Working Waterfront

On the record with… Ivy Frignoca, the Friends of Casco Bay’s new baykeeper

The Friends of Casco Bay began 2016 with a new baykeeper, a position the nonprofit has used for 25 years. Environmental lawyer Ivy Frignoca was hired last fall and got to work in January, a year after longtime baykeeper Joe Payne retired. The New Jersey-born Frignoca has lived in the… SEE MORE

The Penobscot River as seen from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Prospect.

Working Waterfront

Penobscot Watershed Conference: Sharing our Heritage, Challenges, and Future

As Maine’s largest river system, the Penobscot River carries a deep cultural and economic history of our region. The future health of this vast watershed will be discussed at the first Penobscot Watershed Conference, April 9, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Point Lookout in Northport. The event begins Friday evening, April 8,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Where on the coast?

This week's mystery harbor is in the heart of the Midcoast. The perspective is a bit unusual, but it's still one of the most photographed and recognized harbors, so no hints this time. The first five who email us the correct identification at WhereOnTheCoast@gmail.com will receive a copy of the… SEE MORE

Waves break on the shore at Roque Bluffs

Working Waterfront

Portland proactive on immigration, Wiscasset to vote on traffic plan

Maine’s role in the major party nomination process has come and gone, with the Democrats picking Bernie Sanders and the Republican faithful choosing Ted Cruz. The GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who was endorsed by Gov. Paul LePage, had a predictably dismissive remark about Cruz’s victory, saying the Canadian-born Texas senator… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Weakening ocean currents impact New England climate

North Atlantic ocean currents that are changing because of global warming could be contributing to changes in weather patterns in Maine, scientists say. Melting Greenland and Arctic ice will bring more change and contribute to localized climate-related impacts, they predict. Scientifically, these currents are called the “Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation,”… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Education was factor in Fukushima disaster

Japan has a complicated relationship with the atomic world. During a trip there in January, I asked many people to reflect on the Fukushima nuclear disaster—what the Japanese refer to as 3/11. The reaction to the event that surfaced most frequently was that, of all the failures associated with Fukushima,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Closed municipal landfills become solar electricity plants

About three miles west of Belfast’s downtown is a piece of land the city once considered essentially useless: the capped landfill on Pitcher Road. Today, that landfill is an unexpected boon to the city. On the last day of 2015, Belfast became the first municipality in Maine to put into… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine’s caring economy is environmental and personal

An old friend, Glen Libby, stopped by the office recently. Those who know Glen may immediately think of community supported fisheries. Glen and his fellow fishermen began a national trend that connects fishermen to consumers based on the community supported agriculture model, where consumers buy a share of a farmer’s harvest.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Weather forecasting now tailored to islands

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Gray has launched a new forecast product that focuses on Maine’s islands and necks from Casco Bay to Penobscot Bay. The information is part of the recreational forecast already produced for the higher summits across Maine and New Hampshire. The NWS in Gray… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Changes in the ocean: seeing is believing

For many seeking elected office—particularly on the Republican side—endorsing the concept of man-induced “climate change” is a vote-killer. But panelists at a Thursday, March 3 session of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum seemed to step right over the politics to address what they are seeing on the water. And what they… SEE MORE