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Maine Sea Grant

2019 Beaches Conference Program

May 13, 2019

Field Trips, 13 June
Conference Sessions, 14 June

7:30-8:30	Registration
8:30-10:00	Plenary I Opening “Sea Level Rise in Maine” – an animated short by O’Chang Comics of Rockland, Maine. Welcome Chris Feurt, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve & University of New England John Duff Plenary Session I: Taking Action Across the Coast Session Notes Leaders from across Maine and New Hampshire will share stories of action they are taking to sustain the ecosystems, wildlife, and communities of our coasts in a round of lightning talks designed to introduce us to key topics. Vinalhaven Adaptation Planning – Presentation Andrew Dorr, Town of Vinalhaven Sea Level Rise and its Impacts on Cultural Resources – Presentation Rodney D. Rowland, Director of Special Projects and Facilities, Strawbery Banke Museum Reducing Plastic Consumption – Presentation Keith Tharp, Sustainable Seacoast Seal Rescue and Mortality – Presentation Sarah Perez, Seacoast Science Center Creating and Marketing a Green Crab Fishery – Presentation Gabriela Bradt, NH Sea Grant/UNH Extension Back to the Beach with the Maine Law Court – Presentation John Duff, University of Massachusetts, Boston
10:00-10:45	Multimedia Session with Refreshments Tools Demonstration Interested in trying out and learning more about the latest tools and platforms used by our presenters? Join them during the break around the round tables in the gym for a fun hands-on demonstration. Underwater: Coastal Property at Risk Interactive Maps: Union of Concerned Scientists, Roger Stephenson Our Underwater interactive maps show how many homes are at risk to chronic flooding by state, community, and ZIP Code. The maps also show the current property value, estimated population, and the property tax base at risk. Data and fact sheets for coastal Congressional districts are also available. Wave Run Up Forecast Tool: The Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems, Tom Shyka This web based tool utilizes a wave run up model developed by the US Geological Survey, which predicts the possibility of dune erosion, overwash, and inundation/flooding at specific beach locations. Maine Adaptation Toolkit: Maine Climate and Adaptation Program, Nathan Robbins In recognition of work at state agencies, and by active organizations in Maine and our region, DEP maintains webpages to provide a Maine-focused and centralized directory of available climate resources for entry- and technical-level users. Collectively this information can enable and enhance consideration of climate-related factors that affect communities, homes, or businesses, and can be integrated into decision making for short and long-term projects and plans. Web-based Local Vulnerability Assessment Mapping in South Portland: South Portland, Lucy Brennan In collaboration with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, this tool serves as a key resource in the re-imagination of our coastal community in the face of a changing climate. Built in ESRI, the map will integrate data related to historical flooding, SLR, critical infrastructure, economic and social vulnerability, and emergency evacuation routes. Adapting Stormwater Management for Coastal Floods: NOAA Digital Coast, Jamie Carter Developed for stormwater and floodplain managers, as well as land use planners, this interactive website incorporates tools and methods to derive critical coastal water-level thresholds, as well as assess the potential impacts of exceeding those thresholds on stormwater infrastructure. Managers can take various actions to address the issue, and this guide introduces planning, policy, on-the-ground, and funding options. Buffer Options for the Bay: Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Steve Miller Buffer Options for the Bay (BOB) is an informational resource intended to support policy and land use decisions in New Hampshire’s Great Bay region that involve buffers, defined for this project as the naturally vegetated stretches of land directly upslope of a water resource, such as a lake, stream, river, pond, estuary, or wetland. BOB was created through a collaboration of public, academic, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to leveraging the capacity of buffers to protect water quality, guard against storm surge and sea level rise, and sustain fish and wildlife in New Hampshire’s Great Bay region.
