Welcome, 2025 Interns!

Each summer, MCFA is fortunate to add a few undergraduate college interns to our team. These students bring new energy and great passion to our mission, and we love the fresh perspectives they bring to our work. This year, we have Bowdoin students Emma Butterfield and Hazel Johnson - join us in welcoming them to our office!

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2025 MCFA Intern Emma Butterfield

Hi! My name is Emma Butterfield and I am a rising Senior at Bowdoin College. I am planning to graduate with a Coordinate major in Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies on the pre-law track. After graduating college I hope to be involved in advocacy work touching on some component of Maine, whether it be environmental or community focused. During my time at Bowdoin I have been most involved in the Rowing Team, the McKeen Center (our community service hub), and Bowdoin’s Outing Club. 

I grew up in Brewer, and although I love living along the Penobscot I have always felt pulled towards the coast. My family was originally from the Blue Hill area, where I spent Summer 2024 researching PFAS presence in local well water, water quality, and phytoplankton abundance. 

I wanted to become involved in MCFA this summer, largely because of my love for the state and interest in eventually contributing work back towards Maine communities. I knew that MCFA’s focus on  community-based issues related to the fishermen would be a great opportunity to experience and work with other members of the community who share similar interests in protecting Maine’s coastlines.

This summer I will be working on MCFA's Coastal Cohort waterfront inventory project, focusing on 8 towns (Kittery, Freeport, Harpswell, Phippsburg, St. George, Stonington, Southwest Harbor, and Gouldsboro), in addition to a passion project.

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2025 MCFA Intern Hazel Johnson

Hi! My name is Hazel Johnson, and I am a rising junior from Long Island, Maine. I am studying biology and environmental studies at Bowdoin and am also on the sailing team. I have my student lobster license and love spending time on the water. I am excited to join MCFA this summer to learn about other fisheries and gain experience working with fishing communities to engage in citizen science projects.

I will be assisting with the black sea bass monitoring project to better understand how this species is moving into the Gulf of Maine. This project asks fishermen to take a photo of any black sea bass they encounter, and share data that can help scientists better understand their range shift into the Gulf of Maine. Right now, we're still preparing the protocols and processes for the work, but the citizen science will start soon!