Working Waterfront

Estuary Beat: St. George clam flats, Saco River islands, and sturgeon

Pollution closes clam flats in the St. George River Shellfish harvesting areas in the St. George River, which runs from Waldo County to Knox County, were closed in early September in response to a sewage leak. The Thomaston Pollution Control Department worked to identify the source of the leak after… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

How Tasmania’s lobster fishery responded to algal blooms

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. What issue has the ability to close down a fishery overnight, during peak fishing season, with no idea when fishing can resume? That question was posed by Hilary Revill, manager of the rock lobster fishery for the state of Tasmania,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Don’t overlook the hidden marine economy

Much of the joy that comes in working this newspaper’s “beat” is tied to the rich breadth of the stories we consider. We print and circulate 50,000 copies of each issue (we publish ten times a year), and those copies are found from Portland to Eastport. That geographic range is… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

To know, but not possess an island

Where Edges Don’t Hold: A Small Island Miscellany By Christina Marsden Gillis; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2017 In her introduction to this collection, Christina Gillis notes that in organizing Where Edges Don’t Hold: A Small Island Miscellany, she had in mind readers who identify “with the emerging field of Island… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Boston considers seawall to fight rising seas

Communities along Maine’s coast have endured several storm-related floods in recent years, and discussions are underway for how to make these communities more adaptable in the face of projected sea level rise. Maine municipal planners may be interested to learn how their counterparts in Boston are approaching this challenge. A… SEE MORE

Conference attendees at Whaleback Shell Midden Historic Site in Damariscotta listen to Arthur Spiess

Working Waterfront

Ancient shell middens speak of climate and culture

It’s not often that ordinary folks get to help protect the state’s ancient cultural history, but a group of academics, archaeologists, and scientists is spearheading a citizen scientist initiative to do just that. These newly minted citizen scientists will monitor some of the state’s 2,000 or so known prehistoric shell… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Building a better lobster trap

It would be nice, Mark Brooks admits, if his family’s business could make just a few types of lobster traps. But with a laugh, he explains that lobstermen, legendary for their independent views on what works and what doesn’t, would not be the loyal customers they are if the company… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

St. John hurricane disaster raises questions about our islands

I serve on the board of a small school on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is called the Gifft Hill School because of its location, perched atop Gifft Hill. It is a place filled with hope for the island’s future because it focuses on preparing island children… SEE MORE

Night sky from Cadillac Mountain with the Cranberry Isles in view.

Working Waterfront

Star Party on Cadillac Mountain highlights Annual Acadia Night Sky Festival

The Star Party on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, and continues through 11 p.m. A free “Shuttle to the Stars” departing from Mount Desert Island High School will be offered to carry people to the summit. Participants are invited to drop in at any time… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Demand for groundfish data continues to increase

The Sentinel Survey, now in its eighth year of research, collects data on the status of groundfish populations in Eastern Maine. The survey is conducted by Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, in collaboration with the University of Maine. Fishermen visit a total of 84 survey stations from June to October,… SEE MORE