10:45-12:00	Concurrent Session I Rockweed in Maine Session Notes Presentation: Conserving Rockweed Animal Systems for Sustainable Harvest Presentation: Overview of Maine’s Rockweed Industry Presentation: Rockweed Recipes Rockweed stakeholders agree on the importance of sustainable resource management, but have differing approaches on how to accomplish this goal. This panel session includes diverse perspectives from landowner interests, conservation priorities, the seaweed harvest industry, and marine researchers. Moderator: Meagan Sims, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Ken Ross, small business owner Robin Hadlock Seeley, University of New Hampshire Hannah Webber, Schoodic Institute Nichole Price, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Greg Tobey, SOURCE, INC Tollef Olson, Ocean’s Balance & University of New England Summary by Meagan Sims Shifting Shorelines: Building and measuring coastal habitat resilience to protect communities and nature Session Notes This group of dynamic speakers will describe efforts to show how shorelines are managed and how shoreline health is measured to focus on resilience and nature-based design. Speakers from Maine and New Hampshire will share stories from their work on community-based dune restoration, marsh integrity monitoring, mapping suitability, and changing regulations. Moderator: Marybeth Richardson, Maine Department of Environmental Protection New Hampshire Living Shorelines – Presentation Kirsten Howard, New Hampshire Coastal Program Salt Marsh Integrity – Presentation Sarah Dodgin, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Dune Restoration – Presentation Greg Moore, University of New Hampshire Jackson Estuarine Laboratory Alison Sirois, Session Resource Alison Sirois, Maine DEP Engaging communities to evaluate, plan, and improve resilience to storms and flooding Session Notes This session will highlight how to bring community members together to think about resilience and share resources that support community conversations about what their community needs to be more resilient. It will share examples of the ways these techniques and resources are supporting coastal communities in identifying and addressing vulnerability to flooding from storm surge and sea level rise. Moderator: Ruth Indrick, Kennebec Estuary Land Trust Community Resilience Assessment – Presentation John Duff, University of Massachusetts Boston Emily Mitchell, University of Massachusetts Boston Resilient Approaches for Resilient Outcomes – Presentation Nathan Robbins, Climate and Adaptation Program, Office of Communications, Education and Outreach, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Esperanza Stancioff, Extension Professor and Climate Change Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension & Maine Sea Grant Samantha Paradis, Mayor, RN, City of Belfast Emma Swartz, Belfast Climate Change Committee Ivan Fernandez, Professor, Climate Change Institute, School of Forest Resources, School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine Stonington Vulnerability Study Framework – Presentation Leila Pike, GEI Consultants, Inc. Understanding Beach Change along the Maine and New Hampshire Coastlines Session Notes Session Notes Version 2 This session will provide updates on shoreline change trends along Maine and New Hampshire Beaches. It will also share specific techniques learned by profiling volunteers that will help ensure quality beach profile data. Moderator: Robert Furman, Beach Profile Monitor and Maine property owner. Assessing the Stability of New Hampshire Beaches: Research Involving the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire State Agencies, and Citizen Scientists – Presentation Larry Ward, University of New Hampshire The State of Maine’s Beaches in 2019 – Presentation Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey Stephen Dickson, Maine Geological Survey Three (or Four) Ways to Improve Your Beach Profiles – Presentation John Lillibridge, Southern Maine Beach Profiling Program Volunteer John Zarrella, Southern Maine Beach Profiling Program Volunteer Coastal Messaging and Behavior Change Session Notes Local professionals from the seacoast area share their findings and practices relative to coastal health messaging and behavior change. Moderator: Jessa Kellogg, Town of Kittery Water Quality Friendly Lawn Care – Presentation Julia Peterson, NH Sea Grant Perceptions of Beach Water Quality – Presentation George Voigt, University of Maine Plastic Consumption – Presentation Gabriela Bradt, NH Sea Grant/UNH Extension Patricia Jarema, University of New Hampshire Shell Middens and Midden Minders Panel Session Notes Learn about citizen-scientists monitoring eroding shell middens on Maine’s coast to inform cultural resources management decisions. Presentation: Maine Midden Minders: Citizen Scientists Documenting Change & Protecting Coastal Cultural Heritage Presentation: Sea Level Rise & Maine’s Shell Middens Presentation: Shell Midden Archaeology Moderator: Abigail Lyon, Piscataqua Region Estuary Partnership Alice Kelley, Associate Research Professor in the Climate Change Institute, and Instructor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences, and a Cooperating Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, University of Maine. Arthur Speiss, State Historic Preservation Officer, Maine Historic Preservation Commission Chris Sockalexis, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Penobscot Nation Joseph Kelley, Professor of Marine Geology, School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine
