The Maine Maritime Academy Corning School of Ocean Studies regularly hosts speakers on a variety of science and science adjacent topics.

Phoebe Oehmig will present at talk entitled "Claws for Concern? A PFAS and coastal land use analysis for Maine lobsters".

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals,” are persistent pollutants that can threaten human health, marine ecosystems, and coastal economies. In New England, American lobster is an important source of seafood and a cornerstone of coastal culture and livelihoods, making PFAS contamination a growing concern. This talk explores what we know about PFAS in Maine’s lobster populations, how industrial development and other coastal land uses may influence contamination, and which chemicals are most commonly found in lobster tissue. By connecting pollution on land to its effects in coastal waters and marine life, the presentation will highlight the implications for seafood safety, fisheries management, and the future of Maine’s coastal communities.

Phoebe Colvin Oehmig is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Celia Chen’s marine ecotoxicology lab at Dartmouth College. Her research examines PFAS contamination in Maine lobsters and how coastal land use patterns influence contaminant distribution. She also investigates how environmental contamination intersects with the social resilience of Maine’s lobstering communities. Phoebe grew up in Brunswick, Maine, home to now one of the largest documented PFAS contamination events in the United States. She earned her B.A. in Conservation Biology from Middlebury College, where she competed on the cross-country team. Outside the lab, she can often be found running or skiing the trails of New Hampshire’s Upper Valley.