Working Waterfront

Reaching out to a neighbor on climate change

By Eric Lister After initially dismissing Mark Preston’s perspective (The Working Waterfront, December/January issue, “Media is responsible for ‘eco-anxiety’”) I decided to pay him the courtesy of a thoughtful reply, in the hope that those who share his perspective might provide me with the same respect. So, as a physician… SEE MORE

Fishing boats at anchor in Lubec in January 2018.

Working Waterfront

Lubec lands major grant to create safe harbor

By Wanda Curtis The town of Lubec was awarded a $19,650,000 federal grant to provide a year-round safe harbor for resident and visiting fishermen and recreational boaters. The total cost of the project is estimated at $19,689,750, with the remainder of the cost paid for by a $30,000 grant from… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bar Harbor man is helping an anxious world

By Jacqueline Weaver Between out of control bushfires in Australia and rising sea levels isolating neighborhoods in Key Largo, Florida, it’s difficult not to be preoccupied by changes in climate around the world. Concern, though, can become obsessive and almost debilitating, which is an issue Dennis Kiley is addressing in… SEE MORE

A map showing part of the Gulf of Maine's watershed.

Working Waterfront

The Gulf of Maine, 30 years out

By Catherine Schmitt Animated maps show currents flowing in, around, and out of the Gulf of Maine, this sea within a sea, a counterclockwise gyre from the edge of vanishing Arctic ice, in and around to the clenched fist of Cape Cod, and then out. As the currents churn like… SEE MORE

An aerial view of the West Branch of the Pleasant River. PAn aerial view of the West Branch of the Pleasant River.

Working Waterfront

Taking stock of a Downeast river

By Jon Keller Five degrees above zero and the wind peels northwest. Sky and river both black dark. Headlights shine in the small parking lot. The wind howls, rocks the truck. Out there in the headlight shine lies a slick mud bank and a river of churning brown water. Bobby… SEE MORE

Monhegan's meadow is part of the island's freshwater aquifer.

Working Waterfront

Water harvesting as a solution for island communities

By Robert Glennon As Maine’s island communities and coastal residents address water supply problems created by rising sea levels (see "Monhegan's water supply threatened," December/January issue, they may want to borrow a tool developed in the arid West. Water harvesting involves capturing precipitation, whether rain, snow or sleet. Saltwater intrusion into… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Can our communities be marine-friendly?

By Craig Olson You’ve heard it many times, but it bears repeating: “Change is the only constant.” For Maine’s coastal economy, that statement couldn’t be more appropriate. For those who work on the water or rely on marine-based businesses, shifts in ocean use, diminishing fisheries, and access to steady supplies… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islander discovers the joys of backwoods snowmobiling

Making Tracks by Matt Weber Islandport Press, 2019 Review by George Smith This guy snowmobiles in all of Maine’s best places Even though I don’t snowmobile, I really enjoyed Matt Weber’s book, Making Tracks, published by Islandport Press. Although he lives on Monhegan, he snowmobiles all over Maine, and his… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay temperature data details warming

Mike Doan, research associate with the Friends of Casco Bay, is often asked, “What were the highest and the lowest water temperatures this year?” Thanks to the organization’s continuous monitoring station, Doan is able to share those with confidence. He can describe water conditions in the bay on an hourly,… SEE MORE

Monhegan Island’s marshy freshwater meadow is part of the aquifer.

Working Waterfront

Monhegan’s water supply threatened

By Craig Idlebrook Monhegan Island’s freshwater supply faces a triple threat—rising sea levels, seasonal overuse, and antiquated infrastructure. Residents are studying how best to safeguard the water from sea level rise. They also are grappling with how to ensure that seasonal overuse of the water supply doesn’t deplete the freshwater… SEE MORE