12:00-12:45	Lunch Roundtables Beach Monitors’ Lunch Q&A with Maine Department of Environmental Protection and NH Department of Environmental Services Alison Sirois, Regional Licensing and Compliance Manager for Southern Maine Bureau of Land Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Eben Lewis, Wetlands Inspector, NH Dept. of Environmental Services Q&A with Maine and NH Floodplain Management Sue Baker, Maine Floodplain Management Program Jennifer Gilbert, NH Office of Strategic Initiatives
12:45-1:45	Plenary II Introduction by Julia Peterson, NH Sea Grant Session Notes UNDERCURRENTS: Navigating the Human Dynamics of Coastal Adaptation This interactive session features the professional actors and facilitators of UNH PowerPlay demonstrating the points of view, frustrations, fears, and concerns, of stakeholders engaged in conversations around moving out of harm’s way. Participants can question the characters in order to develop a more nuanced understanding of the points of view and general behaviors at play in these challenging conversations. UNH PowerPlay Interactive Development, Facilitator: David Kaye
1:45-2:00	Transition and Coffee
2:00-3:15	Concurrent Session II Sea Level Rise, Chronic Flooding and Property Values Session Notes Chronic flooding driven by rising sea levels is an emerging threat. Flood Insurance Rate Maps depict flood-prone land and require flood insurance as a condition of a loan in the floodplains. This impacts the real estate market and municipal services. See how professionals in the fields of real estate, insurance, and the financial sector are addressing this risk. Moderator: Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey Erika Spanger-Siegfried, Union of Concerned Scientists Mike Bellamente, Keller-Williams Coastal Reality Craig Foley, LAER Realty Partners Sue Baker, Maine Floodplain Management Program Collaboration to Monitor the Coast Session Notes This session highlights three programs using innovative collaborations and methods in order to pull together local interest and expertise from multiple locations along the coast, making it possible to gain a picture of the conditions and changes across the region in coastal acidification, the rocky intertidal zone, and beach litter. Moderator: Ruth Indrick, Kennebec Estuary Land Trust Northeastern Coastal Stations Alliance Intertidal Monitoring – Presentation Hannah Webber, Schoodic Institute Shell Day & Ocean Acidification Monitoring in the Northeast – Presentation Parker Gassett, University of Maine Esperanza Stancioff, Maine Sea Grant/UMaine Extension Community Beach Cleanups – Presentation Jennifer Kennedy, Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation Katie Pelon, Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation Awareness to Action: Local Communities Building Resilience Session Notes Climate change may be a global problem, but solutions need to be localized. See how Portsmouth, Hampton, and South Portland are building resilience in their communities. Moderator: Jessa Kellogg, Town of Kittery Adapting to Flooding in Hampton – Presentation Jay Diener, Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance Rayann Dionne, Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance Local Vulnerability Assessment Mapping in South Portland – Presentation Lucy Brennan, City of South Portland Gayle Bowness, Gulf of Maine Research Institute City of Portsmouth NH Historic Resources Vulnerability Assessment – Presentation Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission Peter Britz, City of Portsmouth A Tale of Conflict: Wildlife Interactions Along Our Coast Session Notes Conflicts between wildlife and humans are not limited to the water’s edge or any one season. This panel will discuss how nesting birds, migratory birds, and North Atlantic right whales are impacted as well as solutions that can benefit us all. Moderator: Abigail Lyon, Piscataqua Region Estuary Partnership Beach Management is for the Birds – Presentation Laura Zitske, Maine Audubon Brad Zitske, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Jess McClean, Maine Audubon and Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Sharing Beaches with Birds During Migration – Presentation Pamela Hunt, NH Audubon North Atlantic Right Whales & Fixed Gear Fishery Interactions – Presentation Caitlin Cleaver, FB Environmental Dynamic Coasts: Using Science to Inform Forecasts, Management, and Policy Session Notes 1 Session Notes 2 Explore the nature of coastal processes and their intersection with buildings and