Drs. Carey Friedman and LeAnn Whitney, professors in Maine Maritime’s Ocean Studies department, have spent the past two summers investigating PFAS (“forever chemical”) levels in Penobscot Bay and the Penobscot River. PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are toxic compounds that have been used in a broad array of consumer and industrial products and are now widespread in the environment. Dr. Friedman, a chemical oceanographer, and Dr. Whitney, a phytoplankton ecologist, paired up to investigate how PFAS are affecting our local marine waters and the base of the marine food web. They will discuss their findings to date and plans for future research.