Alliance for Maine's Marine Economy - 2018 Highlights

Have you heard about the Maine Ocean School yet? The Maine Ocean School is a new public magnet school based in Searsport with a mission to provide a theme-based high school education focused on, you guessed it, the Ocean!

Using Maine’s deep maritime connections, the Maine Ocean School emphasizes leadership, work ethic, and transferable skills associated with careers involving the sea.

What do year-round island communities in Maine, the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes have in common? Their working waterfronts are crucial for the island’s future.

Maine Sea Grant is looking for a Communications Coordinator to manage and oversee the Maine Sea Grant communications team and its diverse partnerships. This will include collaborative leadership and coordination of communications staff throughout the process of developing, writing, editing, and marketing Sea Grant outreach and communications materials, and developing and managing communications partnerships and programs.

Apply on the University of Maine website.

Maine’s aquaculture industry raises finfish, shellfish, and seaweed in farms along the coast. The most significant commercial species are Atlantic salmon, blue mussels, oysters, and seaweed. Aquaculture farms must obtain a lease from the state because they operate in public waters. In this updated version of our publication Marine Aquaculture in Maine, learn how leases are granted, where farms are sited, what to look for in a responsible aquaculture operation, and more.

Tourism has been an important part of Maine’s coastal economy for generations. But what’s the relationship between tourism and quality of life at the local level? In some places, like Acadia National Park, overcrowding has become a challenge for both residents and visitors. In other places, locals and businesses are working together to improve community vitality. In many cases, what’s good for tourism can also be good for the community.

Welcome to Jaclyn Robidoux of Kittery, Maine, recently appointed Marine Extension Associate. Based in the Portland area, Robidoux will be establishing connections with the various stakeholders involved in Maine's seaweed resources....

Over the last four decades, the amount of soft-shell clams harvested in Maine has decreased by up to 75%. Such a significant decline clearly affects the ecology of our shorelines as well as the livelihood of hundreds of Maine clam diggers and their families.

Why are clams declining? How do we know? And what can be done to reverse the trend?

On our next program, we will talk with representatives from Blue Hill Heritage Trust, Frenchman Bay Conservancy and Maine Coastal Heritage Trust about their efforts to conserve Hancock County Lands. We’ll learn about the Schoodic to Schoodic Initiative, the Surry Forest and other recently protected lands, and ways for you to enjoy them. We’ll also explore some bigger questions, such as the benefits of conserved lands for our local communities.