infrastructure. Featured examples will include the history of coastal change at Camp Ellis, the integration of sediment transport into coastal policy, and wave run up forecasting. Moderator: Robert Furman, Beach Profile Monitor and Maine property owner History of Coastal Changes at Camp Ellis – Presentation Joseph Kelley, University of Maine Littoral Dynamics and Public Policy – Presentation Emily Mitchell, University of Massachusetts Boston Powerful Storms, Battering Waves – Presentation Tom Shyka, Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems John Cannon, National Weather Service, Gray, ME Improving Coastal Water Quality Session Notes As a recurring topic from previous conferences, this session aims to update the audience on the state-of-the-science regarding fecal source tracking efforts in coastal environments. Speakers will cover information on traditional and innovative approaches to fecal source tracking, as well as the successes and challenges with these approaches in specific watersheds and on a larger coastal New England scale. Moderator: Laura Diemer, FB Environmental Associates Who’s Polluting the Water? Pointing the Finger in the Right Direction – Presentation Stephen Jones, University of New Hampshire Audrey Berenson, University of New Hampshire Expanding the Fecal Source Tracking Toolbox to Better Remediate Human Fecal Pollution to Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport – Presentation Meagan Sims, Maine Healthy Beaches Program Reflecting on the Success of Remediating Fecal Pollution to the Medomak River Using a Collaborative Task Force – Presentation Margaret Burns, FB Environmental Associates Julie Keizer, Town of Waldoboro
3:15-3:30	Transition
3:30-4:30	Concurrent III Sea Level Rise Session Notes The causes of Sea Level Rise (SLR) are seemingly simple and yet the issue is almost incomprehensible to digest. Join this session to gain an understanding of the data behind as well as the present realities of High Tide Flooding, Storm Surge Height, as well as the need and challenges of SLR Adaptation. Moderator: Steve Miller, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Sea Level Rise and High Tide Flooding: Patterns and Projections in the Northeast – Presentation Jamie Carter, NOAA Office of Coastal Management Back Barrier Salt Marshes as a Geological Archive of Storm Activity – Presentation Rachel Stearns, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge How Will We Adapt to Rising Seas? – Presentation Peter M. Hanrahan, CPESC, E.J. Prescott, Inc. Aquaculture Engagement Round Table Session Notes Instructions This session aims to engage in discussions with coastal community members, such as coastal managers, policymakers, aquaculture industry members, and other stakeholders, on the Sustainable Aquaculture Working Group’s mission to develop long-term strategies for sustainable aquaculture in coastal waters of Maine and what vision or input attendees have regarding the opportunity (or not) to integrate aquaculture to the Maine fishing economy. Moderator: Abbie Sherwin, Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission Caitlin Cleaver, FB Environmental Associates Marissa McMahan, Manomet Joshua Stoll, University of Maine Melissa Britsch, University of Maine New Developments in the Law Affecting the Seashore: Access, Ownership and Seaweed New Developments in the Law Affecting the Seashore: Access, Ownership, and Seaweed – Presentation Moderator: Paul Dest, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve Amy K. Tchao, Drummond Woodsum David Kallin, Drummond Woodsum Best of the Seacoast Film Festival Session Notes Film as Catalyst for Community Engagement – Presentation How can film be a catalyst for environmental engagement and action? We’ll discuss two different models. Now in its third year, the Seacoast Environmental Film Festival is a day-long event of important, current and locally relevant films about a range of topics, each followed by a panel discussion with local activists and experts. A benefit for the Kittery Land Trust, SEFF has become a go-to event for a wide swath of the Seacoast environmental community. The second model is a coordinated campaign of statewide screenings of a film about PFAS pollution that, in 2019, generated more than 1000 petition signatures and hundreds of letters to regulators and legislators. This session will feature a showing a several short films, and engage the audience in considering how to use film effectively to build visibility, inform and inspire, and ultimately, to catalyze action. Moderator: Kristen Grant, Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension Melissa Paly, Conservation Law Foundation
5:30-7:30	Coastal Social at The Blue Mermaid Grill, Kittery Join Beaches Conference attendees and presenters at the Coastal Social, a post-conference networking and socializing event at the popular Blue Mermaid Grill, just a short 5-minute walk downhill from the Kittery Community Center. Ticket price includes complimentary hors-oeuvres, cash bar, and an opportunity to raise a toast to our coasts.
