Photo / Courtesy of Maine Sea Grant
Gayle Zydlewski
Updated: January 13, 2025
Economic forecast
Climate-proofing Maine's working waterfront
The state of Maine has been tackling climate change for decades.
Maine is well-poised to continue that work, says Gayle Zydlewski, director of Maine Sea Grant College Program at the University of Maine.
Most recently, Gov. Janet Mills’s initiatives associated with the Maine Won’t Wait Climate Action Plan boosted momentum toward action, particularly in building community-based resilience in the face of climate change, says Zydlewski.
Maine Sea Grant’s activities are also focused on resilient communities and economies, she says.
The goal is to prepare coastal communities to address current and emerging environmental, economic and social and cultural challenges and opportunities using scientific, local and traditional knowledge and assets.
Actions include supporting efforts, and working with partners, to understand and center community needs and assets as the foundation for activities that build resilience to change.
The desired outcome is for communities to build resilience and to leverage assets and external support.
Convenings throughout coastal and working waterfront communities have explored how to better respond to and prepare for future storms.
“These convenings have given community members the opportunity to create new networks and learn from each other to be best prepared for additional storms as their frequency increases,” says Zydlewski.
She continues, “Another way we support resilience efforts is to fund research and extension services that facilitate efforts to identify, prioritize and address challenges and opportunities related to changing environmental, economic and social/cultural conditions.”
The projects align with Maine Sea Grant’s work in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and healthy coastal ecosystems, along with environmental literacy and workforce development initiatives, she says.
“Our communities are well situated with support from local municipalities, supportive NGOs, small businesses, and state and federal support to be resilient to environmental changes we are likely to experience in 2025,” says Zydlewski.
“Maine Sea Grant looks forward to working with coastal communities to be sure our work supports the needs of those communities, from research to education and technology transfer.”
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