When a US firm saw the seaweed was making their shellfish the ‘biggest and best’ scientists realised they’d hit upon a natural way to combat ocean acidification.
Category: In the news
‘The entire process:’ Maine groups tour Kittery aquaculture business expanding potential of Maine crops
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
Maine groups toured a Kittery-based aquaculture business to explore the potential of Maine kelp crops. Island Institute hosted local and state leadership, students, and aquaculture farmers on a tour of Cold Current Kelp.
Federal cuts may hurt Maine’s ability to meet climate goals, scientists say
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
Reduced federal funding and staffing could hinder the Maine Climate Council’s ability to prepare for and track climate change, as well as the state’s ability to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Visibility Clears
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
As conversations about the future of Maine State Ferry Service are progressing, Island Institute’s Nick Battista emphasized that the Ferry Service is a vital component of civic infrastructure that connects island communities to essential services and opportunities.
Maine’s hardy lobster fishery had, seemingly, seen it all. Then came Trump’s trade wars.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
Good seasons and bad. The ups and downs of government regulations. The growing threat of warming seas. But this year, the state’s thousands of lobstermen, and the thousands more whose livelihoods depend on the industry, are staring down a storm the likes they’ve never seen before. As President Trump wages an unprecedented protectionist campaign to impose or tease steep tariffs on nearly every trading partner, an industry that thrives on the free flow of global trade — and disposable cash in Americans’ wallets — could suffer disproportionately.
It’s not just tariffs; broad economic uncertainty could weigh on Maine’s lobster industry
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
Though Canada has placed tariffs on an initial round of U.S. goods worth some $30 billion, lobster is not on that list. Still, some members of the industry and economic experts worry that broader global economy uncertainty may drive down demand for the product in Maine.
More than a year after devastating storms, communities shift to resilience
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
When last year’s winter storms devastated the coast, Sam Belknap’s family wharf on Round Pond harbor in Bristol was saved by its concrete floor. The floor, which Belknap’s family poured years ago when they put in a seafood processing room, provided enough weight to keep most of the wharf from floating away.
As aquafarming continues to grow in Maine, new coalition looks to educate
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
A new coalition is coming together to support Maine’s growing aquaculture industry, aiming to clear up misconceptions and highlight the economic and environmental benefits of seafood farming.
Rockland nonprofit launches toolkit to aid transition to electric marine propulsion
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Island Institute, a Rockland nonprofit, launched an online electric boat toolkit to help marine business and coastal municipalities transition to electric marine propulsion and away from traditional diesel or gas motors.
Lobstermen see controversial fishing gear in action for the first time
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
A marine scientist, a politician and a lobsterman walked onto a dock. Together, in frigid wind chill, they pulled experimental, ropeless lobstering gear from the water — gear that most lobstermen loathe. The Maine Department of Marine Resources held its first public demonstration day last Tuesday, where anyone — in and out of the industry — could see how the gear, still being developed, might work. And for some lobstermen, it felt like the first time the state was listening.
