Phoebe Jekielek studies what makes scallops so special. The former lead scientist for the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership will deliver a talk on the subject for The Carpenters Boat Shop Virtual Lecture Series Thursday, Feb. 15. (Courtesy photo)
A deep dive into scallops will be on the table during a Thursday, Feb. 15 lecture co-sponsored by The Carpenter’s Boat Shop and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership.
Phoebe Jekielek, previous lead scientist at the center, will discuss “Gonads & Gourmet: Unveiling Scallop’s Plump Treasures and Bounty Potential!” in a joint presentation offered live at Rockland’s Pascal Hall and, simultaneously, online through the Boat Shop’s monthly lecture series.
The 6 p.m. event will provide an overview of “what makes scallops so special and discuss recent work to assess biological differences between wild and farmed scallops,” according to Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership.
Jekielek will tap into recent work at Hurricane Island’s experimental aquaculture research farm and its collaborations with Penobscot Bay scallop farms in North Haven’s Marsh Cove and near Andrew’s Island in Stonington.
The Thursday night session also will consider recent efforts between organizations, fishermen, and farmers to understand scallop larval distribution in Maine.
Since 2019, the Center for Science and Leadership has been collecting and evaluating the ratio of wet gonadal mass in a scallop to the total wet body mass without the shell.
Such measures help scientists establish standardized gonad weights that can be used to determine the reproductive cycle of many bivalve and fish species. By doing so, the work contributes to maintaining the legacy of the region’s culture and economy.
Carpenter’s Boat Shop Executive Director Alicia Witham said hosting the monthly lecture series and partnering with institutions such as Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership compliments the Pemaquid nonprofit’s core program of nurturing and enriching lives through the practices of building wooden boats.
“We also believe we can extend our mission beyond that initiative by engaging with a much wider community.” Witham said.
Upcoming virtual speakers include Brittany Gill, executive director of Lincoln County’s Community Housing Improvement Program Thursday, March 21, and Thom Price, former Boat Shop apprentice who’s now a gondola boat-builder in Italy Thursday, April 11.
The spring 2024 lecture series will close out with Bobby Ives, founder of the 45-year old Boat Shop Thursday, May 9.
For more information about the Carpenter’s Boat Shop, and or to attend the virtual speakers lecture series, email director@carpentersboatshop.com, go to carpentersboatshop.org, or call 677-2614.
