Debbie Bouchard calls her position as Manager of the University of Maine’s Maine Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory [MAAHL] her second tour of duty at the university. She put in her first as a student, majoring in microbiology, as well as a professional from 1977 to 1997. (Her given name is Deborah, but no one in
Cranberry Report
September is a watchful time of year for people in the Cranberry Isles. Fishermen closely monitor the path of hurricanes, ready to shift lobster traps and boats should heavy weather be coming this way. Caretakers are keeping their eyes on a few sailboats and small power boats, left in the water by summer visitors who
Major conference on aquaculture to be held in Portland
Oysters, clams, scallops, blue mussels; salmon, cod, haddock, flounder; freshwater baitfish, ornamental saltwater fish; seaweed and algae; saltwater caviar fish: Maine aquaculture operations raise a surprising variety of species, both fresh and saltwater. Sebastian Belle, director of Maine Aquaculture Association, says there are 140 to 150 commercial aquaculture companies in Maine. They are supported by
Nobody’s pretty babies: family plant processes hagfish
“The first year, I wouldn’t even go in the building when they were processing,” said Drusilla Ray, of the product being processed, hagfish or Myxine glutinosa, better known as sea snakes or slime eels. She and her husband, Lawrence, own Cherry Point Products, Inc., in Millbridge, a company that fishes, processes, freezes, and sells sea
Jenkins preaches the virtues of home cooking and locally-grown food
Two events in one week this summer generated a sense of empowerment for many Vinalhaven residents as groups gathered to consider ways to become less dependent on mainland-supplied essentials like energy and food. First there was the decision by the members of the Fox Islands Electric Coop to go ahead with a wind power project
Dock restoration latest project for historic Holbrook Wharf
Although the tourist season is winding down and the snack bar has closed at Holbrook’s Wharf in Cundy’s Harbor, Harpswell, as long as weather permits, the wharf will be buzzing with activity. First, marine contractor Skip Rideout from Boothbay will completely tear down the wharf, then his team will begin work on reconstruction, with engineering
Geo-treasure hunt helps students learn about campus
The freshmen at Mount Desert Island High School got to know their new campus in a unique and fun way during their first week of school in September; by using GPS (Global Positioning System) units. Throughout the day each class participated in a geo-treasure hunt, in which the students used GPS units to navigate to
Guns on ferries: balancing safety, security and rights
If you’re a hunter who wants to bring your rifle on a Maine ferry, don’t worry about it. You may. If you’re a passenger worried that other riders might be carrying concealed guns, all you can do is hope they will be as law-abiding as virtually all previous ferry riders have been. “Ferries are the
Don’t neglect industrial working waterfront
I greatly enjoyed reading David Platt’s latest column in the September issue of the Working Waterfront (“Duluth: a location creates a waterfront,”). The story about the Port of Duluth evoked in me a sense of admiration and respect for the many industrious individuals whose labor and vision made that port successful, even in a seemingly
Peaks Island photographer explores connections between dancers and dead fish
Arthur Fink’s pending book of photography might epitomize the two contrasting spheres of Maine’s coastline, the artistic and the utilitarian, more sharply than any other book of Maine photography. The book’s title, Dancers and Dead Fish, says it all. That title doesn’t mean the book by the Peaks Island resident is about choreography involving seafood,