A North Atlantic right whale breaches in the Bay of Fundy.

Working Waterfront

A scientist’s view on right whale challenge

By Stephanie Bouchard The first time Nick Record saw a North Atlantic right whale was in 2007. He was out on a boat in Cape Cod Bay with a guy named Stormy (seriously), when the water around them began bubbling and churning. Up through the water came a huge right… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Safety systems worked when ship lost power off Eastport

By Tom Walsh Moving 600-foot ships through a narrow passage known for its raging tides seems like dangerous work. Especially when things go wrong. But Capt. Gerry Morrison of Perry doesn’t think so. Morrison, a port pilot for Eastport, was commended at a recent meeting of the Eastport Port Authority… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobstering women: Heroic haulers of traps

By Carl Little The first painting in Susan Tobey White’s exhibition “Lobstering Women of Maine” at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport is a tour-de-force: a woman wearing an orange Grundéns bib dumps a crate of herring into holding bins. The fish form a kind of wriggling waterfall as the red-haired… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lemonade from lemons, or tasty seafood from invasive crabs

By Kate Tagai Thousands flock to the Maine coast each summer to crack open the boiled red shells of lobster, drench the contents in butter, and toss it down the hatch. Fishermen catch more than 119 million pounds annually for consumers, but Gabriela Bradt from the University of New Hampshire… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Oysters—from delicacy to staple?

By Kelli Park Emily Selinger has made it her mission to change the way we look at oysters, one farm-share at a time. Selinger spent her childhood on the Harraseeket River in Freeport, where she fell in love with working on the water. She taught sailing classes at a young… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Penobscot Marine Museum hosts Maine Marine Fare conference on Sept. 28

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Penobscot Marine Museum’s Maine Marine Fare takes a closer look at the state of Maine fisheries with a full day conference. The classic image of a Maine fisherman is the lobsterman who owns and operations his own boat with a small crew. While this is still the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Why Maine towns are going ‘age friendly’

By Patricia Oh Maine’s older residents aren’t waiting around, hoping that someone will make their towns and cities more livable. They are using their knowledge, skills, and creativity to spearhead a national movement to make Maine communities great places to live for all ages—from toddlers to centenarians. Sixty-six Maine cities… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Frenchboro deli gets caffeinated

Story by Jennifer Helman Photos by Dale Joyce Classically trained gourmet chef. Coffee connoisseur. World traveler. Entrepreneur. These words could describe any number of people in Boston or even Portland, but you might be surprised to find one on the tiny island of Frenchboro. Like many people who move to a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island communities are fragile, but Great Cranberry remains strong

By Laurie Schreiber Twenty years ago, Great Cranberry Island had a year-round population of just 37 people, mostly age 50 or older. There were no children living on the island and the school was closed. There was a whisper going around: How long would Great Cranberry remain viable as a… SEE MORE

A right whale entangled in what is believed to be Canadian crab gear.

Working Waterfront

Canadians also working to protect right whales

By Craig Idlebrook In response to an unexpectedly deadly summer for the North American right whale population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Canadian government, conservationists, and fishermen are racing to put in place new measures to prevent ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements for the critically endangered mammal.… SEE MORE