HAMPDEN — The traditional mooring has never been a plus to a harbor’s eco-system; it has few nooks and crannies for sea creatures to hide, and its granite surface isn’t hospitable for colonizing microorganisms. But a Maine company has a new take on the mooring it says offers enhanced habitat for lobster and other sea
A vision born on the wings of eagle… and fog
CAMDEN — The 1980s were a turning point for Maine. Fifty years after the Great Depression, an influx of people and money began to bring change. And most of it was good. Philip Conkling, founder and president of the Rockland-based Island Institute notes that in 1980, Maine’s population hit 1 million, recovering from a century
Good intentions? Say hello to reality
The old saw, “They’re not making any new shorefront” cuts in several directions. With limited waterfront land, and increased development pressure, the value and cost go up. And value and cost are not the same things. Here in Maine, we are blessed with 3,000-plus miles of shorefront, thanks to the long, finger-like peninsulas that reach
From childhood to adulthood, what islands have taught me
I grew up exploring the coast of Maine—but to me (at age 3), the coast really consisted of the shores of Hupper Island, that mile-long rock right across the harbor from the Port Clyde General Store. I learned at a young age that I was just as welcome in my neighbor’s house for dinner as
FOR THOSE IN PERIL–
SEARSPORT — For decades, the town has boasted of its sea captains and their voyages to the four corners of the world. If there were any doubt about the truth behind this pride, a visit to the True-Fowler-Ross House, a 19th century residence now part of the Penobscot Marine Museum campus, puts it to rest.
Little Maine wind, big bad wind
Ben Polito grew up on an island—bridged to the mainland—but at the remote end of Georgetown Island beyond the reach of CMP’s utility poles for the first seven years of his life. “Electricity was this cool thing that I saw in kindergarten and the neighbors had,” he recalled. So he got interested in how electricity
Lobster industry leaders eye the future
Leaders in Maine’s lobster industry come from a variety of backgrounds but have a common vision. Despite challenges facing the industry today, they see a strong, enduring product, sustained by a conservation-minded industry and loved by consumers. And they work on many different tacks to keep it that way. Patrice McCarron joined the Maine Lobstermen’s
‘Lab in a can’ helps state monitor red tide
The Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has introduced a new device for monitoring and predicting “red tide events” in New England. Red tide is a harmful algal bloom which can color ocean water red. Toxins released by the blooms may be ingested by shellfish and cause humans who eat toxic shellfish to develop paralytic
Seattle seawall hurting business
KUSI-TV’s website marked National Maritime Day, which was designated by Congress in 1933, by featuring San Diego Bay’s working waterfront. The waterfront is home to the port’s “two marine terminals, where food for the region, such as bananas and melons, one in 10 imported automobiles in the nation, and other goods, including wind turbine blades
People and the coast: love without commitment
It gets little attention in our state’s public policy debates, but one of the biggest threats to the Maine’s economic future is its stagnant population growth. In the last several years, the state’s 1.3 million population has grown by fewer than 1,000 people each year. The state’s population is more than 95 percent white,