Working Waterfront

The science, history, and business of the Maine blueberry

Maine’s wild blueberries started out 10,000 years ago as a scrappy survivor in the nutrient-deficient sandy plain left behind by receding glaciers. Today, the wild blueberry is a signature Maine product. Growing naturally in fields and barrens that stretch along the Downeast coast, the blueberry is adapted to Maine’s naturally… SEE MORE

Houses close to the shore on Moody Beach in Wells

Working Waterfront

Maine beaches remain battlegrounds

A day-long conference devoted to beaches on the coast of Maine, in July, might seem like, well, a day at the beach. In fact, beaches here are at the center of threats and debates. Threats include sea level rise, erosion, and land-based pollution. Debates swirl around development, flood insurance, and… SEE MORE

Rylee Knox of Turner poses for a “selfie” with his mother

Working Waterfront

MMA’s ‘family cruise’ last leg of 90-day journey

There were hugs, handshakes, and smiles as parents, siblings, and girlfriends joined Maine Maritime Academy students aboard the training ship State of Maine in Searsport on July 30. The academy offers this “family cruise” for the last leg of the 90-day training voyage, docking the 500-foot-long ship in Searsport to… SEE MORE

A photovoltaic panel in a yard on Islesboro.

Working Waterfront

Veto puts solar energy growth in jeopardy, say proponents

By Jacqueline Weaver A bill in the Maine Legislature that would have ensured benefits for solar panel owners was killed on Aug. 2. The bill passed with strong majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate, but then was vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage. In the initial vote, legislators… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine coastal towns expecting, preparing for rising seas

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. Sea level along the Maine coast has been rising at a fairly regular rate for the last 5,000 years or so. In the 20th century, sea level rose at about 1 inch per decade. Looking forward, we are expecting much… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Connecting our communities more critical than ever

This column first appeared in the 2017 Island Journal, which is now available for purchase at TheArchipelago.net. Maine touts its allure for visitors and prospective transplants by asserting that we provide qualities summed up as “the way life should be.” The phrase suggests purity, simplicity, a pace more in tune… SEE MORE

Galen Koch at work on the Airstream trailer that will serve as her mobile recording studio.

Working Waterfront

‘First Coast’ project aims to tell our stories

Bureaucrats, academics, and advocates develop talking points, position papers, and policies to address the problems of our coast. Galen Koch has chosen a different approach. The 28-year-old Stonington native and Skidmore College grad has dedicated her professional life to storytelling. Or, more accurately, letting others tell their stories. Her newest… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Good job news, not-so-good work force news

The Great Recession still casts a shadow over us, perhaps tamping down confidence in the economy in some quarters. But the truth about Maine’s employment situation is quite bright. The state’s unemployment rate as of May, the last month for which numbers were available, is about 3.2 percent. It’s even… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Could green crabs become a Maine delicacy?

Invasive green crabs responsible for decimating Maine's soft-shell clam industry are being investigated for possible culinary purposes. Art conservator Jonathan Taggart, marine biologist Marissa McMahan, and Georgetown lobsterman Chris Jamison traveled to Venice last year to learn the secrets of harvesting green crabs for gourmet dishes. Young, soft-shelled green crabs are harvested… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Trump EPA cuts would have Maine fisheries navigating ‘blind’

Science and research are being targeted for deep cuts in the Trump administration’s proposed budget, and if those cuts are made, Maine’s fisheries will be navigating blind into an uncertain future. That was the message from a panel that gathered on Thursday, June 29 at the University of Southern Maine… SEE MORE