In The News

The Luke’s Lobster Keeper Fund has awarded $25,000 in mini-grants to 10 coastal projects from Portland to Beals Island. The grant program is designed to strengthen economic opportunities for fishing communities and keep coastal waterways clean, according to a news release.  The projects include island and coastal clean ups; educational projects for elementary and middle school students and projects that support aquaculture and the remediation of ocean acidification. 

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Tom Roth traded fishing for farming. He's always finding new ways to use farmed and wild seaweed. "People get excited when they see something that's good for them," he said. His latest kelp-based product: sunscreen. "It's all-natural. There [are] no chemicals. There's no plastic involved. We're really trying to be true to the environment." Roth also is one of the providers of edible sugar kelp in the state, the focus of a recent report from the Island Institute. It sheds new light on what the industry means for Maine.

ew research indicates that Maine's edible seaweed production will grow an average of 12% to 15% annually over the next decade and is expected to more than double by 2025.  The Island Institute published the report, which describes the growth potential for Maine's edible seaweed market over the next 15 years. 

Maine edible seaweed processors are “split” regarding the role of organic in their industry’s product offerings. products’ strategic role in their product offerings. That’s according to a new report by the Island Institute, a Rockland, Maine-based nonprofit, that describes the growth potential of the edible seaweed market in Maine, a major farmed seaweed producing state, over the next 15 years.

BAR HARBOR — Marine scientist Susie Arnold of the Island Institute will discuss research about kelp farming and ocean acidification Monday, March 9 at 5 p.m. at the MDI Biological Laboratory, as part of the laboratory’s Science Café series. Maine’s scenic coastlines and long-established fisheries contribute to the state’s economy, making Maine vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification from both an environmental and socio-economic perspective.

Maine’s Island Institute is accepting applications for its 2020 Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) programme and is looking to support the state’s coastal and island residents who are keen to start mussel, oyster or seaweed aquaculture businesses within the next two years. The programme is particularly suitable for commercial fishers who are looking to diversify their businesses.

ROCKLAND — Have you ever thought about gaining a new source of income by growing mussels, oysters, or seaweed? Island Institute is now accepting applications for its 2020 Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) program and is looking to support coastal and island residents who are highly motivated to start shellfish or seaweed aquaculture businesses within the next two years. To be considered for the program, those interested must submit a short, six-question application by March 13.

Maine’s unique geography is creating opportunities for microgrid developers. The state’s coast is dotted with thousands of islands, many inhabited with populations ranging from a few dozen to more than 10,000.  These island communities have long had to be creative and resourceful to obtain electricity, but power is often costly. Several are now looking to microgrids as a way to cut costs and rely less on outside sources for power. 

“Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success,” according to Henry Ford. This sentiment could be the motto for a group of Roque Bluffs residents who saw a need and did something about it.

Two competing trends make the economies of Maine’s year-round islands precarious, says Rob Snyder, president of the nonprofit Island Institute. “The lobster industry is suffering from international trade tariffs and…