Working Waterfront

Data: Maine’s changing air and ocean temperatures

This Waypoints spread shows data on changing air temperatures in Maine and water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Seeking new ways to lower Gulf of Maine acidity

Similar to doctors, researchers know that to combat climate change they must first do no harm. That’s why for the next two years researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts will be testing in a lab whether reducing the acidity of ocean water could harm larvae of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Staying focused on the climate crisis

There’s nothing like a near-record heat wave to make you feel like garbage. That’s my first thought as I write this during the sweltering days before July 4, sitting in my un-cooled home office, with a slight headache and sweat forming on my brow before 10 a.m. But stifling as… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay islands team up on erosion

If you live on or near an island shoreline in the Casco Bay region, you may have already heard about a local group of volunteers who have been working hard to raise awareness about coastal erosion and related climate vulnerabilities to our islands. This collaborative group now includes representatives from… SEE MORE

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