Working Waterfront

York County kelp firm wins grant

U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a value-added producer grant to Cold Current Kelp in York County. The company grows, harvests, processes, and produces value-added products from kelp raised offshore in Kittery. The business will match the $24,700 planning grant with another $25,000 and invest the total to develop business… SEE MORE

An aerial view of the Deer Isle Causeway looking northerly. The causeway is the only roadway linking Deer Isle and Stonington to the mainland. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

Racing against the tide

For a short time, ambulances weren't able to transport patients to Blue Hill Hospital, fire trucks couldn't reach Little Deer Isle, and Versant Power crews couldn't repair downed lines. SEE MORE

Larus gulls. PHOTO: COURTESY LIAM TAYLOR

Working Waterfront

Study suggests gulls get a bad deal

“We need better reasoning. It may still be worth it to kill them, but not on the basis of foolish reasoning. No matter how much data you have you’re blind to your own biases,” he says. SEE MORE

A rendering of what the Belfast fish farm would have looked like.

Working Waterfront

Three coastal fish-farm projects dead or struggling

When three land-based fish farming proposals—in Jonesport, Bucksport, and Belfast—became public several years ago, they generated the expected support for their economic potential and opposition for possible environmental impacts. Early in 2025, none of the three proposals has broken ground; the Belfast project has been withdrawn, the Bucksport project's permits… SEE MORE

A rendering of what the fish plant in Jonesport would look like.

Working Waterfront

Fish farm futures unclear

Two land-based fish farming proposals—one in Jonesport and one in Belfast—are in legal limbo at the moment, while a third proposed recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in Bucksport has let its permits expire. Since publishing this story in our print edition, Nordic Aquafarms has announced it has dropped its bid to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

State needs to prioritize working waterfronts

The opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Island Institute, the publisher of The Working Waterfront. Over the past year, there has been a growing movement to address the issues facing Maine’s working waterfronts—from Gov. Mills’ Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission and Maine’s updated climate action plan, to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Brenna Cohen makes electrical connections

Name: Brenna Cohen Title: Community development officer in Island Institute's Center for Climate and Community Focus: The Energy Transitions Team collaborates with state and national experts to help island and coastal communities build energy resilience. We work to reduce power outages, boost the local energy supply to support electrification and… SEE MORE

The Fox Islands Thorofare in winter. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Category: Environment

York County kelp firm wins grant

Racing against the tide

Study suggests gulls get a bad deal

Three coastal fish-farm projects dead or struggling

Fish farm futures unclear

State needs to prioritize working waterfronts

Brenna Cohen makes electrical connections

A community recovers by realignment

Ice made historic floods worse

Court got rockweed case wrong