Working Waterfront

A Maine island stressed by climate threats

Matinicus Isle Plantation, located 20 miles out in the Gulf of Maine, is the furthest offshore year-round settlement on the East Coast of the U.S. In recent years, threats linked to climate change—sea level rise, accelerating erosion, and intensifying winter storms—have begun to push the community’s limits. [gallery columns="1" size="large"… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Settling into climate work on Chebeague Island

Reflections is written by Island Institute Fellows, recent grads of college and master’s programs who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Island Time goes by in a strange way. Since moving to Chebeague Island with my… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

York County rebuilding dunes

A crew guided a York County barge equipped with a giant sea vacuum across the waters of Wells Harbor in late February. One contractor nudged the so-called dredge in a tiny tugboat. Another manned the equipment, which sucked up sand from the seabed. Still more workers maneuvered a more than… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From energy planning to project implementation

Name: Kate Klibansky Title: Senior Community Development Officer Focus: I lead the work of Island Institute’s Resilient Energy team on a federally funded program that supports improving energy reliability, resilience, and affordability for rural, remote, and island communities across the Northeast. In this photo: I am chatting with Alden Hathaway,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Climate work goes mainstream

Earlier this fall, I took the train down to New York for a few days to join in on Climate Week—a collection of events organized by the non-profit Climate Group in service of reaching net zero by 2050. The sessions were spread out all over Manhattan, so I spent three… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On the record with lobster scientist Bob Steneck

Bob Steneck can now add to his already impressive resumé membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The work that led to that honor for the former University of Maine professor came from donning scuba gear and messing around with critters on the sea floor. Steneck suspects it… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Changes below—Can wild kelp survive?

“Change is the only constant.” That’s one of the memorable sayings of my graduate school advisor, Dr. Bob Steneck. I started my career in Steneck’s lab, researching how the abundance and composition of seaweeds on Caribbean coral reefs can make or break the start of life for baby corals. As… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Rising seas require long-term planning, experts warn

Sea level rise will accelerate in the decades ahead, and coastal communities should act now to assess risks and identify solutions for the long term—generations or even a century or more into the future. That was the message delivered by the keynote speaker at the fourth annual SOS Saco Bay… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bringing our stories to our followers

NAME: Emma Perry TITLE: Impact and Event Specialist FOCUS: As the Impact and Event Specialist I play a key role in reporting on the impact of Island Institute’s work and overseeing the administration of the Glenn Fund Community Impact grants and scholarships. Through this work, I ensure our funding creates… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster fishery uncertainty—stay engaged

With chaos at the federal level these days, it is more important than ever to pay attention and stay engaged on topics we care about and support. For many of us on the Maine coast, that includes the lobster fishery. There is a lot happening—climate change, a new stock assessment,… SEE MORE