Maine commercial fishermen will get a firsthand look at two ocean robots designed to help captains better understand conditions on their fishing grounds during upcoming demonstrations in Portland and Rockland.
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) is hosting the demonstrations as part of Robots for Fishermen, a project under the National Science Foundation’s Seafood Engine in New England. The initiative aims to put ocean-monitoring technology directly into the hands of commercial fishermen, helping them make more informed decisions about where and when to fish.
The project brings together MCFA, the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS).
Rather than starting with what scientists want to collect, the project focuses on what fishermen need to know about conditions on the water to improve fishing efficiency and decision-making.
Fishermen attending the demonstrations will have the opportunity to see two technologies in action:
- JaiaBots: Small, fast robots that can be launched directly from a fishing vessel to scout water conditions around fishing grounds.
- Warden: A surface robot that travels to fishing grounds and can hold its position for weeks, collecting environmental data without requiring fishermen to haul it back aboard.
Attendees can watch both systems launch and collect ocean data in real time, compare how each technology could fit into their fishing operations, and speak with developers and scientists about what information would be most useful to them on the water.
Captains across New England, including two in Maine, will be paid to help design and test the technology aboard their own vessels. Their feedback will help determine which robots and sensors the project invests in moving forward.
According to MCFA, earlier demonstrations on Cape Cod and in Rhode Island drew strong participation from captains, who offered ideas for how the technology could be used in commercial fishing operations.
Participating fishermen will be eligible for stipends of up to $21,200 each, along with Starlink connectivity while deploying the technology between December 2026 and June 2028.
The Maine demonstrations will take place:
- Portland: Monday, Nov. 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Portland Fish Pier, near Vessel Services.
- Rockland: Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Rockland Municipal Fish Pier.
The Portland demonstration is free and open to the public, and fishermen are encouraged to bring their crews and families.
Also taking place during the Portland event, researchers from Colby College will conduct interviews with current and former commercial fishermen, lobstermen, and anglers about offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine. Participants will have the opportunity to view an underwater wind farm through virtual reality and receive $100 for an approximately 30-minute interview.
