The Maine Coast Field Seminar offers an unparalleled opportunity for students to explore the deep connections between environment, community and culture in one of New England’s most iconic regions (and along the Gulf of Maine, one of the world's most rapidly warming bodies of water.)
Over the course of eight-day seminar, students engage with a diverse range of voices—from lobster fishermen (and those in lesser-known fisheries) and marine scientists to policymakers and government officials — gaining insights into issues such as coastal access, sovereignty, climate resilience and sustainable resource management. By visiting working waterfronts, aquaculture farms and varied marine ecosystems, including tidal marshes and the rocky coast, students witness how Maine’s natural and cultural landscapes are deeply intertwined with the state’s economy and heritage.
Highlights of the Maine Coast Field Seminar include:
- Conversations with Indigenous leaders about sovereignty, environmental stewardship and access to coastal industry
- Discussions with fishermen about ecosystem-driven policy changes to Maine’s fisheries and their livelihoods
- Exploring Maine’s striking coastal geology and comparing its differences to southern New England’s shorelines
- Visiting communities that balance tourism, heritage and resilience in the face of rising seas and shifting economies
From the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the coastline to the lived experiences of those who call it home, the Maine Coast Field Seminar reveals the layered complexities of people and place, offering a deeper, more textured understanding of an area often seen only superficially.
