Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday announced her nomination of fisheries scientist Carl Wilson to be commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Wilson has been with the agency for 26 years and has long served as the lead lobster biologist, the governor’s office said in a news release.
He will replace Commissioner Patrick Keliher, who recently announced he will retire on March 14.
His nomination will be subject to a hearing before the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee and confirmation by the Maine Senate.
Wilson joined the DMR in 1999 and has served since 2015 as director of the agency’s Bureau of Marine Science. The Bureau, which has a staff of 90, oversees the agency’s fisheries research and monitoring.
During Wilson’s tenure as Director of the Bureau of Marine Science, he was instrumental in establishing DMR’s Division of Marine Mammal Research. The Division is responsible for monitoring north Atlantic right whales to make sure federal regulators have the data they need to develop targeted regulations that minimize the impact on fishermen.
Under Wilson’s leadership, the Bureau of Marine Sciences reorganized in 2021 and 2022 to create two additional divisions, the Division of Biological Monitoring and Assessment and the Division of Ecology and the Environment, improving the department’s ability to collect data on commercially and recreationally important species and to better understand the complex Gulf of Maine ecosystem, according to the governor’s office.
Wilson led the renovation of the Maine State Aquarium and modernization of the DMR’s active sea water laboratory to ensure the safe care and handling of animals held for display in the aquarium and for research by agency staff.
He also served as a co-chair of the Maine Climate Council’s Coastal and Marine Working Group creating recommendations for adaptation and resilience to climate change in Maine’s coastal communities and marine industries.
Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said the industry advocacy group “has tremendous respect for Carl Wilson,” and called him “a rare leader in government who truly respects fishermen as professionals and values their deep expertise.”