Working Waterfront

Other waterfronts—Texas works on storm protection system

A recent Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission report warned that some 3,500 acres of land in Wells, Kennebunk, and York were at increased risk of flooding because of rising sea levels. The commission is working with a coalition of municipalities and organizations to plan how best to prevent flood… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine delegation can lead to climate safety

Both my wife and I grew up in Maine, but it wasn’t until we married that I adopted her family’s tradition of buying pounds of wholesale Maine shrimp and spending New Year’s Day (my mother-in-law’s birthday) shelling and freezing them for the coming months. It was an annual ceremony straight… SEE MORE

Eastport's breakwater anchorage. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Eastport turns down Russian ship request

When a cargo ship en route to Montreal from Russia with 8,000 tons of petroleum product recently found itself in need of some short-term parking, the shippers involved contacted Washington County's Eastport Port Authority. The North Atlantic's deepest ports include Eastport's cargo terminal and downtown breakwater dock, which in June… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Circulation, temperature data reveals future

Before COVID, this time of year would see the fishing and marine science community gearing up for the annual Maine Fishermen's Forum. It's a venue to share information about the Gulf of Maine—pretty much everything that helps and hinders those who rely on it to make a living. This will… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A Maine island take on Candlemas

On Feb. 2, many Americans look to Pennsylvania to see if the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerges to see his shadow or not. If he does, it means there are six more weeks of winter. Folks, on Feb. 2, there will be six more weeks of winter no matter what. Some… SEE MORE

A fishing boat in Rockland Harbor. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Lobster harvest sets dollar record

Recently updated data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources shows 2021 as the most valuable year in the history of Maine's lobster fishery. At $724,949,426, the landed value for the iconic fishery jumped by 75 percent over 2020, by far the single largest increase in value, year over year.… SEE MORE

The Steller's sea eagle lands on a tree. PHOTO: COURTESY LINDA CUNNINGHAM

Working Waterfront

Rare Asian eagle’s strange journey to Maine

A rare Asian eagle flew over the water pursued by a smaller local bird, a bald eagle, as more than a hundred people watched from the shore of Georgetown on New Year’s Eve. People had gathered at this precise spot in the hopes of seeing the rare bird, said to… SEE MORE

Environment

Working Waterfront

The changing climate of Atlantic salmon

Atlantic salmon face challenges, many of which—dams, pollution, predators—have been problematic for a long time. But as temperatures rise, precipitation and melt increase, and seasons shift, the pressure is increasing. In their migrations from river to sea and back again, Maine’s wild Atlantic salmon, on the Endangered Species List since… SEE MORE

Participants in Rockland's Station Maine program get out on the water. PHOTO: COURTESY STATION MAINE

Working Waterfront

Motor? Sail? Row your boat!

When someone who has never rowed before steps into a rowing shell on Megunticook Lake in Camden as part of Megunticook Rowing’s Learn to Row program, their eyes widen as they exclaim, “Oh, my gosh, this is tippy!” said Anna Goodale, the organization’s executive director and head coach. There’s lots… SEE MORE

Amanda Moeser of Lanes Island Oysters, who grows her oysters in the Royal River in Yarmouth. PHOTO: GRACE TERRY

Working Waterfront

Women moving into growing aquaculture sector

Libby Davis’s mobile raw bar, Lady Shuckers, was born from her desire to shuck oysters—and change the industry paradigm. “Being pushed enough to work harder and say, ‘Well, if you want to shuck, you got to be as good as the shuckers,’” Davis said, “who in my circle were all… SEE MORE