Ultimately we’re all working toward the same goal which is we want to have economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries that help coastal communities maintain themselves. Everybody wants that.
— George Maynard, PhD, eMOLT coordinator at NOAA
Got Data? These Fishing Vessels Do!
NOAA's eMOLT program proves commercial fishing and ocean scientists have a lot of data between them - and connecting those dots helps everyone
Click on image to watch short documentary feature
30 April, 2026 – FALMOUTH, MA – For decades, eMOLT has been connecting the dots between ocean data, fishermen, and scientists. Last season it expanded to 145 vessels covering oceans between North Carolina and the Canadian border, embracing all the comforts of current technology while also strengthening an alliance between those who study the sea and those who make their living upon it.
What is eMOLT?
The device fits the profile of a 12 oz soda can.
Just a neutral black cylinder paired with a small screen data dock, all drawing on standard hardware and software.
None of seems industry changing on the surface – and yet this deceptively straightforward technology has been changing the relationship between fisheries management and fishermen, creating a data project with roots in paper and snail mail that now connects 145 vessels between North Carolina and the Canadian border with researchers building ocean data models.
eMOLT stands for Environmental Monitors on Lobstermen and Large Trawlers, said its coordinator, George Maynard, PhD, who works out of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Wood Hole center, on Cape Cod.
How does it connect fishermen and scientists?
The project’s work might best be described as connecting the dots between ocean data, fishermen, and scientists. At the end of the day, the collaboration that defines eMOLT creates healthier relationships between two often-antagonistic groups as well as bringing home reams of quantitative data about our continually evolving oceans.
When did eMOLT begin?
About 30 years ago, Jim Manning, an oceanographer with NOOA noticed fishing vessel traveling the he same space as the NOAA research vessels. Curiosity piqued, he started going to the docks and asking questions.
Eventually, he signed on a first set of lobstermen who zip-tied an early data-logger to their traps. They recorded the location and date of each haul and at the end of the season snail-mailed the paper and the physical logger back to Manning
Manning retired in 2022 and Maynard stepped into the role. Maynard said that some of those original fishermen are using today’s technology and continuing the data collection, leaving a track record of 25 to 30 years of information from consistent locations. In some cases, the fishing families have passed the project into a second and even a third generation.
Why does data collection make sense for fishermen?
“I spend maybe 20 years a day at sea but there are fishermen who spend 200 days a year at sea. When I’m at behind the desk they are seeing what is actually happening,” he said.
“And so if they can collect the in a way we can use and then pair that data with anecdotes … those observations along with the hard environmental data can be really helpful.”
That’s the heart of eMOLT – a collaboration that connects a scientist’s need for quantitative data with the fisherman’s on-the -scene observations that creates an alliance between those who study and sea and those who make their living upon it.
How did the project expand?
The project received a boost with a grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative that expanded the number of participating vessels and adopted new technology.
What technology supports the effort?
Nick Lowell, founder of Lowell Instruments in East Falmouth, says the current data logger and Deck Dock system were designed to be both rugged and cost effective – but above all to be easy and low maintenance.
“The most important thing we’ve done with this system is we’ve made it so it’s really easy to collect this information” said Lowell.
How is the equipment used?
“You take one sensor and depending on the fishery, you zip-tie it into a lobster trap, it could be attached to a trawler door, it could be bolted on using a bracket on a scallop dredge…” he explained.
“Once you’ve done that one little bit of set up and you have your deck box, there’s no work that has to happen; it all works automatically while you are fishing. So the data collection cost and effort is really low. In an hour or two on the fishing boat after this initial set up you are now collecting data for months and months. And that’s huge”
Fishermen have also found ways to use the data immediately. For example, a clam dredger has used temperature data to determine if the clams are spawning –spawning ties to water temperatures and spawning clams have less meat so the data helps target the timing of the harvest.
Does data matter?
Data provides essential insights into the dynamics of the ocean. It helps set fisheries policy, marine safety, and so much more.
“Data matter because if we don’t have good data we’re really flying blind as far as trying to understand what’s happening in the ocean” said Lowell.
The data for this project are managed by the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation, a Kennebunk ME nonprofit whose board comprises lobstermen from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
What is eMOLT’s long term goal?
“Ultimately we’re all working toward the same goal which is we want to have economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries that help coastal communities maintain themselves,” said Maynard.
“Everybody wants that.”
