Category: In the news

International Energy Leaders Visit Molokai

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A proposal for a large-scale solar project on Molokai is on the table and residents are questioning the project’s benefits and whether community ownership of the project down the road is viable or desirable.
With the island’s energy grid on the brink of change, a group of community energy leaders from around the world visited Molokai last Monday to share their perspectives on renewable energy solutions with residents.

Life on an Island: Silence, Beauty and a Long Wait for the Ferry

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On remote islands off the coast of Maine, small bands of residents stay through the long winter. They embrace the emptiness and a frontier sensibility.
The snow had begun falling overnight, and fell throughout the day, draping the towering pines and the lobster traps, stacked up on land for the winter, in blankets of white.

Island Institute readies for third year of aquaculture business program

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The Island Institute is now accepting applications for its 2018 Aquaculture Business Development program. In its third year, the program helps fishermen gain the tools they need to diversify and launch their small-scale aquaculture businesses.
The nonprofit wants to work with coastal and island residents who are highly motivated to start their shellfish or seaweed aquaculture businesses within the next two years. Applications are being accepted through March 23.

Could seaweed save Maine’s shellfish?

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The water off Maine’s coast is becoming more and more acidic. It’s been shown to have a negative impact on some of the state’s fisheries.
Scientists say they’ve known about this problem for a few years and now may have found a solution in Casco Bay.
Scientists from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and the Island Institute have been gathering data from the water surrounding a kelp farm in Casco Bay, every couple of weeks for the last few years.

Midcoast artists and makers: Is consignment right for you?

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One of the biggest challenges for contemporary artists, craftspeople, and makers living in Maine is finding the right brick and mortar store to carry their original artwork and products. One solution to getting more exposure and sales is to sell the work on consignment with shops and galleries. Consignment is an agreement between the artist and the shop to sell the artist’s work for a percentage of the commission. Archipelago, both a gallery and the retail side of the Island Institute in Rockland, represents nearly 250 artists from 20 different islands and the coast of Maine. For the last two years, Archipelago has hosted an Artists and Makers Conference that touched on the topic of consignment as a viable option.

Ocean bounty: Tollef Olson has a knack for turning seaweed into products that are in demand

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Tollef Olson always had a thing for the sea. As a young man, he hunted for treasure on centuries-old shipwrecks, worked as a commercial fisherman in Florida and an urchin diver in Maine.
He has started and sold a variety of businesses, including Aqua Farms LLC (producer of Bangs Island Mussels) and Ocean Approved.
In 2016, he co-founded Ocean’s Balance, which a year ago started producing a Kelp Puree made from wild seaweed harvested by Olson. Buyers include grocery stores, institutions and restaurants.

Is Seaweed the Next Big Thing in Sustainable Food?

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As Tollef Olsen throws a white buoy labeled “SEAFARM” into Portland, Maine’s Casco Bay on a cold, clear November day, he reminisces about talking to the Maine Sea Coast Vegetables founder Shep Erhart back in the early 1980s.
During this conversation, the two discussed the environmental benefits of farming seaweed.

Island Institute Holds Forum On Protecting Maine Coast From Effects Of Climate Change

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Scientists, municipal and state officials, consultants and concerned citizens gathered in Portland Tuesday to consider ways to protect against rising sea-levels and intense storms.
Sponsored by the Rockland-based Island Institute, the daylong forum highlighted work up and down the coast documenting the dangers sea-level rise and other climate-change-driven events pose for vulnerable ecosystems and infrastructure. The 60-plus attendees discussed strategies and standards that would foster coastal resilience, and how to finance solutions.

Island Institute to host seafood chef, author Barton Seaver

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The Island Institute will host a special evening conversation on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 5:30-7 p.m., with chef and author Barton Seaver, and Rob Snyder, Ph.D, president of the Island Institute, discussing Barton’s new book, American Seafood.
The event will take place at the Island Institute, 386 Main Street in Rockland, with a cocktail reception and book signing to follow in Archipelago, the Island Institute’s store.