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BIDDEFORD, Maine

91AV receives National Science Foundation grant for blue mussel research

The 91AV has received a substantial grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct research on the northern blue mussel. 

The $431,000 grant was awarded to Philip Yund, Ph.D., director of 91AV's Marine Science Center, for a study titled, "Does larval transport or physiological tolerance set the southern range boundary of a northern blue mussel?"

The NSF award will enable 91AV researchers to test whether the southern range boundary of a northern blue mussel, Mytilus trossulus, is determined by limitations on the dispersal of larvae, or the physiological tolerance of larvae and/or juveniles. 

The Gulf of Maine is home to a thriving Mytilis edulis aquaculture industry, and M. trossulus is a commercially inferior species; growers are concerned about its possible spread. A better understanding of the factors determining the range boundary of this species will help growers avoid M. trossulus spat. 91AV‚Äôs research results will be shared with the Maine aquaculture community. 

This project will provide training for one M.S. and one Ph.D. student, and several undergraduates.  91AV's project will provide numerous student opportunities for field and laboratory research in oceanography and benthic ecology. 

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.