Thursday 13 June	Field Sessions and Workshops Full Day Island Shoreline Clean-Up, New Meadows River Chris Wall, Maine Island Trail Association 9 am – 3 pm Fee: $10 The two Regional Stewardship Managers for the Maine Island Trail Association manage island projects and volunteer stewards for over 225 Trail sites between Kittery and Eastport. They regularly work with groups to clean shorelines along the Maine Coast and would like to offer this as an experience for up to 10 beach clean-up participants. Volunteers walk away from a cleanup with a greater awareness of marine debris impacts on wildlife and habitat, the complicated logistics of removal, and the amount of debris directly contributed by the commercial fishing industry. Shell Middens and Maine Midden Minders Damariscotta and Newcastle, ME Alice Kelley, University of Maine; Arthur Spiess, Maine Historic Preservation Commission Sarah Gladu, Damariscotta River Association 10 am – 2 pm Fee: $10 Maine’s coast hosts approximately 2,000 Native American shell middens. Built by indigenous people prior to the arrival of Europeans, these features are composed of clam and oyster shells, artifacts, and animal, fish, and bird bones. Once thought of as trash heaps, middens represent thousands of years of coastal occupation, as well as an archive of paleo-environmental information about the western Gulf of Maine. Sea-level rise and increasing storm intensity is impacting Maine’s middens, with predictions suggesting that the pace of destruction will increase. Looting for curios or saleable artifacts is also damaging these irreplaceable archaeological sites. This trip will visit the Glidden and Whaleback Middens and smaller middens in Damariscotta and Newcastle. The Glidden Midden is the largest remaining shell midden in the Northeast. The Whaleback Midden, a State Historic site, was largely removed by mining, but a hint of its once impressive size remains. Participants will have the opportunity to see these little-known sites, learn about the lifeways of the people who created the middens, local archaeology, and learn how the Maine Midden Minders, a citizen-science initiative, are beginning to monitor and document changes to Maine’s shell middens. Morning Aquaculture in Casco Bay Freeport and Brunswick, ME Peter Millholland, Seacoast Tours of Freeport Jaclyn Robidoux, Maine Sea Grant Time: 9 am – 12 pm Fee: $40 In Maine, aquaculture is an increasingly large part of the marine resource economy and builds on Maine’s maritime heritage. Aquaculture is not new to Maine, but recent developments and expansion, changing coastal waters, and concerns about the future of Maine’s working waterfronts, have focused public attention on this industry. Many are familiar with the products of aquaculture – oysters, mussels, seaweed, etc. – but are disconnected from the sea farms and farmers that produce these valuable local species. In this field trip, participants will have the opportunity to interact with sea farmers on their active lease sites, to better understand the community and systems of sustainable seafood production. Additionally, participants will learn about the ecological benefits of sea farming and experience Maine’s diversified and developing sustainable working waterfront. This trip will visit, by boat, a variety of aquaculture sites in Freeport and Brunswick, to explore shellfish and seaweed aquaculture occurring on various scales. Participants will gain a better understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and realities of local aquaculture, to foster positive public engagement toward Maine’s aquaculture industries.
Field Trips, 13 June Conference Sessions 14 June

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