A right whale

Working Waterfront

Lobstermen’s Association sues over whale rules

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association filed a lawsuit in early September against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Secretary of Commerce in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the federal government’s ten‐year whale protection plan. The suit claims the plan will all but eliminate the… SEE MORE
A right whale feeding

Working Waterfront

Feds limit lobstering to protect right whales

A long-anticipated ruling by the National Marine Fisheries Service aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale was issued Aug. 30. The ruling impacts Maine’s signature fishery on several fronts. The key components mean lobster fishermen with federal permits can no longer set traps using vertical buoy lines from… SEE MORE
World Ocean Observatory

Working Waterfront

A sober measure of ocean resilience

When we talk about ocean resilience, we are talking about capacity to heal and sustain ocean systems over time when interrupted by natural events such as extreme weather, flooding, and earthquakes. The challenge is the intrusion of human activities such as nearshore development, agricultural run-off, industrial pollution, filling and dredging,… SEE MORE
detail of book jacket

Working Waterfront

Revisiting Isaac’s Storm

Isaac’s Storm: A man, a time, and the deadliest hurricane in history By Erik Larson Now that nearly everyone with a three-digit IQ has come to realize that “denial” is not just a river in Egypt, confronting the relentless challenges of climate change has emerged as a global priority, should… SEE MORE
Sara Rademaker

Working Waterfront

Homegrown eels

Story and photos by Leslie Bowman Maine’s most lucrative fishery by the pound is its spring elver run, and as such, it seemed an obvious candidate for aquaculture. In Asia and Europe there is a long tradition of eel farming. But it took a woman from Indiana with a degree… SEE MORE
McDonald holds one of her daughters while on a friend's boat in Stonington harbor.

Working Waterfront

The lobstering legislator

PHOTOS BY MICHELE STAPLETON Near the end of our conversation, Genevieve McDonald drops a bit of a bombshell by saying she is applying for law school and hopes to begin classes in the fall of 2022. This comes after she has described her work as a state legislator, her work… SEE MORE
Marcie Jan Bronstein and Alan Fishman

Working Waterfront

Cruising the world with and for art

The sea has inspired countless artists, but few have seen as much of it as Alan Fishman and Marcie Jan Bronstein, a Belfast couple who have cruised the world. Though they have owned boats as a couple for 30 years, most of their sea-art adventures came aboard Celebrity Cruise ships.… SEE MORE