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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE becomes member of North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The University of New England has signed a cooperative agreement to become a formal member of the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU).

Under this agreement, UNE will work on marine/coastal issues of direct interest to New England and the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Army.

The University will also develop cooperative programs with 11 marine universities and centers, namely, Stony Brook University, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, the University of Maine, City University of New York, the College of the Atlantic, the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Columbia University, and the University of Rhode Island.

The objectives of the North Atlantic CESU are to:

  • Provide research, technical assistance and education to federal land management, environmental, and research agencies, and their potential partners;
  • Develop a program of research, technical assistance and education that involves the biological, physical, social, and cultural sciences needed to address resource issues and interdisciplinary problem-solving at multiple scales, and in an ecosystem context at the local, regional, and national levels; and
  • Place special emphasis on the working collaboration among federal agencies and universities and their related partner institutions.

UNE's lead for the CESU will be Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., FAAAS, Doherty Professor and chair of the Department of Marine Sciences and director of UNE's Marine Science Center.

Costa-Pierce noted, "We are honored to have been selected to join the CESU after a year-long vetting process. Our selection as a formal member of the CESU allows federal natural resource agencies to contact us directly with their needs in our bioregion, and then funnel funds directly to support UNE scientists to work on priority coastal/marine issues with federal and university partner institutions. The CESU will enhance UNE's research, technical assistance, and education programs as they are directly related to the mission of the North Atlantic Coast CESU."