Students from the Swan's Island Elementary School examine some of the artifacts Abbe Museum educator George Neptune brought to his presentation.

Working Waterfront

Island community learns about ‘People of the Dawn’

What was the currency used by our native peoples? Wampum, right? Not so fast. George Neptune, an educator with the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, offered a different explanation for the seashells that were found in most native cultures. Neptune, a member of the Passamaquoddy tribe, spoke to school children… SEE MORE

The working area in the new Maine Coast Sea Vegetables plant in Hancock is bright and spacious.

Working Waterfront

Seaweed processor expands in Hancock

Seaweed processor Maine Coast Sea Vegetables has made its long-anticipated move to a new energy-efficient, 1,800-square-foot building in Hancock. The new facility is just 12 miles from the company’s former home in Franklin, but light years beyond it in terms of size, accessibility and comfort, says owner Shep Erhart. The… SEE MORE

Maine Maritime Academy vessels docked at the campus in Castine.

Working Waterfront

Winter training cruise imparts laptop lesson

People who are not accustomed to living on the water and on the high seas are often painfully aware of the slightest motion a boat or ship makes. Just look for the gray or green pallor on their faces and the expression that says, “Are we there yet?” And those… SEE MORE

Tarah Waters working with children in Eastport.

Working Waterfront

Eastport asks the question, ‘What’s your art?’

Editor's note: Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Tarah Waters is working to support the growing arts community in Eastport. Being an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Remembering a lost fishery, and grandparents

My grandmother Edith Johnson Searles packed sardines in Lubec at a time when that prosperous town hosted 23 sardine (herring) packing plants. My grandfather, Henry Searles, was a native of Canada’s nearby Campobello Island, who moved across the sound to marry my grandmother and live with her in South Lubec.… SEE MORE

A memorial service was held in Rockland for two of the area's victims in the El Faro sinking.

Working Waterfront

What doomed the El Faro?

Battered by Hurricane Joaquin as it traveled from Jacksonville, Florida to Puerto Rico, the 790-foot cargo ship El Faro sank east of the Bahamas on Oct. 1. Thirty-three mariners perished, including five graduates of Maine Maritime Academy and two from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. As is the nature of sea disasters,… SEE MORE

The young Arthur Rothstein sets up his camera.

Working Waterfront

History spills from frame of film

The photo that prompted contact from Arthur Rothstein's family. In each issue of The Working Waterfront, we feature a vintage photo from along the coast that reminds us of how our corner of the world has changed, or not changed, as the case may be. In the November issue, we… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster promotion reaches chefs, White House, China

When lobster fisherman Steve Train traveled to New York City on a two-day marketing junket last summer, he found the experience was an effective way to introduce Maine’s “new shell” lobster to high-end chefs and national food media outlets. Train, traveling from his home on Long Island, off Portland, joined… SEE MORE

The shore at Roque Bluffs in Washington County.

Working Waterfront

Washington County’s population challenges point to immigration

Washington County is going to be a very different place in 20 years. Over half of our population is older than 45. Almost a fifth is 65 or older. Only a small percentage of the people who are now middle-aged or elderly will be working in 2036, and there just… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine Seacoast Mission stays modern, reaches eastern coast

Think of it as a floating community center. Hot coffee and a hearty breakfast are still served aboard Sunbeam V, the Maine Seacoast Mission's 75-foot long vessel which provides hospitality and fellowship to those living on Maine's Midcoast and Downeast islands. That part of the mission's story has been told… SEE MORE