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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November 1
Restoring wild oyster beds, one acre at a time
Projects underway in New Hampshire, Phippsburg to clean waters
By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. New York City has its Billion Oyster Project, and now New Hampshire's Great Bay has its own 25-acre project, with help from fishermen in Phippsburg. Like many estuaries along the U.S. Atlantic coast, Great Bay was once a maze of channels flowing through a complicated oyster reef system that covered…
October 31
Wishing for life-changing memories for our youth
Whether they stay in Maine, or leave and return, experience can change identity
A good friend recently introduced me to the work of writer Annie Dillard. She is now an even better friend. In one of Dillard’s short stories, she writes some of…
October 23
'Ben’s Story' personifies Maine’s changing fisheries
Barbara Lawrence’s latest novel is part love story, part marine biology
The stories of Maine fishermen have become an increasingly popular marketing tool in promoting native seafood. Increasingly, fishermen are offering lobster boat tours, where passengers can see trap-hauling demonstrations. The…
October 23
‘Bungalow in a Box’ offers energy efficiency, ease of construction
Woolwich-based business provides Chebeague islander a new home
Patricia Festino has built a number of houses in the course of her 77 years. The Chebeague Island resident knows the ins and outs of working with architects and carpenters,…
October 23
A good read about the early years on Vinalhaven
'From The Beginning' by Ken Reiss covers the late 18th and early 19th centuries
Ken Reiss’ new book, From The Beginning: Vinalhaven from 1760 to 1850, has given me a clearer sense of where I came from and, more importantly, how and why my…
October 23
Compromise possible in rockweed harvesting lawsuit
In midst of court appeal, industry, conservation groups work together
By Merritt Carey, Sean Mahoney, Tim Glidden, and Shep Erhart Lawsuits have a tendency to box parties in; they don’t allow for the nuances, complexities, and compromises that make up…
October 23
Education out of the classroom, onto the water
Eastern Maine Skippers program prepares high school students to apply science, engineering to post-grad life
We Americans are generous about offering our children educational opportunity. In some European countries, high school graduates are “sorted” toward different post-graduate options based on test results. Those options dictate…
October 23
Gouldsboro, South Portland look to redefine waterfronts
Maine Coastal Program grants help fund planning efforts
The 2010 closure of the Stinson sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor and the layoffs of scores of workers sparked fears about this small town’s economic well-being. But since 2012, the…
October 23
How to see Millinocket as an island
Island Institute places Island Fellow in the North Woods
Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher…
October 23
Lobster landings drop, but industry remains optimistic
Prices lower, bait higher, but juveniles seem plentiful
Lobster landings fell off significantly this season compared with 2016. But 2016 was a record year, and some fishermen aren’t surprised to see a drop-off. They also believe the resource…
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.
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