The Working Waterfront newspaper reports on the people and forces that shape Maine’s coastal and island communities. As publisher, Island Institute’s premise is that the cultural, environmental, and community assets here are rare and valuable, and are worth fighting for.
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Megan Robinson, front, and Jessica Lindsay weigh fish at a Machias Bay salmon farm owned and operated by Cooke Inc. The New Brunswick-based company has been operating in Maine for 20 years. PHOTO: COURTESY COOKE INC.
December 5

Downeast salmon business marks 20 years

Canadian-based Cooke Inc. employs 230 in Maine
The pens are scattered across a region that extends from Cobscook Bay in the east, through Jonesport-Beals, to near Swan’s Island in the west. The fish spend about 18-24 months in the pens, reaching a weight of about 12 pounds, at which time they are ready to be sold.
BY TOM GROENING
PHOTO: BRIAN SKERRY/COURTESY BIGELOW LABORATORY
December 5

Kelp collapsing on Southern Maine coast

First in-depth study in 20 years surprises
The researchers combined several dive surveys of sea urchin and kelp populations with data on ocean temperature to model how and why kelp forests are changing—and how that varies along different parts of the coast. They found that temperatures have become inhospitable...
BY LEAH CAMPBELL
November 25

Climate plan: What you need to know

Savings, economic development, and hope included
Ultimately, the "Maine Won’t Wait" plan is essential because it guides the state’s approach to critical issues like climate change, economic resilience, and community well-being.
By Jennifer Seavey
An aerial view of the Callahan Mine taken in the 1970s. The mine property is now a pond.
November 21

Closing the book on Hancock County Superfund site

For more than 100 years, Brooksville hosted mining
The zinc and copper deposits in Harborside were discovered in the early 1880s. The Harborside Copper Mine, as it became known, produced around 10,000 tons of ore from three underground shafts between 1881 and 1883.
BY KATE COUGH/THE MAINE MONITOR
November 21

Being a messenger is risky business

Bad news is not often well-received
I’ve been thinking about a play I saw on public TV many years ago, and believe it or not, my thoughts had nothing to do with the election. An Enemy…
By Tom Groening
November 21

This ‘God-forsaken rock’

Passing of an islander underscores community
When the deadline is looming for the next edition of The Working Waterfront, I reflect on what I’ve seen, heard, and shared in communities along the coast. Without fail, Tom…
By Kim Hamilton
C. Ronald Bechtle in his Maine studio, ca. 2002. PHOTO: COURTESY REID BECHTLE
November 20

A modernist visits Hinckley boatyard

Bechtle translated Maine into lively abstracts
Bechtle offered an intriguing assortment of symbols and shapes to represent the marine setting, including bright red pennants, a black cross, circles, and squares.
BY Carl Little
Lia Morris, center, on a mussel farm in Penobscot Bay. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN
November 20

At the mussel farm with Island Institute's Lia Morris

I spent the day on the water with members of local and state government and staff from Sunrise County Economic Council touring Marshall Cove mussel farm off Islesboro.
Staff
Andy Wyeth and the hearse in question being moved off Louds Island. PHOTO: KOSTI RUOHOMAA COLLECTION/PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM
November 19

A misheard word led to iconic photo

An unusual Wyeth, Ruohomaa 1951 collaboration
A working waterfront is loosely defined as critical access to coastal waters for people engaged in commercial and recreational fishing, seafood processing, boat building, aquaculture, and other water-dependent businesses. The…
By Kevin Johnson
November 19

In the face of change, towns must plan

Community vision guides municipal futures
As a multi-generational Mainer, I believe what makes this state special is that there has been such little change. I’ve had the opportunity to work with several local historians who share photos of their town and it’s amazing how recognizable places still are.
By Alice Cockerham

Island Postcards

EPISODE 10: Keep the Light Shining

Two ambitious young women swam around the entire Island of Isle au Haut during the summer of 2019 to raise money for crucial renovations to the lighthouse.

WATCH ALL ISLAND POSTCARDS

 

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