Working Waterfront

Bill to delay new right whale rules advances to Senate

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a Democrat, along with Rep. Mike Lawler, (R-New York), received rare bipartisan support, with 10 Democrats crossing the aisle to vote for it. SEE MORE

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Why white sharks are showing up more in Maine

While that news may alarm some swimmers, it turns out this is largely a conservation success story. SEE MORE

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Maine researchers tag 1st white shark as part of expanded research

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is teaming up with University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and University of Maine on the research. SEE MORE

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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

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Making sense of mackerel

In late May, NOAA Fisheries announced a new research initiative with the Northeast fishing industry to gather information about the Atlantic mackerel, a fish so common that it is often overlooked for research and so misunderstood that regulators have routinely miscalculated how many are in the sea. With the new… SEE MORE

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UMaine researcher sails Southern Ocean to study phytoplankton

Battling polar winds, rough seas, and sea ice, the University of Maine’s Emmanuel Boss and his colleagues sailed the Southern Ocean to study plankton, microscopic organisms that form the foundation of marine food webs. These microorganisms, particularly the plant-like phytoplankton, have been producing about 50% of the world’s oxygen, and… SEE MORE

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Welcoming summer with Maine’s lupines

Like so many Mainers before me, I grew up with a well-loved copy of Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius on my bookshelf. The titular character, better known in my family simply as “the Lupine Lady,” took on a sort of folkloric presence in my childhood. In the backseat of sleepy return… SEE MORE

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State awards funds and seeks proposals for coastal projects

The Maine Office of Community Affairs’ (MOCA) Maine Coastal Program (MCP) and Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) are accepting applications for approximately $450,000 in coastal planning grants through Aug. 31. Awards of up to $50,000 for individual applicants and $75,000 for group applicants will support local or regional planning projects that prepare coastal communities… SEE MORE

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The tall task of throwing away lobster rope

Lobstermen call it pot warp: the rope that runs from the buoy on the water’s surface down to the trap on the ocean floor. A single lobsterman may use miles of it. Until the mid-20th century, pot warp was made of natural fiber—Manila, cotton, hemp—that wore out, broke down and… SEE MORE

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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