About Us

Everything is Connected

Our perspective is fundamentally ecological, based on an understanding that all life is intimately linked with its environment; that people are therefore an inextricable part of the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine; that there is an interdependent web of existence more evident on islands than in other communities and landscapes.

We also recognize that the maritime culture of islands fundamentally depends on the ecological health and productivity of the surrounding marine environment. To imagine Maine and its islands without a productive lobster fishery, for instance, is like viewing the American prairie without the buffalo.

As a learning organization, operating at different scales throughout the region, we continuously reshape our programs to respond to changing conditions and challenges. We also provide technical assistance and staff resources to other groups and organizations that are better positioned than we are to deliver local services.

Our full-time staff of 30 to 35 includes writers, planners, geographers, editors, educators, photographers, artists, marine scientists and policy specialists. Our annual operating budget is approximately $4.5 million. To view our most recent annual report, please click here.