Working Waterfront

Will Portland choke on its success?

By Tom Groening What if Portland wasn’t in Maine? What if the state’s border with New Hampshire fell along the shore of the Royal River in Yarmouth, instead of along the Piscataqua? Or what if Portland were somehow transported to the area near Newburyport, Mass.? What would be lost? It’s… SEE MORE

An engineer's conception of floating wind turbines.

Working Waterfront

Offshore wind is back in motion

By Tom Groening The perception that Maine’s forays into offshore wind power have been on hold aren’t quite accurate, said Jake Ward of the University of Maine. Under the name New England Aqua Ventus I, the university is pursuing siting a floating wind turbine off Monhegan Island as a test… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster landings again top 100 million pounds

By Tom Groening Despite a summer marked by light hauls, the overall lobster catch for 2019 again cracked the 100-million-pound threshold, the ninth consecutive year to do so. Total landings were 100,725,013 pounds. To put last year’s landings in historical context, Department of Marine Resources data shows that lobster landings… SEE MORE

A lobsterman and his young helper in the Fox Islands Thorofare.

Working Waterfront

Lobster science—last year was indeed strange

By Susie Arnold It was a strange year for the lobster fishery. In 2019, the scarcity of bait was a concern, and lobster landings were incredibly slow through the summer months. The July catch was the lowest recorded since at least 2008, the year the Department of Marine Resources began… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Salmon listing didn’t cause sky to fall, but species still struggling

By Catherine Schmitt Twenty years have passed since Atlantic salmon became certified as an endangered species, according to federal law. Ed Baum was a salmon biologist with the state at the time—and is now retired—and he remembers the moment well. He remembers other moments, too, like the power of a… SEE MORE

A view of Nantucket village from the shore.

Working Waterfront

Nantaska—The ‘islands’ of Nantucket and Alaska

By Crocker Snow Jr. The tiny northeastern seacoast island of Nantucket, 43 square miles, and the giant, “Upper 49th” state of Alaska, 663,237 square miles, are about as dissimilar as could be. They don’t share the same boarding house at all geographically, demographically, economically, and culturally. Yet the two lands,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Resilience is the response to rising waters

By Stephanie Bouchard The iconic rocky coast of Maine. It has awed and wooed people for centuries. It has also helped fuel the state’s economy, as those it has beguiled flock here. And, it turns out, it helps protect us from the unfolding and increasing impacts of climate change, specifically,… SEE MORE

A view of the shore near Schoodic Point.

Working Waterfront

Schoodic Institute names new president

Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park has announced the appointment of Dr. Nicholas Fisichelli as president and CEO. Fisichelli had been serving as interim president and CEO since August. “We are absolutely delighted that Nick has agreed to lead Schoodic Institute,” said David Ellwood, Schoodic’s board chairman. “The board has been… SEE MORE

Kristan Porter heads out to one of his two boats.

Working Waterfront

Kristan Porter remains grounded as fisheries shift

By Laurie Schreiber//Photos by Leslie Bowman Anyone who’s been to any confab in the various Maine fisheries over the past couple of decades will likely recognize Kristan Porter—a steadfast presence and an articulate voice in the thorny world of management and policy. That’s true now more than ever, since he… SEE MORE

An aerial view of the tip of Schoodic Peninsula.

Working Waterfront

The Schoodic story

By Jacqueline Weaver Schoodic Point and its acres of pristine shoreline and deep woodlands dodged a bullet more than a century ago when plans by John Godfrey Moore to develop the pristine property were derailed by his premature death. Moore, the son of a Steuben sea captain, made his fortune… SEE MORE