Category: Blog

Have you ever thought about gaining a new source of income through growing mussels, oysters or seaweed? Now is a great time to launch your small-scale aquaculture business. Through our Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) program, the Island Institute is working to help fishermen and people from fishing communities diversify into shellfish or seaweed aquaculture.

On November 15th, the Maine Ocean and Coastal Acidification Partnership (MOCA) – a volunteer partnership of non-profit organizations, academic scientists, and state agency representatives – met in Augusta to discuss what we know about remediation strategies for ocean and coastal acidification in our state.

A GPS will chart out a route for you, and direct you which way to go as you travel, but with a map, you can chart the route you want for yourself. A map is a powerful tool that puts you in the driver’s seat. At the Island Institute, we have created a “MAP” for high school students navigating the transition to post-secondary education.

Along the coast of Maine, general stores host the hustle and bustle in these otherwise tranquil communities. While some are closing their doors permanently, there are many others that are finding ways to not only survive but really thrive!

I went to Wisconsin to learn about island communities in the Great Lakes. I didn’t expect to find so many reminders of Maine, but the connections sprang up in every conversation.

On this sunny afternoon in November, we found ourselves driving into Winter Harbor with a map in one hand and pocket book in the other, ready to see the local sites and inject some of our own money into the local economy.

After a year and half, I’ve come to learn what islanders already knew: broadband is the high-speed, reliable internet that is essential for economic sustainability. I had the pleasure of hearing from Maine’s islands about their progress at the Broadband Summit.