In The News

By Kay Stephens / Penobscot Bay Pilot BELFAST — In recent years, the Midcoast has seen a number of events and conferences dedicated to uplifting those in the arts and creative economy and on April 1, Archipelago, retail side of the Island Institute, is bringing together artists and makers from around the state for a one-day event to offer networking, and practical tips and strategies to help people grow their small business. 

By Sarah E. Reynolds / Village Soup ROCKPORT — The state recently announced a record catch for 2015, with landings of fish and other seafood products amounting to $631 million, with more than $500 million worth of lobster landed; however, groundfish and Maine shrimp fisheries are down, and the state's fishing industry is feeling the effects of warming waters and ocean acidification, said Nick Battista of the Island Institute March 5. 

On Feb. 21, teachers from Casco Bay to Down East convened at Herring Gut Learning Center’s campus in Port Clyde for a day of immersion in the field of aquaculture with the goal of developing strategies for incorporating it into their curricula. The workshop was the result of the increased recognition aquaculture is receiving in the state of Maine as a viable option for coastal communities to maintain a robust economy with diversification into fields other than commercial fishing.

On WGAN's "Inside Maine," U.S. Senator Angus King speaks with Suzanne MacDonald, community energy director at the Island Institute, about his recent trip to Alaska and the similar opportuniities for energy generation and conservation on Maine islands. 

Kelp, green and nutritious, could be Maine's ticket into a multibillion-dollar global aquaculture industry. The state's nascent seaweed business is thriving, experts say, and that puts Maine in a front-row seat as the U.S. market for homegrown sea veggies grows. It could also help provide an alternative source of income for lobster fishermen subject to the constant challenges of fluctuating prices, changing ocean temperatures and unpredictable catches...

Rebecca’s focus is on the regional ocean planning process currently underway in the Northeast. She and the Island Institute have worked tirelessly to lend voice to Maine’s many island communities – which are sizable drivers of the state’s economy – to ensure their needs are heard and incorporated into the region’s first Northeast Regional Ocean Plan.

This Tuesday in Portland, the Island Institute will screen “A Climate of Change,” four short films it produced about fisheries and the road ahead for Maine fisheries as our seas warm and rise. We called the filmmaker, Scott Sell, to talk about the project, which led him to the Gulf Coast of Florida as well as Alaska. While we were talking, we found out about that time he fell in love on Frenchboro.

Susie Arnold, Marine scientist at Island Institute and Nichole Price, Senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences respond to a Bangor Daily News editorial to clarify an important point about the capacity of seaweed to capture and store carbon, which can reduce ocean acidity. 

"But kelp farmers are doing a brisk business and the nascent industry holds the promise of filling the economic holes left by these collapsing fisheries. At Ocean Approved’s four-acre sugar kelp farm off the coast of Falmouth, Arnold installs a specially-designed pH and CO2 sensor. 'As these beautiful deep green fronds mature to 14 to 20 feet, we expect CO2 and pH levels to drop, essentially creating a micro-climate of ocean healing while producing a healthy and profitable crop,' explains Arnold.

"Waters is an Island Institute Island Fellow working over a 12-month period with the Eastport Arts Center (EAC) on a number of projects, including the upcoming holiday market and Festival of Trees. However, her primary project is working on a Makers Place proposal in collaboration with the Tides Institute & Museum of Art and the Peavy Memorial Library."