Articles
Community fish ladder restoration brings new life to alewife run
Often called river herring, alewives are anadromous fish that travel from the ocean to fresh water to spawn. Signs of their astonishing migratory run up the Damariscotta River to spawn in Damariscotta Lake are subtle at first: a few osprey scouting the Great Salt Bay for signs of food, an eagle or two, seals appearing
New rules for booming quahog industry
Word got around quickly, and clammers came from near and far. Because the lake is sub-tidal, it falls under state rather than town jurisdiction. Anyone with a commercial license could take advantage of the rich resource. On some days, there could be as many as 60 or 70 boats on the lake, with people using
Wanted: Green slime sightings
The Friends of Casco Bay are looking for green slime. They are so concerned about its increased presence in the bay they’ve created a poster: “Wanted: Green Slime Sightings,” calling for volunteers to report this manifestation of nitrogen pollution. When green slime covers a mudflat, it can suffocate anything living beneath, including clams, snails and
Portland’s Ocean Approved Seaweed Products begins further expansion
Like so many entrepreneurial ventures with food products, Ocean Approved frozen seaweed started with a pot simmering on a kitchen stove. Now, with a $95,000 NOAA Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Grant and an experimental lease to raise seaweed near Little Chebeague Island, the first lease of its kind in the U.S., the
Cod Academy opens doors
Coverage of Washington County is made possible by a grant from the Eaton Foundation. After more than a year of planning and lengthy application procedures, the Maine Aquaculture Association has received federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aquaculture program and the agency’s northeast regional office for a new program, Cod Farming for
Land trust focuses on water quality
The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is heading in an unusual direction. This year, the staff has created a new focus for the organization by choosing water quality as the theme for the year’s activities. The group was inspired to take on the study of water quality in the estuary, and therefore, of the entire Kennebec
Rampaging river will limit numbers at Popham Beach
Brian Murray, manager of Popham Beach State Park for the past 12 years, faces an unusual task this summer. He will try to be scientific about an unstable, ever-shifting, totally unpredictable situation-that is, how much space for visitors will be available during high tides at Popham in June, July, August and September. Murray needs to
Harpswell marina expands and goes green
At the Dolphin Marina, located on Basin Point in Harpswell, “Every inch of the property is being reorganized,” says Bill Saxton, who with his brother Chris, has been representing their family in the marina’s redevelopment project. Both Bill and Chris started working at the marina when they were five years old. If you happened to
Matinicus native brings latest in marine research to Maine students
OceansWide, a summer camp based at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, uses the most up-to-date technologies and a specialized educational curriculum to introduce students to marine science. This innovative program is rooted in founder Campbell “Buzz” Scott’s boyhood explorations in the waters surrounding Matinicus Island. There, Scott, now 48, experienced what many would consider
Matinicus native brings latest in marine research to Maine students
OceansWide, a summer camp based at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, uses the most up-to-date technologies and a specialized educational curriculum to introduce students to marine science. This innovative program is rooted in founder Campbell “Buzz” Scott’s boyhood explorations in the waters surrounding Matinicus Island. There, Scott, now 48, experienced what many would consider