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Striped Bass Stocks are in Decline. This UNE Senior Wants to Know Why.
Ben Gowell is using Novel Techniques to Track Striped Bass Populations in Southern Maine
Striped bass are vital to Maine’s outdoor economy, and knowledge of the movements of these fish is crucial for sustainable fisheries management. But as striped bass stocks have declined to the lowest levels in recorded history, one University of New England student is working to better understand the population dynamics of these economically important fish in southern Maine.
Ben Gowell (Marine Sciences, ’25) was awarded $5,000 from the Quahog Bay Conservancy to conduct his summer research using acoustic telemetry to track striped bass in the Saco River and neighboring Saco Bay, just steps from UNE’s coastal Biddeford campus.
Gowell's project involves deploying a network of acoustic hydrophones — devices that detect tagged fish as they swim past — in water bodies across southern Maine to track the bass. These devices can detect when tagged fish swim by and record that date and time, much like an electronic tolling system tracks vehicles on the interstate.
Over the last two years, Gowell and his academic mentor, John Mohan, Ph.D., assistant professor of marine sciences at UNE and principal investigator of the University’s Shark and Fish Ecology Lab, have tagged 40 fish. Using fine-scale telemetry, the team hopes to uncover patterns that could help predict fish behavior and distribution.
Left: Ben Gowell casts a line into Saco Bay in August. Right: Gowell prepares tracking devices to be implanted into striped bass. The devices ping off a receiver and track bass populations as the fish swim by.
“The striped bass population is at a critical juncture,” he said. “By identifying which fish are in Maine at specific times and their origins, we can provide data to support better management decisions.” To achieve this, Gowell uses a novel approach to determine the fish's origin by examining the chemical signatures in their scales, a less invasive method than the traditional ear stone analysis, which requires sacrificing the fish.
Another part of the project taps into a collaborative network of acoustic arrays along the East Coast, allowing researchers to track long-distance migrations and coastal movements of striped bass. This data will help determine which of four spawning stocks — from the Chesapeake, Hudson, and Delaware Rivers, or the Kennebec River in Maine — are present in Maine waters and when.
With the award from Quahog Bay Conservancy, Gowell and Mohan were able to purchase 12 more acoustic tags to expand the research project, which Gowell said would help them gain a better understanding of striped bass movements, particularly which spawning stocks are present in Maine waters.
Gowell does most of his fishing at night, when striped bass are actively feeding. Photos courtesy of Ben Gowell.
Gowell’s journey into marine science research began during his sophomore year when he joined Mohan’s lab at UNE as a volunteer.
Initially drawn to the lab for his love of fishing and interest in fish ecology, he soon became deeply involved in fieldwork, coding, and data analysis. His experiences with the lab and the hands-on research opportunities inspired him to pursue a master’s degree through UNE’s Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. program, where his work on striped bass forms the first chapter of his thesis.
The program allows students to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees in just five years and engages students in meaningful research experiences to prepare them for thriving careers in marine biology, oceanography, aquaculture, conservation research, and more.
“It takes an extremely motivated and committed student to successfully complete an accelerated 4+1 M.S. degree,” Mohan said. “Ben’s strong work ethic and relentless scientific curiosity is exactly what the 4+1 program is designed for.”
Gowell’s work highlights the importance of undergraduate research experiences — which UNE students complete at nearly twice the national average — in addressing pressing environmental and ecological issues, like ensuring sustainable fisheries for future generations.
“Striped bass are a huge part of Maine’s outdoor economy and culture,” says Gowell. “If we want to keep this fishery healthy and thriving, we need to know where these fish are coming from, where they’re going, and why.”
Ben Gowell (Marine Sciences ’25)
Looking ahead, Gowell hopes to continue his research, aiming to have two or three publications by the time he graduates. His long-term goal is to establish his own research lab and contribute further to the field of marine science.
“I’m excited and driven to do good things in the future,” he said. “This research is just the beginning.”