Dr. Brian Beal of the Downeast Institute on Beals Island works with Madeline Williams setting up a test pot for softshell clams.

Working Waterfront

Digging the softshells

Summer in Maine brings hungry vacationers seeking lobster rolls, blueberry pie, and the iconic softshell clam—fried, steamed, or in chowder. Clam prices are spiking in response to demand and hundreds of Maine clammers are working to meet it while the market is hot. “I figure I’ll make 75% to 80%… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ferry service studied, users surveyed

Maine plans to spend $1.8 billion on its state roads and bridges over the next three years, and so the Maine State Ferry Service’s annual operating budget of $12.5 million might be seen as a pittance. But for people living on the six islands served by the state ferry, that… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Mushrooms to the rescue

You may not be old enough to remember when buoys were carved from wood and lobster traps were hand-built using wood lathe and cloth nets. In the 1970s, wooden buoys were replaced with expanded polystyrene (EPS) plastic foam buoys. From here two issues arise in terms of plastic pollution in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Offshore oil drilling—it could happen here

I’ve had the privilege of serving churches along the Southern Maine coast for over 30 years. During these years, I’ve also had the privilege of traveling to many parts of the country and the world beyond, often leading groups on pilgrimage or mission trips. I’ve encountered compassionate, wise, and just… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Chasing resilience

Resilience is one of those buzz words that seems to be everywhere these days. It is the new version of sustainable, but with even less of a clear definition, therefore making it infinitely harder to measure. A while back someone described it as not attaining resilience, but continually striving for… SEE MORE

A lobster boat unloads in Corea Harbor. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Lobster’s claw-hold on Maine is strong

How important is the lobster fishery to the Maine coast? What will be the economic impact of a reduction in the harvest from regulations or a changing Gulf of Maine? How is lobstering integrated into the state’s identity? One number suggests answers: $1 billion dollars. That’s the amount generated each… SEE MORE

Murphy in front of the First Parish Church in Portland during one of his walking tours. PHOTO: COURTESY DUGAN MURPHY

Working Waterfront

Reviving Portland’s unsung historical heroes

On the morning of Oct. 18, 1775, a British naval fleet anchored in Portland Harbor began bombarding what was then known as Falmouth, Mass. The bludgeoning of Portland lasted all day followed by more insult to injury when the British sailors swarmed the ruined community of about 2,000 residents to… SEE MORE

Alison Evans with her oyster-inspired ceramics.

Working Waterfront

Sea-inspired ceramics succeeding in Boothbay Harbor

When it was time for ceramist Alison Evans to “get real” about her life, she “naturally” gravitated back to a community where she spent much of her youth: Boothbay Harbor. “It’s one of the most beautiful places in the entire world,” said the 46-year-old owner of Ae Ceramics and Ae… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘On-demand’ lobster gear permitted

A Massachusetts group aiming to help develop lobster traps that eliminate standing buoy lines recently received a split decision about whether the trap technology could be tested in waters closed to fishing as a protection for endangered North Atlantic right whales. On April 1, Pioneers for a Thoughtful Coexistence was… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Running the regulation gauntlet

My husband, Bruce, launched his lobster boat at the end of March and was setting traps by the first week of April. He spent the winter painting buoys, repairing old traps, and building new ones. By the time he was ready to set out again, 600 of his 800 traps… SEE MORE