A close-up image of a scallop. PHOTO: COURTESY UMAINE

Working Waterfront

Next ocean farming crop—scallops

Building off a four-year study published in the spring, which compared the effectiveness of two different Atlantic sea-scallop farming techniques, UMaine researchers further analyzed the economic advantages and disadvantages of the same two methods of scallop aquaculture. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Mills highlights housing wins

The lack of affordable housing impacts much of the state’s economy, and much of the economy impacts housing. That was one of the conundrums emerging from the Maine Affordable Housing Conference on Sept. 9 in Bangor. When housing options are few or too expensive, the workforce—which is already facing generational… SEE MORE

This packing table is a featured original artifact that is part of Penobscot Marine Museum’s Sardineland exhibit.

Working Waterfront

Marine museum celebrates the humble sardine

The Penobscot Marine Museum invites the community to SardineFest 2025—a free, all-day celebration of Maine’s rich sardine industry history—on Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m in downtown Searsport. SardineFest has been generously sponsored by Hamilton Marine. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Aquaculture reviews accelerated by using ROV

Site assessments using the ROV require fewer staff which frees up personnel to work on other required tasks like writing site reports. DMR estimates that the ROV has saved the aquaculture division approximately 600 hours of staff time. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Talking scallops with Sam Belknap

NAME: Sam Belknap TITLE: Director of Island Institute’s Center for Marine Economy FOCUS I direct work aimed at protecting and sustaining Maine’s working waterfronts, as well as advancing the use of electric outboards for our commercial fleet, and expanding aquaculture businesses. IN THIS PHOTO: Seen at far right, I’m moderating a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Coastal aquifers face new challenges

Salty wells are not new to the Maine coast, but the problem is getting more attention in recent years. All aquifers are impacted by fluctuations in precipitation, particularly the big annual swings we've had recently in Maine with the entire state experiencing drought conditions in the summer/fall of 2024, following… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Tick… tick… boom

I had spent the day online, taking a necessary but predictably dull class. As soon as we logged out for the day, I gathered my shoes, my hat, and my kid, and we went for a walk. First, we walked down the hill to check on the vernal pool I'd… SEE MORE

Former apprentice Matt Czuchra, left, and current apprentice Kelly Morgan sort oysters at Bombazine Farms. The image is from Maine Aquaculture Association’s Tending the Tides documentary, courtesy Maine Aquaculture Association.

Working Waterfront

Aquaculture apprenticeships accelerate workforce growth

Kelly Morgan moved from California to Maine to work on an oyster farm. By way of the Maine Aquaculture Apprenticeship Program, she landed a job on the New Meadows River in Brunswick farming oysters with Bombazine Oyster Company. SEE MORE

A rocky Maine shoreline speaks to large forces at work. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

Working Waterfront

Maine’s fractal coast

Day in and day out, summer after summer when I was a kid, I flew back and forth over Casco Bay with my father in his Piper Cub seaplane. From the air I saw thousands of spooked seagulls, smooth steel-colored sea rollers in identical ranks, wind-beaten chop, whales, porpoises, schools… SEE MORE

Carvers Harbor, Vinalhaven. FILE PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

Good policy comes from informed policy makers

Those of us who work in coastal communities understand the vital role working waterfronts play in supporting jobs in our communities… SEE MORE