In 2006, staff at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Maine Field Office initiated a partnership with Maine Sea Grant to produce content for two informational kiosks planned for the lower Penobscot River region. The Penobscot River watershed is currently the subject of an unprecedented restoration plan that will restore access to over 1,000 miles of rearing and spawning habitat for Atlantic salmon, alewives, sturgeon, and other species of sea-run fish.

Tourism and the shellfish industry are both integral components of the Maine economy and way of life. Yet elevated fecal bacteria levels in coastal waters may pose a human health risk, leading to closures of valued beaches and shellfish growing areas.

Each year, bacterial contamination forces the closure of hundreds of acres of clam flats in southern Maine. These are the same bacteria that can pose a health risk at popular swimming beaches. Fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria are used as indicators that other, more harmful, pathogens may be present in coastal waters. But since wildlife, domestic animals, and humans can all be sources of fecal coliform, it is difficult for managers to identify the exact source of the bacteria.