A New Hand at DMR's Helm

Carl Wilson, 51, was sworn in as Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) on April 8 after unanimous confirmation by the Maine Senate. Wilson takes over from Patrick Keliher, who served as DMR Commissioner since 2012. Wilson began working for DMR in 1999 as the department’s lead lobster biologist. In 2015 he became DMR’s Marine Science Bureau director.

Wilson started out diving in Penobscot Bay to sample lobsters on the seafloor with University of Maine biologist Bob Steneck as part of the multi-year Penobscot Bay Project, a collaborative research study with the Island Institute in Rockland. He loved the work. “I thought, ‘They’re actually paying me to do this?’,” he said.

DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson

He moved successfully from the university research world into the realm of state service with the guidance of two DMR staff members — Dan Schick, lead research scientist, and Linda Mercer, head of the Science Bureau at the time. “Dan was a genuinely curious person. He was interested in everything,” Wilson recalled. “Linda gave me great advice early on: if you are going to try something, do it now. If your approach is sound and you have thought it through, go for it.”

Wilson served for more than 15 years as the department’s lead lobster biologist. He enjoyed his work with lobstermen and fellow biologists, however “when you’ve done it for 15 years you can get a little cynical,” he said. When Mercer retired and the science bureau director’s position was advertised, he decided to apply.

Being selected as Science Bureau director gave Wilson a different view of his career. As a scientist, he thoroughly understood the dictum of “publish or perish” – publishing peer-reviewed articles is a measurement of a research scientist’s success. But as Science Bureau director Wilson found previous definitions of success changed for him. It wasn’t his own accomplishments that mattered as much as the success of those working for him.

“I learned to see my success as enabling other people’s successes. Being able to get long-term funding for lobster science, for scallop management, for staff, that was success,” he said. Other people were getting published now. “We created another lobster research position, which allowed for a little more time for directed research and writing [by science staff].” During the ten years Wilson was director, Bureau scientists submitted more than 50 papers to peer-reviewed publications and completed 50 stock assessments as well, a significant contribution to the scientific literature and public record. “It’s a testament to the quality of work that DMR is doing,” Wilson said.

During his time as Science Bureau director, Wilson oversaw of the Division of Biological Monitoring and Assessment and the creation of the Division of Ecology and the Environment. He also helped establish the department’s Division of Marine Mammal Research in 2024, which conducts research on North Atlantic right whales.

Wilson takes on the responsibilities of Commissioner at an anxious time. New right whale protection regulations created by the National Marine Fisheries Service are due to be in place by the end of 2028. Shifts in the abundance of commercially harvested species such as herring and the impacts of climate change-induced storms in small harbors are creating economic worries throughout the coast. Debates over how best to manage the lobster fishery, where landings have declined annually since a peak in 2016, have led to angry public disputes.

“The DMR seeks to strike a balance between the resources and the communities. We are not just about protecting the resource or protecting the fishermen. We try to protect both,” he said. “The department provides the rules of engagement and sets limits but we also provide the opportunity to talk about it.”

Carl Wilson at a Zone E Lobster Council meeting. MLA Photo.

The Mills administration will end at the close of 2026, giving Wilson an 18-month tenure in office. Among the many important issues he must manage during that time is creation of lobster management measures that meet the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) goal of protecting the resilience of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank lobster population in the face of an ever-warming marine environment.

“If the ASMFC agrees to no gauge increase, then the lobster management board will want the department and lobster industry to decide together on measures to protect the stock,” he said. “We also have the results of the upcoming lobster stock assessment in the fall.”

Wilson hopes to see the Lobster Zone Councils and Lobster Advisory Council collaborate with DMR on proposed measures. “I want the councils to feel like they are partners with DMR. Not that they have to agree with us but that they are actively engaged and thoughtful about what’s going on,” Wilson said. “It’s important that we move away from looking at the immediate to looking at the long-term view of what the lobster fishery will be.”

Wilson’s enthusiasm for his new position and for the department he now heads is readily apparent. “DMR’s portfolio never ceases to amaze me. What we are doing is really cool. Pat left the department in really good shape in terms of staff and budget. It’s as strong as it’s ever been, which is good when we are facing a period of uncertainty.”