Field Missions

Field Missions

mission-invasive.jpg

Where are the invasive species in Maine? Where aren't they?

Where to look: Coastal, freshwater, and upland ecosystems

Who wants your data: The Vital Signs community

Species ID cards for Maine's invasive species

Mission details!

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mission-native.jpg

Where are Maine's native species? What happens when invasive species move in?

Where to look: Coastal, freshwater, and upland ecosystems

Who wants your data: The Vital Signs community

Species ID cards for Maine's native species

Join this mission!

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mission_massabesic_galerucella1.jpg

Is purple loosestrife spreading on the Massabesic Middle School campus? Are Galerucella beetles or Japanese beetles keeping it in check?

Who wants your input: The Massabesic Middle School community

Contribute to this mission!

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mission_phragmites_180.jpg

Are phragmites and other invasive plants increasing in a recently restored marsh in Brunswick?

Where to look: Thomas Cove salt marsh in Brunswick

Who wants your data: Curtis Bohlen, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership

Mission details!

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mission-hemlock.jpg

Where is the hemlock woolly adelgid?

Where to look: Hemlock trees

Who wants your data: Allison Kanoti, Maine Forest Service

Species ID card for hemlock woolly adelgid
Species ID card for hemlock trees

Mission details!

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mission_crayfish_ovirilis.jpg

Where are Maine's native and invasive crayfish?

Where to look: streams, ponds, lakes, rivers

Who wants your data: Dr Karen Wilson, University of Southern Maine

Species ID card for native and invasive crayfish

Join this mission!

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mission-11-most-wanted.jpg

Can we keep Maine's most unwanted aquatic plant species out of our lakes?

Where to look: lakes, ponds, rivers, streams

Who wants your data: Maine Department of Environmental Protection & Maine VLMP

Species ID cards for the most unwanted aquatic plants

Take on this mission!

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mission_didymo_180.jpg

Is rock snot in Maine?

Where to look: Fast-moving streams & rivers

Who wants your data: Maine Department of Environmental Protection

US EPA's Didymo Fact Sheet

Do this mission!

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mission_codium.jpg

Is codium moving up the coast?

Where to look: Rocky intertidal, washed up on beaches

Who wants your data: Pete Thayer, Maine Department of Marine Resources & Anita Klein, UNH

Species ID card for codium

Join this mission!

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mission_loosestrife.jpg

How is purple loosestrife affecting biodiversity?

Where to look: wetlands, drainage ditches, fields, forest edges

Who wants your data: The Vital Signs community

Species ID card for purple loosestrife

Join this mission!

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Is the Asian longhorned beetle in your town?

Where to look: Hardwood trees

Who wants your data: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, BeetleDetectives.com

Species ID card for ALB
Species ID card for red maple
Species ID card for white birch

Take on this mission!

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Are there signs of the emerald ash borer in your town?

Where to look: White, green and brown/black ash

Who wants your data: Maine Forest Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, BeetleDetectives.com

Idenfication Resources for:
white ash, green ash and black ash.

Start looking for signs!

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What is it about garlic mustard that makes it such a successful invader?

Where to look: Forests, Fields, and Developed Areas

Who wants your data: Global Garlic Mustard Survey, garlicmustard.org

Species ID card for garlic mustard

Join this global effort!

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mission_climate.jpg

Is climate change impacting Maine's intertidal communities?

Where to look: Rocky intertidal
Who wants your data: Dr Jenn Dijkstra, Wells NERR, and Dr Jonathan Grabowski, GMRI
Species ID card for native bladder wrack
Species ID card for invasive Asian shore crab
Species ID card for invasive orange sheath tunicate

Tackle this mission!

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What invasive species are in and around Acadia National Park?

Where to look: Upland Habitats on Mount Desert Island
Who wants your data: MDI CISMA

Upcoming workshop: Sat. July 9th, 9-11am, at Maine Coast Heritage Trust Preserve in Southwest Harbor

Help preserve Acadia!

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What is your mission?

What are you curious about?

What species do you want the community to look for?

Where should the community look?

Tell us about your mission!

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Vital Signs is a Gulf of Maine Research Institute Program. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 License.