Working Waterfront

Maine has front-row seat for climate change

We’ve all heard stories of Ye Olde Gulf of Maine. Once upon a time, fish swam up Maine’s rivers by the billions while herring gulls—these days known as “flying rats”—were nearly wiped out. In still earlier times, whales could be spotted from shore and pursued by oar. And just before… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islands set high bar for ‘adulting’ beginners

Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Erin Love works on Long Island with the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership and other Casco Bay island… SEE MORE

A view of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park from Great Cranberry Island.

Working Waterfront

Hosting a national park is a complicated affair

The battle lines were drawn decades ago, but there were fresh hostilities in the Millinocket area when Jonathan Jarvis, director National Park Service, visited in mid-May. Jarvis was invited by Sen. Angus King to hear public comments about a proposed North Woods National Park adjacent to Baxter State Park. A… SEE MORE

The new transportation hub is a former marina in Winter Harbor.

Working Waterfront

Schoodic Marine Center to be transportation, visitor hub

The Schoodic Marine Center is opening soon for its first season and could boost visitation as well as facilitate on-the-water education and research opportunities in the less-visited part of Acadia National Park. The center, which is being developed at the former Winter Harbor Marine location, is expected to bring: increased ferry… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the record with… Kevin Schneider, Acadia’s new superintendent

Kevin Schneider came in as Acadia’s new superintendent in January, at the start of the park’s centennial year. Schneider has a park anniversary of his own, having started his career with the National Park Service in 1996 as part of a trail crew at Rocky Mountain National Park. Subsequent assignments… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The Acadia auto wars

The centennial of the founding of Acadia National Park being celebrated this year has presented an occasion for a diverse array of reflections on the history of Mount Desert Island. By way of a terrifically engaging installation, which will be on view for the next two years, the Seal Cove… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

When art met science

Sometime back in January, Maine Audubon announced that the renowned entomologist, ultra-marathoner, University of Vermont emeritus biology professor and acclaimed author Bernd Heinrich would be speaking about “the nexus of art and science” at its Field Pond Center in Holden. A few weeks later, a follow-up email arrived: due to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Mussels have a nose for good homes

For people looking to settle down, a location's odor can be a factor in whether they stay or go. Turns out the same is true for mussel larvae. Mussel larvae swim toward odors from adult mussels, and swim away from odors from predators, including green crabs and dog whelks, says Scott… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Rising seas will bring more frequent severe storms

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. Sea level rise could bring startling and disturbing coastal changes to our coast, making our homes and communities uninhabitable. A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change projected that between 4.2 million and 13.1 million U.S. residents would… SEE MORE

The view looking southward from the bridge in Wiscasset

Working Waterfront

Plans to fix Wiscasset congestion tweak streetscape

The view north on U.S. Route 1 in Wiscasset as interpreted with one of the options for improving traffic flow. Proposals to deal with the perennial summer traffic delays on U.S. Route 1 through Wiscasset have been on the table—then off the table—for more than half a century. In… SEE MORE