Working Waterfront

An easier way to clean your (boat) bottom

In the 19th century, Plymouth, Mass. was home to a famous factory that produced much of the world’s rope and twine for ship rigging. Now, in the same factory space, a company is seeking to revolutionize ship maintenance through robotics. At the Cordage Commerce Center, Greensea IQ manufactures robots which… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

App tracks coastal change, flooding

Anyone living near the ocean knows the coastline changes often with the tides and the seasons, and that it can be difficult to keep track of the coast’s “normal” appearance. With climate change, it becomes even more difficult to distinguish between the normal historical flux of the coast and a… SEE MORE

From left: Rik Michaud, Ron Michaud (Tylar’s father), Adam Albina, Mary Albina, Liz Michaud, Jeff Maker, and Joyce Maker. PHOTO: COURTESY LIZ MICHAUD

Working Waterfront

Hope for a safer fishery

Liz Michaud has one hope for the fishermen of Maine—that they all return home to their families. Michaud is the founder of Green and White Hope, a nonprofit organization improving safety for commercial fishermen. She started the organization following the death of her nephew, Tylar Michaud, in July 2023. SEE MORE

Jillian Herrigel, “Harbor Hues,” 2024, acrylic and oil stick, 22 x 28 inches.

Working Waterfront

At home with harbors and oysters

Their oyster farm on New Meadows River inspired a series of lively watercolor-and-ink studies which were shown at the Maine Oyster Company’s raw bar in Portland in 2019. Herrigel captures the action—harvesting, sorting, shucking—via color washes and dashing outlines. SEE MORE

Walt Golet, left, and Kay Zipp capture, tag, and release Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine for research in August 2023. PHOTO: COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

Working Waterfront

Study examined tuna’s new food sources

Maine’s coastal communities have been hooked on the Atlantic bluefin tuna since at least the late 1880s—first as bycatch, until the 1930s, when the fish became a prized target in fishing tournaments. Through the subsequent decades, bluefin tuna have and continue to support working waterfronts in Maine and beyond. Despite… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Scientists now predicting whale movement

The places North Atlantic right whales are foraging are shifting because the changing climate alters ocean currents, the scientists said, which in turn affects where whale food will show up. Being able to more easily determine where North Atlantic right whales are going to go ahead of time is crucial for both the whales’ survival and for the industries... SEE MORE

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

Ben Dinsmore, the new general manager and CEO of Casco Bay Lines.

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay Lines names new GM

Casco Bay Island Transit District, also known as Casco Bay Lines, announces the appointment of Ben Dinsmore as its next general manager and chief executive officer. A seasoned maritime professional with over 25 years of global experience, Dinsmore brings deep operational expertise, strategic leadership, and a personal understanding of Maine’s island communities. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

New State of Maine training vessel launched

At 525 feet long, the State of Maine can accommodate 600 cadets and up to 1,000 people in times of humanitarian need. The vessel includes eight classrooms, labs, a training bridge, auditorium, helicopter pad, advanced medical facilities, and roll-on/roll-off and container capacity, ensuring cadets get unmatched hands-on training. SEE MORE

From left, David Wyman, Donald Small, Steve Brookman, and Walt Murphy pose with their 1/16th scale model of the privateer Defence.

Working Waterfront

Remembering the ill-fated Defence

Wyman remembers the students working at making the sonar able to identify objects to the side rather than just downward. Passing over the location where the fisherman snagged his net, an unusual shape was identified. SEE MORE