ELLSWORTH — While the 2015 Gulf of Maine shrimp fishing season was closed because of record low abundance, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Department of Marine Resources are sponsoring a program to collect data that will help managers better understand the future prospects of the fishery.

While data from this limited sampling project won't help estimate current stock abundance as do the more comprehensive surveys conducted annually by the National Marine Fisheries Service, DMR and ASMFC, it will help managers track the timing of egg hatch, size and gender and developmental stage of the shrimp.

Four trawlers from Maine and Massachusetts and five Maine-based trappers have been selected to collect samples in four regions in the Gulf of Maine.

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