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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- From The Sea Up
- Dispatches from World Ocean Observatory
February 1
Rockweed study not accurately explained
Harvesting, recovery controls were not exact
Rockweed is a slow-growing, wild seaweed on the rocky coast of Maine. It is highly valued as a commercial fertilizer and debates about how rockweed harvesting should be managed are contentious. To address questions about over-harvesting, academic researchers collaborated with commercial companies to test for effects of a single harvest on rockweed biomass and height one year later. Their article,…
January 30
Working on the railroad
Passenger service may extend up coast
Back in my weekly newspaper days, I worked with an old-timer who, in those years, was responsible for settling up with the stores that carried our paper. Now that I…
January 30
Education, Native status, domestic violence
Readers react to recent columns and stories
High quality education To the editor: I read Kim Hamilton’s “From the Sea Up” column in the October issue, “Rewriting the storyline of island schools” (a great title), with much…
January 30
Welcoming tourists, joining the community
New owners of Castine inn honored by Hospitality Maine
The lodging trade group Hospitality Maine named Powell and Trinovitch its innkeepers of the year for 2023.
January 30
Offshore wind’s blustery big picture
Nationally, industry is in flux, globally it’s growing
Almost two years ago the Biden administration determined that offshore wind power would provide a key part of the nation’s clean energy goals. President Biden himself said that by 2030,…
January 30
Indigenous, U.S., Canadian efforts restoring fish run
Alewives on St. Croix River are rebounding, thanks to cooperation
Ten years ago, the run of alewives in the Skutik (St. Croix) River hovered around 16,000. Though that’s more than the 900 fish from a decade earlier, it was not…
January 30
The year of the working waterfront
Work will continue in 2024 to protect vital access
When Island Institute began publishing this newspaper, The Working Waterfront, 30 years ago, we picked our name with intention. We wanted to cover local, critical, and the sometimes hidden yet…
January 25
Maine coast could host ‘space economy’
Industries already investing, innovating here
[caption id="attachment_39553" align="alignleft" width="300"] Michael Kincaid of NASA, left, and MSGC director Terry Shehata. PHOTO: COURTESY MAINE SPACE 2030[/caption] Maine’s rocky coastline isn’t only beautiful, it’s the driving force behind…
January 23
The sad tale of a religious charlatan
In 1890s, Sandford preyed on Chebeague islanders
He must have been charismatic. He must have been passionate. And he must have been persuasive. The open question is whether or not his faith was sincere. The late 19th…
January 23
Navigating 2024
Leaders identify headwinds, course correction
What challenges will 2024 bring to the Maine coast, and how will leaders respond?
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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