Shrimp Doc

It's hard to believe that five whole years have passed since Cap and I trapped for the little buggers. And that the last time I consumed fresh-caught Pandalus borealis was exactly three years ago. . . It's true, I have shrimp on the brain again. So help me God.

Although I've been studying the charismatic Georges Bank sea scallop for the past few years, I have listened closely to news of our beloved Maine shrimp as they've taken a precipitous decline. A project has been brewing in my mind for close to three years now and the opportunity to pursue it has finally arisen. It is not by choice that it has been so long since I last ate fresh northern shrimp. It's by lack of opportunity. The Gulf of Maine northern shrimp stock has been dwindling in recent years, to the point that the fishery has been tragically closed for two seasons. My fishermen friends have sacrificed much more than the sweet, fresh coldwater cuisine. Cap has done alright lobstering further offshore through the winter months, but at a high tradeoff. He burns much more fuel and is forced to fish twenty miles offshore in harsh conditions, which is far for a 35' lobsterboat in January.

But it isn't just my past experience in the fishery that drives my interest in the issue. On the contrary, I remember swearing that I'd never lay hand on a shrimp trap again after the 2010 fishing season. Nor is it purely the Maine economy that compels me to revisit shrimp. It is a much greater problem yet. An ecological problem. The Gulf of Maine represents the southern extent of the range of northern shrimp. As a cold water species, the entire life cycle of northern shrimp is impacted by warming water temperatures, and the Gulf of Maine is purportedly warming at a faster rate than other regions. It is no surprise that we're seeing fewer shrimp in Maine waters every year. Shrimp serve as a temperature-sensitive indicator species for this region. So we should pay attention to changes in the GOM shrimp stock, as other species may follow suit. Furthermore, shrimp are important prey for many groundfish species, such as cod and haddock. Removing a historically abundant prey item, may have repercussions up the food chain.

It is to study this issue (temperature effects on northern shrimp reproduction) that I applied to UMO's doctorate program last summer. I feel confident that it will make an excellent dissertation topic simply for the reason that the idea has persisted in my mind for some time now. I deem that adequate intellectual fuel to power my studies in the coming years.

Before the holidays, I swung by to tell Cap about my new project and to inquire whether he'd like to participate in sampling. He met the idea with support and enthusiasm, although I remembered his residual disgust with academia. Pending grant funding, it isn't so far fetched to think I might be out there trapping with Cap once again in the coming winters. What goes around, comes around. You just never know where life's gonna lead you.