BLUE HILL — The crisis facing Maine’s lobster industry is the subject of a lecture to be presented by Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. at the MERI Center for Marine Studies in Blue Hill.

McCarron’s lecture is titled “Navigating the Challenges Facing the Maine Lobster Fishery.”

The talk is part of MERI’s monthly Ocean Environment Lecture Series and will be preceded by a reception honoring the speaker at 6. The lecture, the last of the 2008 series, is sponsored by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Already facing tough challenges, the Maine lobster industry has now been hard hit by the global economic crisis. Maine fishermen are struggling to unload their catch this fall in part because Canadian processors are not buying because of credit restrictions. In response to the emergency, Governor John Baldacci recently announced that he had established a task force to develop a strategic marketing plan “to ensure the economic prosperity and long-term sustainability of the Maine lobster industry.”

McCarron will outline the steps Maine’s lobstermen are taking to address proactively the challenges facing the industry during the global economic downturn. Her talk will also include a discussion of the impacts on the industry of fisheries management issues and large whale protection legislation.

McCarron has served as executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association since 2000 and travels throughout coastal Maine conducting education and outreach on its behalf. She is the industry liaison for state and federal policymakers and works closely with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the National Marine Fisheries Service. McCarron formerly served as executive director of the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation, consulted on fisheries issues for the New England Aquarium and was director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute’s Resource Center when it first opened in Brooklin.

In 2009, the MERI Ocean Environment Lecture Series will continue on the third Thursday of every month.

The 2009 season topics will include endangered species, marine mammals, invasive species, climate change, ocean pollution and ocean policy.

For information on the lecture or MERI programs, call 374-2135, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit meriresearch.org.