Announcing the first-ever
Maine Working Waterfront Conference!

Bar Harbor, November 12-13, 2026

Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center

detailed agenda (Subject to change)

2026 maine working waterfront conference agenda

November 12-13, 2026 | Atlantic Oceanside Hotel | Bar Harbor, Maine

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM | Keynote Address

  • Colin Woodard, award-winning author and historian

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Plenary: “Overview of the status of Maine’s WWF: Private vs. Public”

  • Linda Nelson, Economic and Community Development Director for Stonington, ME,
  • Curt Brown, President of Bold Coast Seafood in Prospect Harbor, ME

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM | Break
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM | Breakout Session 1

  • From Waterfront to Plate: The Seafood Economy
  • Municipal Inventories, Other WWF Planning Tools, and Regional Approaches

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Breakout Session 2

  • Tools to Plan for Coastal Hazards and Assess WWF Vulnerabilities
  • Adapting Housing Strategies to Support WWF Families

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM | Break
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM | Breakout Session 3

  • Protection Strategies Now and Into the Future
  • Keeping Existing and Attracting New Seafood Businesses

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Break

4:00 PM – 4:45 PM | Plenary. “Wharf Stories: Lessons learned for resilient infrastructure since the 2024 storms”
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Closing remarks for the day

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Oyster Bar & Happy Hour

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Dinner

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast & Registration

9:00 AM – 9:20 AM | Welcome to day 2
9:20 AM – 9:40 AM | Plenary: “Reflections from NOAA”

  • Mark Osler, Senior Advisor for Coastal Inundation and Resilience (invited)

9:40 AM – 10:30 AM | Plenary panel: “Statewide Inventory, Charting the Working Waterfront and Future Policy Priorities”

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM | Break

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM | Breakout Session 4

  • Working Waterfront Advisory Council Meeting
  • Technical Assistance for Working Waterfronts

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM | Closing Plenary

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch

1:45 PM – 4:45 PM | Field Trips

  • Mount Desert Island’s Seafood Economy
  • Bar Harbor: Keeping Working Waterfronts Alive in a Tourism Town
  • Working Waterfront Resilience Planning