's oceans influencing biogeochemical cycles and carbon sequestration. Climate change impacts their composition and fluxes, and marine ecosystems as a whole. To improve our understanding of these changes, standardized obse...

Synchronous glacier recession on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and in Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes during the last deglaciation: a 10Be moraine chronology from the Hengduan Shan

Establishing precise and accurate chronologies of mountain glacier fluctuations between the polar hemispheres can help test proposed hypotheses for millennial-scale climate changes during the last glaciation and the last glacial termination. Here, we address the relative phasing...

Trends in south pole particle concentrations imply holocene westerly wind strengthening

The Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds (SHWW) play an important role in global climate and Antarctic ice sheet dynamics; however, high-resolution proxy reconstructions are sparse. Conflicting evidence suggests SHWW latitudinal change, weakening and/or strengthening, throughout th...

Large‐Format Fused Granulate Fabrication of Wood–Polypropylene Composites: The Role of Matrix Viscosity

ABSTRACT Large‐format fused granulate fabrication (FGF) directly processes pelletized wood–polymer composites, but the role of polymer matrix viscosity in printability and performance remains insufficiently defined. Two homopolymer polypropylene (PP) matrices of different melt vi...

Future northeastern U.S. forests: Seedling survival and growth is shaped by species-specific responses to climate, canopy openness and soil quality

Seedling regeneration in temperate forests is influenced by both climatic conditions and the microenvironment, but the interacting effects of soil type, canopy openness, and species identity remain poorly understood. We examined how interactions among climate, soil type, canopy o...

Seasonal to decadal evolution of firn properties and impacts on hydrology of the Juneau Icefield

Alpine glaciers of Alaska are significant contributors to global sea-level rise. Most Alaskan glaciers lose mass through surface melt due to increasing atmospheric temperatures. Surface melt may be retained or run off in the snow and firn, potentially altering regional glacial hy...

Can Knowledge Counteract Conflict? A Partial Replication Study of PFAS Science Communication

ABSTRACT On the basis of two surveys embedded with a 3 × 2 full‐factorial experiment, we examine whether exposing participants to a message about the process of scientific inquiry prepares them to deal with conflicting risk information more effectively. Study 1 suggests initial e...

The West Corrib moraine system as evidence for a brief glacial readvance in Ireland during overall Heinrich Stadial 1 deglaciation

Abstract An extensive system of end moraines in the western Lough Corrib basin, Ireland, which we term the West Corrib moraine system (WCMS), represents a brief period of ice-marginal stability or readvance that interrupted the overall pattern of deglaciation during Heinrich Stad...

Embracing the DIGNITY of Resident Relationships: A Case Study of the Decision-Making in Aging and Dementia for Autonomy (DIGNITY) Protocol

Public policies governing U.S. nursing homes emphasize resident rights, autonomy, and person-centered care, yet translating these principles into everyday practice remains challenging – particularly for residents living with dementia whose preferences involve perceived risk. Regu...

Identifying Research Priorities for the Development of High-Integrity Forest Carbon Credits

Abstract In the United States, voluntary carbon markets have gained significant traction in recent years. However, many offset standards, protocols, and credit ratings have come under scrutiny from the public and investors for failing to produce real or sustainable carbon offsets...

Exosome trafficking is a key regulator of adipocyte thermogenesis

Activation of beige adipocytes enhances energy expenditure and promotes metabolic health, presenting a promising approach for combating obesity and diabetes. As part of this process, thermogenesis, fueled by uncoupled mitochondrial respiration, plays a central role in converting...

Pre-fire forest type as an integrated indicator of long-term post-fire aboveground biomass recovery in boreal forests

As the largest terrestrial biome, boreal forests play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, support diverse wildlife habitats, and sustain timber production, while wildfires represent a major natural disturbance shaping their function. Understanding post-fire aboveground bi...