| THE MAINE ROCKWEED PAGE |
| "Rockweed" is the common name given to fucoid seaweeds. In Maine (USA) and the maritime provinces of Canada, "rockweed" usually refers to the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum. Ascophyllum is the dominant seaweed on intertidal shores in the North Atlantic, providing (1) a critical habitat for small invertebrates at the bottom of the food web and juvenile fish (such as pollock), (2) a food source for some invertebrates, and (3) nutrients to the rest of the ecosystem. Shorebirds feed on the community of small invertebrates that make their home on and among the long-lived Ascophyllum plants. |
| WHAT IS IT? |
| WHAT ARE THE ISSUES? |
| LEGAL: Rockweed, and all seaweeds growing down to the mean low tide line or 1650 feet from the mean high tide line, are apparently private property by Maine case law. f they are private property, seaweed harvesters cannot legally harvest the seaweed in the intertidal zone without landowner permission. LD 553 was an attempt to make intertidal seaweed harvesting a legal activity on private shores. This bill was withdrawn when it became clear that LD 553 would have take private property without compensation by the government. LD 1179 would make it illegal to harvest intertidal seaweed without the shore owner's permission. ECOLOGICAL: Many people, including scientists, are concerned about the small-scale (short-term) and large-scale (long-term) effects of harvesting a plant at the bottom of the food web. When species at the bottom of the food web are harvested, effects may ripple up through the rest of the web. Over-harvesting rockweed may have effects on shorebirds, fisheries, and local populations of invertebrates. What level of harvesting counts as "over-harvesting"? Dramatic over-harvesting, such as occurred in Nova Scotia, is obvious. But there may be a lower level of harvesting that also has negative effects on the ecosystem. We don't know what level is ecologically sound without further scientific study. We don't know if harvesting effects vary by location of the rockweed bed. |
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| ROCKWEED LINKS: BEGINNER ROCKWEED: Basic information and links ADVANCED ROCKWEED: Scientific information |
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| For more information, send e-mail to: [email protected] |
| ROCKWEED IN THE MEDIA |
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| VISITORS SINCE FEB. 12, 2001 |
| EXISTING SEAWEED HARVEST REGULATIONS AND ORDINANCES: USA and CANADA |
| Last update: April 9, 2002 |
| ROCKWEED PHOTO GALLERY |
| WHAT DOES IT DO? |
| SUMMARY OF THE FUNCTIONS AND VALUES OF ROCKWEED (Maine, DEP) |
| ROCKWEED: frequently-asked questions |
| QUESTION : ************************** Which state agency regulates rockweed in Maine? You may be surprised at the ANSWER. |
| Rockweed-L: a Rockweed Discussion e-mail List! JOIN by clicking here |
| NEW! |
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| -US Fish and Wildlife Service enforces federal regulations which prohibit seaweed cutting at Maine's national wildlife refuges- Read the press release: 7/26/01. View the official letter from the Fish and Wildlife Service. See the maps of affected lands and islands. |
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| Young Littorina obtusata snails being sheltered by a rockweed bladder |
| 2008: Please go to the new site: Maine Rockweed |