In hopes the dwarf wedgemussel survives

By Ethan Nedeau

Not long ago, I drove north along the eastern flank of the Green Mountains before dawn, listening to highway music and dreaming of discovery. Morning light filled the valley by five o’clock. From atop a glacial escarpment my eyes followed a ribbon of mist hovering over the Connecticut River...The reflection of the Dartmouth Range of the White Mountain National Forest was my last glimpse of the landscape for a while. I donned SCUBA gear, descended ten feet below the surface, and worked slowly upriver in search of the small and cryptic dwarf wedgemussel.

To receive a free subscription to the
Gulf of Maine Times
click here

Or to receive the Times via e-mail contact us at:
timeseditor@
gulfofmaine.org

Despite rejections, LNG proposals move up the coast

By Maureen Kelly

The debate over the siting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals has reached the northernmost shores of Maine with three proposals to build terminals for offloading LNG from ships in the deepwater ports of Passamaquoddy Bay. While the projects could provide a new source of energy for New England and bring jobs to Maine’s Washington County, opponents argue that an LNG terminal, and the huge tankers that service it, will pose a threat to a vibrant coastal ecosystem and destroy the region’s tourist trade by industrializing small coastal communities, tribal lands and resort towns.

Spring storms pelt piping plover populations

By Lori Valigra

A series of spring storms in New England this year disrupted the annual nesting season of piping plovers and helped cause a dramatic fall-off of their populations. Just as the chicks were hatching, hungry predators like foxes and crows ravaged the birds and human intruders disturbed their nesting areas near the high dunes in the sand. The plover populations in Massachusetts and Maine both suffered their worst year on record.

Features and Columns

Editor's Notes: Marine protected area a long time coming
By Andi Rierden

Gulf Voices: Municipalities key in protecting species, habitats
By Samara Eaton

Q & A with Dr. Karen Kidd: Drugs spilling into waterways bad news for fish
By Lori Valigra

Book Review: Cities in the Wilderness by Bruce Babbitt
Reviewed by Lee Bumsted

Gulf Log:

Casco Bay: Improvements and areas of concern; Allen's pond wildlife habitat preserved; Bluefin tuna quality declines; Haddock prefer bait to hot dogs

© 2005 The Gulf of Maine Times
This site is designed for optimum viewing with Internet Explorer, at a screen resolution of 1024x768.

---

Cumulative Impacts

Erosion of soil into coastal waters, dredging, jetties and sea walls all affect the amount and distribution of sediment carried in the water. Excessive sediment can interfere with the feeding of bottom-dwelling invertebrates, reduce the amount of light available to seaweeds and interfere with other ecosystem processes.

Read more of Peter Taylor's essay in
Science Insights.