Four images by renowned photographer Kosti Ruohomaa, shooting for the Maine Sardine Council. PHOTOS: PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM

Working Waterfront

From weir to can

In 1951, the Maine Sardine Council hired Finnish American Kosti Ruohomaa to document the sardine industry. The Maine Legislature created the council that year to promote high standards for the sardine industry and made it responsible for grading and inspections as well. The sardine industry was complex; one photo could… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Collaborative marine science researcher retires

When Bob Steneck came to the University of Maine in 1982, there were few marine ecologists in the state, and none interacted with fishermen. He was among the first in Maine to work with lobstermen on research, traveling with them on their boats, diving to the seafloor to study lobsters,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Monhegan school reunion

[caption id="attachment_38468" align="alignnone" width="780"] Monhegan School, 1972[/caption] In 1972, the student body of the Monhegan School posed for a photograph. In that image (above) are, from left: Ruth Ives (standing); back row from left: Kelani Cundy (seated), Lisa Dickson, Louisa Boehmer (Wickerd), Donna Cundy, Kris Boehmer, and Zoe Zanadakis (seated);… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

When teens can say ‘I know Maine’

In 7th grade Gavin Bradstreet looked like a choir-boy angel with a moon-shaped face and round glasses, but looks were deceptive and the school found him “a handful.” Now he is on his way to college, with greater aspirations than he or his family could have imagined seven years ago.… SEE MORE

Island Institute Fellows, including those returning for a second year and those beginning their fellowship this fall, pose for a photo during an orientation in St. George. Back row, from left: Katie Liberman, Lavinia Clarke, Olivia Jolley, Kaylin Wu, and Morgan Karns. Front row, from left: Alice Cockerham, Brianna Cunliffe, Grace Carrier, and Claire Oxford. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

Island Institute announces new Fellows

Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront, has announced its new cohort of Island Institute Fellows who join a group returning for their second year. The Fellows program places recent college graduates in island and remote coastal communities to do service work. New Fellows include: [caption id="attachment_38241" align="alignnone" width="300"] Alice… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A history worth celebrating

When I joined Island Institute as president a little over three months ago, we were preparing for our 40th birthday as an organization serving Maine’s islands and coastal communities. We were founded in 1983—the year the English rock band, The Police, topped Billboard’s year-end “hot singles” with “Every Breath You… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Rewriting the storyline of island schools

My father had the honor of cutting the celebratory ribbon for the 150th anniversary of the Chebeague Island District 9 School House last month. At 93, and as the oldest living graduate, he can still remember specifically where he sat in the school room, “middle row, at the very end,”… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island Reader’s offerings reflect passion for place

Every year since 2006 the Maine Seacoast Mission has published The Island Reader, a wide-ranging anthology of poetry, prose, and artwork by residents of Maine’s unbridged islands. And every year the literary/artistic smorgasbord reminds us that islands are special places that people call home. The 2023 edition, no. 17, gets… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Stonington’s ‘Discovery Wharf’ open

In the heart of Stonington, Maine’s highest lobster landings port, fisheries come alive at 13 Atlantic Avenue, home of the Discovery Wharf, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries’ vibrant interpretive center for visitors of all ages. The MCCF Discovery Wharf provides interactive experiences ranging from hands-on learning about sea creatures in… SEE MORE

The opening session of the 2023 Artists & Makers Conference.

Working Waterfront

When artists gather, sparks fly

The staff at the Island Institute’s Archipelago store and gallery again presented its Artists & Makers Conference this year after a pandemic pause, celebrating the theme “Together Again!” More than 100 attended to take in eight sessions, live music, Pecha Kucha-style storytelling presentations, and more. The vibe at the conference… SEE MORE