The Working Waterfront

The Working Waterfront News of Maine's coast and islands, published by Island Institute.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Sept. 1 to extend a pause on new rules to protect right whales from e...
09/03/2026

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Sept. 1 to extend a pause on new rules to protect right whales from entanglement.

The legislation was co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden of Maine's 2nd Congressional District. It was supported by Maine lobstermen along with Rep. Chellie Pingree from the state's 1st district.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4gAQK34

✍️ Craig Idlebrook
📸 Adobe Stock and NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a Democrat, along with Rep. Mike Lawler, (R-New York), received rare bipartisan support, with 10 Democrats crossing the aisle to vote for it.

"The last time I drove Island Institute’s boat, I used about 16 gallons of gas per hour. After being out on the water fo...
09/02/2026

"The last time I drove Island Institute’s boat, I used about 16 gallons of gas per hour. After being out on the water for much of the day, it added up to 74 gallons—enough gas to drive my car from Rockland to Key West, Florida."

Maine Ocean Farms, the Spruce Head Fishermen’s Co-op, Pendleton Yacht Yard, and other coastal businesses using electric engines for workboats are at the forefront of a new innovation in traditional Maine industries. Island Institute's Nick Battista reflects on how replacing or re-powering small skiffs, such as those used by harbormasters, presents potentially interesting opportunities for communities to consider.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3SGEu7Y

✍️ Nick Battista
📸 Island Institute

This was in sharp contrast to a ride I just took on Heron, a boat powered by two electric outboards that Maine Ocean Farms uses on its oyster farm based in

🦈 Early August saw a flurry of beach closings as white sharks were spotted near Maine shores. While that news may alarm ...
08/31/2026

🦈 Early August saw a flurry of beach closings as white sharks were spotted near Maine shores. While that news may alarm some swimmers, it turns out this is largely a conservation success story.

Island Institute Senior Ocean Scientist Susie Arnold offers some perspective on why we’re seeing more of these large predators now—and what she keeps in mind when heading into the waves.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4xnzlR4

✍️ Susie Arnold
📸 Maine DMR

While that news may alarm some swimmers, it turns out this is largely a conservation success story.

"It’s about helping rural Maine thrive for generations to come."Nichole Price, the new director of The Center for Resili...
08/27/2026

"It’s about helping rural Maine thrive for generations to come."

Nichole Price, the new director of The Center for Resilience and Economic Impact - Colby College, wrote a guest column describing the work of the Colby College program. The working waterfront, she says, is representative of the Center's mission: A place where "our state’s economy, natural resources, heritage, and sense of place all meet."

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4gT3D8y

✍️ Nichole Price
📸 Caitlin Penna/Colby College and Island Institute

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of becoming the inaugural director of Colby’s Center for Resilience and Economic Impact in Port Clyde. Since then, one

"It’s a rare family vacation that doesn’t find us on a distant ferry for one reason or another."The Working Waterfront c...
08/25/2026

"It’s a rare family vacation that doesn’t find us on a distant ferry for one reason or another."

The Working Waterfront columnist Rusty Foster reflects on a recent camping trip to the Goslings via sea kayak, and how islanders just can't seem to stay away from islands.

Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4c9pxBQ

✍️ Rusty Foster

It wasn’t a surprise to find myself on another island, either. Many people love to visit an island, but in my experience none more so than islanders. I know

Courtney Naliboff, North Haven resident and The Working Waterfront columnist, was diagnosed with breast cancer on her 45...
08/21/2026

Courtney Naliboff, North Haven resident and The Working Waterfront columnist, was diagnosed with breast cancer on her 45th birthday.

In her most recent column, Naliboff reflects on how the idiosyncrasies of island life extend into her treatment—like making the 24-mile round-trip journey by ferry for essential appointments on the mainland.

Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4cRxBY5

✍️ Courtney Naliboff
📸 Courtney Naliboff & Island Institute

First, some news.

Scientists are testing whether they can remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ocean without harming sea...
08/19/2026

Scientists are testing whether they can remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ocean without harming sea life.

The researchers, who work with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, are trying to use sodium hydroxide to lower the acidity of the Gulf of Maine. More acidic water can decalcify coral, damage fish shells, and hinder the ocean’s ability to take up more carbon in the future.

They hope this approach will provide a safe way to store carbon for thousands of years.

Read more here 👉 https://www.islandinstitute.org/working-waterfront/seeking-new-ways-to-lower-gulf-of-maine-acidity/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=wwf_article

✍️ Craig Idlebrook
📸 Daniel Cojanu for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

That’s why for the next two years researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts will be testing in a lab whether reducing

While we've seen recent cooling in the Gulf of Maine, the data still points to an overall warming trend. As our Waypoint...
08/14/2026

While we've seen recent cooling in the Gulf of Maine, the data still points to an overall warming trend.

As our Waypoints data spread illustrates, changes in atmospheric and oceanic currents influence short-term events, like cold snaps or ocean cooling, but the long-term trend of warming remains in Maine's waters. These oceanographic changes can affect everything from fisheries to marine recreation.

To learn more about the science behind Maine's changing air and water temperatures, read the full Waypoints spread here 👉 https://bit.ly/3TUyU28

✍️ Island Institute staff

This Waypoints spread shows data on changing air temperatures in Maine and water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine.

We’re re-launching Island Institute's Waypoints series—this time inside the pages of our newspaper. Each report translat...
08/11/2026

We’re re-launching Island Institute's Waypoints series—this time inside the pages of our newspaper. Each report translates data and research into clear, accessible information that helps coastal communities make informed decisions.

This Waypoints spread looks at housing challenges on Maine's coast through three different lenses: affordability, existing housing supply, and the need for new housing.

Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4wsaiLz

✍️ & 📸 Island Institute staff

This Waypoints page looks at the state’s housing challenges through three different lenses: affordability, existing housing supply, and the need for new housing.

"I’m making a resolution as the editor of this newspaper. The national mood may have shifted, for now, on climate change...
08/05/2026

"I’m making a resolution as the editor of this newspaper. The national mood may have shifted, for now, on climate change. But we’re going to keep covering it."

In his latest column, The Working Waterfront Editor Charles Eichacker writes about declining national news coverage of climate change and why—now more than ever—it's important to continue covering climate stories.

Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4wHGsU8

✍️ Charles Eichacker

But stifling as it is, I’m lucky to be indoors rather than out in the direct heat, like so many workers must be. And I was already planning to devote this

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