UMaine graduate students Grayson Hutson and Julia Sunnarborg collecting an eDNA sample through the ice at Walker Pond. Grayson and Julia and colleagues at the University of Maine and University of Southern Maine are using eDNA to study migration patterns of alewives as they move between saltwater and freshwater to understant their affects on lake and estuary ecosystems, especially in cases where dams are being removed to increase fish passage. They are even mining the lake sediments for ancient eDNA to understand what fish populations might have looked like in the past.

Working Waterfront

Sifting DNA from ocean holds promise

Researchers are finding many more species of fish associated with kelp forests using eDNA than are observed visually. This raises questions about whether these species are transient or using kelp as an important habitat. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Hope: A framework for climate action

Hope is a framework for action. There is a great distinction between hoping (which is all about action) and wishing (which is passive, having a desire but believing there is nothing we can do). SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bad habits revived again and again

The change of seasons—spring being what’s on my mind—can call out old habits. Mine have to do with boats and the preparations they require at this time of year. The habits of others will be different, of course, depending on circumstances, priorities, and whose habits we’re talking about. While my… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The importance of measuring greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gas assessments provide measurable evidence to show consumers environmentally friendly practices. SEE MORE

An aerial view of Sea Meadow waterfront marine center in Yarmouth. PHOTO: COURTESY TAYLOR APPOLONIO

Working Waterfront

Sea Meadow on firmer ground with funding

Sea Meadow is a 12-acre parcel along the tidal Cousins River, which flows into the Royal River and into Casco Bay. The property is located on a dirt road about a quarter mile from busy Route 1 and has been occupied by two boatbuilders for decades. SEE MORE

A vacation rental property in Camden. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Short-term gain, long-term pain?

Short-term rentals have a long and storied history in Maine's coastal communities. On Mount Desert Island, for example, many families who “head up to camp” each summer rent their homes to seasonal visitors to earn extra income. In communities like Peaks Island and Deer Isle, families have long offered rustic… SEE MORE

“Flaking the Purse Seine,” circa 1940, by Emily Muir (1904-2003), watercolor on paper, 16 1/2 x 23 inches. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BARRIDOFF AUCTIONS

Working Waterfront

Emily Muir and the seiners

In addition to being a painter, Muir was a self-taught architect and designer, as well as an author, lecturer, and conservationist. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Readers: Community building, ‘important work,’ and delightful travelogue

Important work To the Editor: I just read Kim Hamilton's “From the Sea Up” column in the April issue of The Working Waterfront, “The storm damage we cannot see.” It was excellent. As a psychiatrist, I’m so glad you’re noting the psychological impact of these terrible coastal storms and encouraging… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Unhealthy progression: algae, bacteria, and hypoxia

Fishermen love their coffee, but they don’t want the ocean to look like it! Last summer, that is just what the ocean looked like across the Gulf of Maine, from Penobscot Bay to Martha's Vineyard. The brown water was the result of a massive bloom of microscopic algae (otherwise known… SEE MORE

Maine Marine Patrol Officer Alex Michaud, center, receives the 2024 Maine Lobstermen’s Association Officer of the Year Award during the Fishermen’s Forum. From left are and MLA board president Kristan Porter Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher, from left), Sgt. Matthew Wyman, and Major Rob Beal.

Working Waterfront

Michaud wins ‘officer of the year’

Maine Marine Patrol Officer Alex Michaud received the 2024 Maine Lobstermen’s Association Officer of the Year Award during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport in early March. The award is presented to a Marine Patrol Officer who has demonstrated outstanding service in support of the lobster industry. Michaud, who joined… SEE MORE