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The Maine Coastline
By Kelly Meinhart, Producer
 t’s
difficult to encapsulate a trip to Maine into a word. Maine is more
of a feeling, a sense of place, and an experience that is most likely
different for everyone who visits. There’s just something about
the quintessential rock outcropping coastline and the fishing boats
scattered about the waters that makes you feel like you somehow belong
there.
ut I wasn’t there for a vacation; I was there to learn. I joined
nine other media professionals to experience the waters of the Gulf
of Maine, and to learn about the aquaculture and natural fisheries
industries. The fellowship program, called “New Waves in Marine
Sciences,” was offered through the University of Maine, in Orono.
What I learned was much more than just marine sciences, it was a combination
of life and human sciences as well.
f you’ve never been to Maine, believe me, it truly is everything
you’ve ever heard. As you drive along the coastline, via Route
1, you will marvel at the landscape and all that is natural, and seemingly
untouched in this world. The jagged cliffs and pink granite rocks
that make up the foundation have been the focus of many a painter’s
pallet and poets’ sonnet.
ot only will you drink-in the abundance of natural beauty, but also
the uniqueness and charm of the small towns you encounter along the
way. Each town offers its own flair and personality, and invites you
to stop in for a visit. It’s like driving through a quaint tour
of centuries old Americana that you can only find in villages that
have weathered the waters and the winters.
think
that’s what I liked most about Maine. The landscape was one
relaxing scene after another, but the people themselves were somehow
carved out of the same granite that makes up the jagged coastline.
Gone were the strip malls. Gone were the chain stores. I found myself
reaching out to real people running their own businesses and making
a living. Being in Maine is like being a world away from everything
you’ve grown used to in the urban/suburban lifestyle. And it’s
a good thing.
[
The Maine Coastline Gallery 1 ]
he people of Maine seem to have a deep connection with the environment,
particularly with the waters of the Gulf. That was very evident in
most of the people we met throughout the week, and it was refreshing.
I came away with the sense that the people of Maine are truly trying
to create a balance between the natural world and the human world
— rather than just paving it over.
reating a balance sometimes means finding new and innovative ways
of providing for human needs, while trying to lessen environmental
impacts. Aquaculture and the entire fishing industry is one of those
balancing acts. That’s what lead our group to Maine - to better
understand the connection between the fishermen and the fisheries,
to learn about the innovative technologies being used to advance marine
sciences, and to gain knowledge about aquaculture and how this relatively
new practice is making an impact on the people of Maine and on your
dinner plate.
hroughout the week we visited oyster, salmon and mussel aquaculture
farms, met with scientists and oceanographers, learned how local and
state partnerships have tried to improve the lobster industry, and
how populations of a variety of fish are reacting to over fishing
and climate changes in the Gulf waters.
t was a lot of science and technology — but at a very human
level. I think several of us walked away wanting to become Oceanographers,
or to at least take a dive with one.
ut for myself, what struck me the most was the connection between
the lobstermen and the Gulf. I’d always heard about the lobster
industry in Maine, and how it was a very family oriented profession.
But you can’t truly understand it until you meet with the lobstermen
themselves. Leaving the house at 3:00 to get onto the water for a
full day of work, no matter what the weather dishes out, is just the
beginning. For the lobstermen of Maine, their job is their passion
and it is engrained deep within their culture and their heritage.
It truly is a generational job. Great Great Grandfathers had fished
the very same waters many years before, and many sons will continue
to fish them long after the current lobstermen are gone.
didn’t have the opportunity to actually go out on a lobster
boat to experience the lifestyle firsthand, but I was invited to take
that trip another time. Somehow, I can hear Maine calling me back
to take advantage of that offer!
or more information about the fisheries aspect of my trip, be sure
to check out the Trail Mix feature that goes into more detail and
provides a variety of related photos in a multimedia presentation.
[
The Maine Coastline Gallery 2 ]
For more information about the program and Maine, visit these sites:
 University
of Maine’s Marine Science Program
Watersheds.tv
Feature on the program
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