PRESQUE ISLE – Stuart Gelder, professor of biology at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, recently received word that his shipworm research project will be funded through a grant from Maine Sea Grant.

Over a six-month period, Gelder will conduct interviews to determine whether the presence of shipworms along the coast of Maine is of commercial concern.

Gelder’s plan is to complete an assessment of the situation and determine if the presence of shipworms along the coast would justify an in-depth scientific study of the problem.