Cheyenne Adams
Current Job: Marine Biologist
Current Project: Marine Vegetation Mapping Program
State(s) working in: Maine
Where are you from: Illinois
What do you think is the main reason we should protect SAV?
There are many reasons to protect SAV, but I’m particularly interested in the capacity of seagrasses to capture and store carbon.
How do you feel your research will make a difference in the SAV community?
The recently established Marine Vegetation Mapping Program will map seagrass and salt marsh habitat in Maine coastwide with a 5-year rotating regional survey. Eelgrass has not been mapped in much of the state for 20 years. New (and regularly updated) maps will contribute to the emerging blue carbon inventory, and inform restoration discussions and permitting decisions.
What is one of your best memories working with SAV?
As a Scientific Diver-in-training at the University of Maine, I conducted an eelgrass bed survey for a class project. This was my first time working closely with eelgrass, and it was amazing to see all the organisms inhabiting the bed firsthand.
What keeps you motivated to keep caring about the future of SAV?
There have been a lot of exciting changes in Maine recently that center on the importance of coastal wetland habitats – including the creation of the Marine Vegetation Mapping Program. This is encouraging for the future of SAV work in Maine, and I’m inspired to be a part of it.
More about Cheyenne’s story
As an undergraduate student at Southern Illinois University, Cheyenne conducted research on striped bass growth and coral propagation before earning a B.S. in Zoology with an emphasis in Environmental Biology and a minor in Chemistry. After a short (but fun) stint in South Carolina as a counselor for a marine biology summer camp, she moved to Maine. In the past 9 years, Cheyenne has conducted fieldwork and research all along the Maine coastline, in the process earning an M.S. in Marine Biology and becoming an AAUS-certified Scientific Diver.
Prior to joining the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in January to manage the recently established Marine Vegetation Mapping Program (MVMP), Cheyenne worked for the Maine Department of Marine Resources as a Scientist in the Aquaculture Division. As part of this work, she regularly conducted diver surveys to map eelgrass and shellfish beds within and adjacent to proposed aquaculture sites. Managing the MVMP is an exciting opportunity for her to scale up and produce regional seagrass and salt marsh maps.
