Category Archives: Partner Projects

Winter Harbor Fisheries Oral History

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From the Maine Sea Grant Winter Harbor Fisheries Oral History post by Natalie Springuel:

First person stories about Winter Harbor’s fisheries heritage are now part of the Winter Harbor Historical Society’s audio collection! A multimedia story map about these interviews can be viewed at the Winter Harbor Fisheries Oral History Project.

The Winter Harbor Fisheries Oral History Project, conducted in the Fall of 2017, captured the stories, memories, and perspectives of local fishermen and their families, local marine businesses and fellow community members. The focus of the interviews was on the community’s connections to the waters surrounding the Schoodic Peninsula and the larger context of fisheries in Maine. Topics ranged from fishing past and present, getting product to market, changes in the industry and changes in the Winter Harbor region. Fishing is so much more than a job, it is a way of life, and the interviews also explored history, family, boat building, business, and relationships.

The goal of the project was to help the Winter Harbor Historical Society document its fishing and community heritage for future generations. Our hope is that these stories will help future residents, visitors, and decision-makers understand the important role that the sea has played, and will continue to play, in Maine’s coastal communities.

January 18th, 2017 FBRSC

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Frenchman Bay Regional Shellfish Committee Meeting

Lamoine Town Hall

January 18, 2017

The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and the Community Environmental Health Laboratory presented watershed information at the monthly Frenchman Bay Regional Shellfish Committee meeting at the Lamoine Town Hall. The DMR reported on water quality in Frenchman Bay, focusing on Martin Cove, Lamoine Beach, and the Trenton Seaplane Ramp, which are all listed as pollution areas. The DMR completed a shoreline sanitary survey in 2016, which identified new problem areas and resulted in four new Prohibited areas. The Community Environmental Health Laboratory is working on developing a watershed survey for identifying the pollution source(s) in Martin Cove, an area identified by the Frenchman Bay Regional Shellfish Committee as a priority area for its shellfish resource. They brought a proposed timeline, map, and example survey forms to share with the committee.

Never Smelt So Good

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The Fisheries, Fishermen, and Fishing Communities class at COA is busy churning out educational and engaging blog posts all about their adventures. The latest? “Never Smelt So Good: The 16th Annual Smelt Fry and Fisheries Celebration” regales readers about the delicious smelt fry hosted by the Downeast Salmon Federation in Columbia Falls, Maine.

The 16th Annual Smelt Fry and Fisheries Celebration was quite a success in raising awareness for important fish species like smelt and Atlantic salmon that need river systems, and the event brought together members of the Downeast Maine community, whose support for Maine fish is vital to their continued survival. Community events like the smelt fry are important to bring people from various backgrounds together to work towards a collective vision to keep local fisheries healthy for all, while having a great time! Want to help in the recovery of smelt or Atlantic salmon in Maine?  This website has some good ideas and you can visit DSF’s site to find out how to help out with their programs.

COA students from the Fisheries, Fishermen, and Fishing Community class conversing with attendees of the Smelt Fry in Columbia Falls. Photo Credit: C.J. Pellegrini

Alewives and Spring Cleaning

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The Fisheries, Fishermen, and Fishing Communities class at COA, co-taught by Chris Petersen and Natalie Springuel, worked with the Somes Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary to clean out and rebuild sections of the fish passages in Somesville in anticipation of this year’s alewife run. They learned some area history, some neat things about diadromous fishes, and got their feet wet (literally!) engaging with the community:

It allowed us to hopefully make a tangible impact on a species in our region and to interact with people who put an incredible amount of work into the preservation of this environment for the future. We were able to engage with our community in a way that truly felt important and useful. By literally jumping into the work on the creeks, we were able to engage with the past, present, and future of the Somes Pond alewife run, and that was truly a rewarding experience.

Read about their adventures here!

Middle Fish Passageway – Photo Credit – Billy Helprin

Ecosystem Services Values Across the Bay

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Ecosystem services are benefits that people derive from the natural world, and the Frenchman Bay Partners has been engaging community members in conversations about the benefits we all derive from our connections to Frenchman Bay. Identifying and prioritizing these attributes can inform management decisions. Participants have also been engaged in helping create a computer-based Ecosystem Services Value (ESValue) decision support tool for Frenchman Bay.
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HCPC Has Grant Funds for Environmental Site Assessments

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The Hancock County Planning Commission (HCPC) has received a $400,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program.  The grant is intended to spur re-use of sites where there is potential contamination.  HCPC has used the grant funds to hire an environmental consultant to conduct site investigations.
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Shellfish Focus Day at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum

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Rockland- Thursday, March 5, 2015 was Shellfish Day at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Dozens of people showed up to hear academics, government representatives, and fishermen speak about the shellfish industry. Topics in the morning included red tides, economic losses from wastewater treatment plant closures, using technical and applied marine science to support management decisions, and action planning. Afternoon topics focused on viral indicators and shellfish sanitation, clam projects in Freeport, and clam farming in Maine. Click to view the Frenchman Bay Partners presentation, Working Together to Get Things Done.

Eelgrass Collaborators Meet to Share Progress and Discuss Future

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Eelgrass collaborators from Maine and New Hampshire gather at MDI Biological Laboratory.

On January 22, eelgrass scientists and others interested in eelgrass conservation in Maine and New Hampshire came together to share work in progress and discuss future directions for eelgrass research and restoration in Maine. Six presenters covered topics ranging from eelgrass loss in Frenchman Bay, Casco Bay, Lamprey Bay, and Great Bay, to what archaeological flounder bones can tell us about past eelgrass habitats. Attendees discussed possible next steps, including eelgrass restoration in Casco Bay with assistance from the MDI Biological Laboratory and partners. Read the full summary here.

 

Stakeholder groups identify similar ecosystem service priorities

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Facilitators from Cardno-Entrix, College of the Atlantic, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, MDI Biological Laboratory, and the University of Maine were the moving force behind the development of the ESValue Decision Support Tool.

The Frenchman Bay Partners has been engaging community members in conversations about the benefits we all derive from our connections to Frenchman Bay. Last November, a series of workshops led to the development of an Ecosystem Services Value Decision Support Tool. The tool helps users identify and prioritize the attributes of the bay that are most beneficial to them, which builds a shared vision of resource management and a common language for discussion. Read the full FBP ESValue Technical Report, including background, results, and next steps.

Stay tuned: Another stakeholder meeting aimed at prioritizing ecosystem services will take place on the Hancock side of the bay this spring.

Jenn Booher’s Coast Walk to document objects and species along the coast of MDI

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jellyfishFrenchman Bay Partners member and Bar Harbor artist Jenn Booher will be walking the length of Mount Desert Island’s shoreline over the next two years, photographing the objects she finds on her way as part of an art and citizen science project called Coast Walk.

Jenn will be sharing the resulting photos on her blog and mapping data on the Coast Walk project on Anecdata!

The Coast Walk project will begin on January 1st, 2015. If you would like to join Jenn or find out how you can help, just email quercus@jenniferbooher.com.