Working Waterfront

Algal bloom deals blow to Maine shellfish harvesters

In September, the coastline off Brunswick and Harpswell transformed into a scene out of a horror film. First, water around local mudflats turned unusually brown. State and local officials then warned of a spreading bloom of Karenia mikimotoi, a type of phytoplankton that had been spotted a month earlier in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Great Diamond Island couple turns yard into living shore laboratory

Like many coastal homeowners, John and Cathy Seibyl are used to worrying about erosion. Since they bought their home on the western shore of Great Diamond Island a decade ago, they’ve noticed that the bluff leading down to Casco Bay is slowly washing away. But the Seibyls have a newer… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Testing a new way to fight ticks on Isle au Haut

Darting deer is a challenge in a location where deer are not habituated to people. That’s why it’s handy to be able to call your neighbor and ask if you can set up by a window with your dart gun in their house. “I always end up shooting out of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A Maine peninsula prepares for wildfires

"If this place were to light up now … we’re not in a position to hold the fire or check its spread.” SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Community input sought for MDI black bear study

Researchers at College of the Atlantic have launched a multi‑year study to better understand black bears on Mount Desert Island, and are inviting residents and visitors to contribute to their work. The study, led by Kim M. Wentworth Chair in Environmental Studies Brittany Slabach, focuses on the population size, movement… SEE MORE

Environment

Working Waterfront

Bill to delay new right whale rules advances to Senate

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a Democrat, along with Rep. Mike Lawler, (R-New York), received rare bipartisan support, with 10 Democrats crossing the aisle to vote for it. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Why white sharks are showing up more in Maine

While that news may alarm some swimmers, it turns out this is largely a conservation success story. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine researchers tag 1st white shark as part of expanded research

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is teaming up with University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and University of Maine on the research. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Seeking new ways to lower Gulf of Maine acidity

Similar to doctors, researchers know that to combat climate change they must first do no harm. That’s why for the next two years researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts will be testing in a lab whether reducing the acidity of ocean water could harm larvae of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Making sense of mackerel

In late May, NOAA Fisheries announced a new research initiative with the Northeast fishing industry to gather information about the Atlantic mackerel, a fish so common that it is often overlooked for research and so misunderstood that regulators have routinely miscalculated how many are in the sea. With the new… SEE MORE