“We spent the first three years of boat ownership in the tropics in bikinis and sunscreen. A Maine winter is a whole new ball of wax,” said Leah Kruger.

“I just want to take some of the stress out of living on an island,” says Kevin Wentworth.

Maine’s 3,500-mile coastline is being buffeted by higher seas, bigger tidal surges and storms, all the result of climate change.

Preparing for these impacts was the theme of a conference co-hosted by the pro-planning group GrowSmart Maine and the Island Institute

Daniel Vogel of Piseco, N.Y., is the newest member of the Maine Marine Patrol. He will be serving in the Stonington area.

The sea urchin harvest season began Oct. 1 and continues through March 3.

The shift to seaweed along the bottom of the Gulf of Maine is good for both lobster and crabs.

“The merchant marines is more about asking than telling,” says Capt. Mike Flanagan.

Newman and Gray is a great example of a thriving business in the marine trades, one of Maine’s strongest industry clusters. It’s got themes variously shared with other such businesses—generational ownership, traditional craftsmanship joined with innovation, owner/operator relationships, diversification into various services.

Nancy Prisk, a long-time seasonal resident who has been living fulltime in Southport since 2007, saw the opportunity to secure public use of the house to serve social and educational needs. Last year Prisk formed Land for Southport’s Future as a nonprofit, and is working to raise the $849,000 the town hopes to earn from the sale.