Working Waterfront

Adapting to a changing climate means listening

By Sam Belknap Too often, our conversations about climate change turn to doom and gloom as we try to wrap our minds around the magnitude of its impacts and the challenges of responding. The National Adaptation Forum, held in Madison, Wis., in late April, was a showcase for the people… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine lobster fishery agrees to deep cuts to protect whales

By Patrice McCarron Editor’s note: Patrice McCarron is executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. This letter was originally sent to association members, and is reprinted with permission. After a long and difficult week in late April in which the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Mammal Take Reduction Team… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the record with… Jay Carroll, new marine patrol chief

By Laurie Schreiber On April 1, Jay Carroll of Southwest Harbor stepped into his new role as chief of the Maine Marine Patrol. He replaced Col. Jon Cornish, a 34-year veteran of the service, including four as colonel. Carroll is a 23-year veteran of the service, serving as a field… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Seaweed ruling hinged on property rights, definition of plant

Analysis by Tom Walsh Move over, NIMBY. Make some room for NIMFY. Shorthand for “Not in My Back Yard,” NIMBY is a predictable Maine rhetorical retort to real and imagined plans for everything from near-shore oyster, scallop, and mussel aquaculture projects to proposals such as a Maine North Woods National Monument… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Rising seas and the power of laughter

By Kate Tagai A few months ago, I had one of those "I can't believe I get to do this" moments. Pages of my cartoons were spread on one of the conference tables in front of Andy and Hanji, the duo that make up O'Chang Studios in Lincolnville. We on… SEE MORE

Ivy Frignoca and Mike Doan of the Friends of Casco Bay.

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay on front lines of climate change

By Tom Groening Friends tell friends the truth, even when it’s unpleasant. And that’s what the nonprofit Friends of Casco Bay group—which marks its 30th anniversary this year—is doing, reporting on the health of that busy, diverse bay. At three public events this spring, in Portland, South Portland, and Brunswick, Friends… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Going deep—maybe too deep—on the lobster industry

The Last Lobster: Boom or Bust for Maine’s Greatest Fishery? By Christopher White; St. Martin’s Press, 2018 Review by Tina Cohen My review copy of The Last Lobster included some pages of promotional information provided by the publisher; one titled “Key Ideas from The Last Lobster” presented succinct bullet points. Here, on one page!… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Two paws up—Dog biscuits made with green crabs

Angela Myracle’s research is going to the dogs. Or, more accurately, for the dogs. As a scientist with Maine EPSCoR’s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET), Myracle looks for innovations in aquaculture. And when the assistant professor of human nutrition at the University of Maine spied dog treats at a local supermarket that were made… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Taking kelp from good idea to foodie favorite

By Sally Noble Seaweed was once that annoyingly crunchy dried stuff that Maine vacationers avoided on a summer beach. No longer. The hot new superfood is kelp, a large seaweed highly praised by national food writers at Vogue, The New York Times, Martha Stewart’s Civil Eats, Restaurant News and the Knorr Future 50 Report. And a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Whale-watching changing with the climate

By Tom Walsh Whales are apparently a lot like Goldilocks. These massive marine mammals do not want their habitats to be either “too hot” or “too cold.” Instead, they migrate to “just right” marine environments that support their basic needs of feeding, breeding, and raising their young. Given recent… SEE MORE