Working Waterfront

Readers react to Cowslip photo

In the August issue, we ran a photo of the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Cowslip calling at Monhegan Island. Reader Dick de Grasse of Islesboro writes: “Your photo of the Cowslip brought back Coast Guard memories. Right out of Coast Guard enlisted boot camp in 1952, I served as a seaman aboard the sister ship buoy… SEE MORE

Marine

Working Waterfront

Unearthing New England’s role in the slave trade

The happenstance discovery of a gravestone in her hometown of Brewster, Mass., led Dr. Meadow Dibble to launch a public history initiative devoted to researching and reckoning with New England’s role in the slave trade. In a recent Maine Conservation Voters “lunch and learn” series online, Dibble recounted growing up… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Marital tension, island-style

Kate Hotchkiss of North Haven has a novel just out, coming at an opportune time when coronavirus has complicated travel and minimized social activities. Reading On Harbor’s Edge: Book One, 1912-1913 could be a relaxing, self-isolated way to enjoy the Maine coast, whether in person or vicariously. Set on islands with fictional… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A new soundtrack for our working waterfronts

It wasn’t just the sound of seagulls and waves lapping against the shore those four years I spent running my family’s Midcoast lobster wharf. There was the whir of impeller blades pumping seawater into the lobster tanks. The roar of the propane blast heater, struggling to heat 200 gallons of water… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Technology that could trace seafood from boat to plate

Imagine being able to sit down and swipe your phone above your seafood meal and find out where it was harvested and who handled it along the way. This concept may not be too far off. In a recent conversation about emerging technologies that may impact the marine economy in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Report: Aquaculture workforce must grow rapidly

A report by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute identifies the labor needs of Maine’s growing aquaculture industry and charts a course for the state to establish a comprehensive workforce training system to meet the demand. The report—produced in partnership with the Maine Aquaculture Association and Educate Maine, with support… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Research shows plastic is impacting larval lobster

Microplastic fiber pollution in the ocean impacts larval lobsters at each stage of their development, according to new research. A study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin reports that the fibers affect the animals’ feeding and respiration, and they could even prevent some larvae from reaching adulthood. “In today's ocean, organisms are exposed to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Remembering the lessons of the slave ship Amistad

L’Amistad, ironically Spanish for “friendship,” was a 19th century schooner engaged in the slave trade, transporting human cargo, Mende people, from Sierra Leone to Cuba for work on the Spanish-owned sugar plantations. In 1839, with 53 slaves aboard, those imprisoned passengers revolted, under the leadership of Singbe Pieh, also known as… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Group works to recycle ‘ghost’ lobster traps

Lobstermen call it “ghost gear”—the remnants of lost, costly lobster traps to snags, storms, trap wars, and damage by both sailboats and power boats, all hazards inherent in fishing the Gulf of Maine. It comes with the territory, and the out-of-pocket costs are significant for those who now fish an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A summer of uncertainty for the lobster industry

Lobstering is a dangerous, difficult business, and not just for the harvesters who risk their lives to bring their catch to shore. Many factors influence how lucrative the lobster industry will be in any year. Ultimately, these factors influence the profits throughout the supply chain, from dock to dinner plate.… SEE MORE