SITEREPORT - Experimental Lease Site Report for Suspended Culture of Sugar Kelp and Skinny Kelp

Oct 13, 2026

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Experimental lease site report for suspended culture of Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) and Skinny Kelp (Saccharina angustissima) east of Sturdivant Island in Casco Bay, Cumberland, Maine. The applicant, Brent Nappi, requests 3.96 acres with planned seeding, tending, and harvesting from November 1 to June 1. Maine Department of Marine Resources assessed the site and documented vicinity context, tide observations, depth ranges, bottom substrate composition, and distances to shore and navigation features, addressing decision criteria including riparian access, navigation, fishing uses, and other aquaculture presence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Application Overview

General Characteristics

Depth

Bottom Characteristics

Position and Distances to Shore

Riparian Ingress and Egress

Navigation

Fishing and Other Uses

Other Aquaculture Uses

Figure 1. Vicinity map1 Location: East of Sturdivant Island, Casco Bay, Cumberland, Cumberland County, Maine Purpose: Experimental lease for suspended culture of Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) and Skinny Kelp (Saccharina angustissima) Site Review: Cheyenne Adams Report Preparation: Molly Waters, Geoffrey Shook, Meryl Grady, and Amanda Ellis 1 Unless otherwise noted, all figures in this report were created in ArcGIS Pro version 2.9 using digitized NOAA Nautical Charts or georeferenced aerial photographs provided by The Maine Office of GIS. Application Overview The applicant, Brent Nappi, is requesting 3.96 acres2 for a commercial experimental lease east of Sturdivant Island in Casco Bay for the suspended culture of marine algae (Figure 1). The applicant intends to seed, tend, and harvest the site from November 1st to June 1st. 3 General Characteristics On April 25, 2022, Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) scientists assessed the proposed lease site. MDMR scientists arrived on site at approximately 12:42 PM. Sturdivant Island is to the west of the proposed lease area. The shoreline is predominantly rocky and sandy with deciduous forested uplands. The island has several residential houses. Depth MDMR scientists began collecting depths at the proposed site at approximately 12:42 PM on April 25, 2022. The tide was outgoing with the next low tide predicted at 1:44 PM. Depths at each corner were measured and determined to range from 27.4 to 39.7 feet. Correcting for tidal variations derives water depths to be from 26.6 to 38.9 feet at mean low water (MLW, 0.0 feet) (Table 1). Table 1. Tide observations at Portland Station 8418150, Portland, Maine.4 | Date | Time | Height (ft) | | --- | --- | --- | | 04/25/2022 | 12:58 AM | 0.87 L | | 04/25/2022 | 07:17 AM | 9.14 H | | 04/25/2022 | 01:44 PM | -0.09 L | | 04/25/2022 | 08:06 PM | 8.63 H | Bottom Characteristics MDMR scientists observed the bottom characteristics of the area by collecting video with a dropcamera. Bottom characteristics were categorized using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), a national standard for describing features of the marine environment (Table 2). Sediment information was determined based on visual analysis of the video. The observed sea floor within the proposal boundaries was composed primarily of soft mud. 2 Applicant originally requested 4 acres. MDMR calculations indicate the area is 3.96 acres. 3 Application page 4 4 [https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=8418150](https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=8418150) Table 2. Bottom characteristics of the proposed site. | Substrate Origin | Substrate Class | Substrate Subclass | Substrate Group | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Geologic
Substrate | Unconsolidated Mineral Substrate | Fine Unconsolidated Substrate | Mud | Position and Distances to Shore The measuring tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.9 was used to verify the distances and bearings between proposed lease corners. Distances to shore were determined using the measuring tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.9, digital orthophotography provided by the Maine Office of GIS, and the application coordinates (Table 3, Figure 2) . Application Coordinates (WGS84) -3.96 Acres Table 3. Approximate distances from proposed lease corners to surrounding features. | Feature | Distance | | --- | --- | | NW corner to nearest shoreline at MLW | ~730 feet to the northwest | | NE corner to center of navigation channel | ~830 feet to east | | SE corner to red navigational aid “4” | ~2500 feet to the southeast | | SW corner to nearest shoreline at MLW | ~500 feet to the west | Figure 2. Proposed lease area with site visit observations. Pursuant to statute and regulation, aquaculture leases are evaluated in consideration of applicable decision criteria. The site report documents MDMR’s observations of the area and other information, in consideration of those criteria, as noted b

FAQs

What marine algae species are targeted for the proposed suspended culture lease?

The report focuses on Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) and Skinny Kelp (Saccharina angustissima).

How much acreage is requested and what is the intended cultivation period?

The applicant requests 3.96 acres and plans seeding, tending, and harvesting from November 1 to June 1.

What depths and seabed conditions were observed during the site assessment?

Measured depths at each corner ranged from 27.4 to 39.7 feet, with mean low water-corrected depths of 26.6 to 38.9 feet. The seafloor within the proposal boundaries was primarily composed of soft mud.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Liam