Maine Sea Grant

Maine’s working waterfronts are a critical part of our state’s economy, community, identity, and heritage. Maine is nationally recognized as a leader in this arena. While the stewardship of and investment in Maine’s working waterfronts is at an all-time high, the challenges have never been more acute. Storms, sea level rise, gentrification, conversion, maintenance, and other challenges demand the sharing of creative solutions to protect working waterfronts and our coastal communities. 

The November 2026 conference will focus on working waterfronts as they support the seafood economy and all the services that sustain this sector. 

Join us to:

• Be part of the conversation about the future of Maine’s working waterfronts
• Support the people and businesses that make Maine’s working waterfronts possible
• Learn about ongoing efforts to bolster coastal and working waterfront resilience
• Explore tools for statewide, regional, and municipal planning
• Understand issues facing our working waterfront communities and efforts to address the challenges
• Get updates about inventories and other tools to assess the status of our working waterfronts
• Learn about funding programs, permitting guidance, and infrastructure solutions
• Additional topics to be determined – let us know what you want to see on the agenda!

The event will be designed to showcase real stories, provide tools and resources you can put to work in your own community or on your property, and create shared opportunities for learning about and planning for the challenges facing Maine’s working waterfronts. The conference will be organized over two days with one day being the main event and the second offering options for deeper engagement.

As we finalize date and location for a November 2026 conference, check back here often!

We will also share announcements via the Maine Working Waterfront Coalition listserve. Sign up here.

Conference sponsorships are a great way to help support attendees and sessions! If you are interested in becoming a conference sponsor, email Annie Fagan at annie.fagan@maine.edu.

• Maine Sea Grant (Natalie Springuel nspringuel@coa.edu, Annie Fagan annie.fagan@maine.edu )
• Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (Monique Coombs monique@mainecoastfishermen.org , Emerson Goodrich emerson@mainecoastfishermen.org )
• Maine Coastal Program (Harriet Booth Harriet.Booth@maine.gov )
• Island Institute (Olivia Richards ORichards@islandinstitute.org )
• Sunrise County Economic Council (Tora Johnson tjohnson@sunrisecounty.org )
• UMaine MARINE (Katrina Armstrong katrina.armstrong@maine.edu )

Financial assistance for this project was provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and Maine’s annual Coastal Zone Management award (CZMNA24NOSX419C0024) administered by the Office for Coastal Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and by Maine Sea Grant, the Maine Coastal Program and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.