seaweed

4/12/26: A Conversation with Seaweed Biologist Amanda Savoie, part 2

Research scientist Amanda Savoie describes how new surveys are revealing more Arctic seaweed diversity than previously assumed, even in regions once thought to lack suitable substrate. She reflects on the cultural importance of kelp in northern communities, the ecological role of seaweeds as primary producers and habitat-formers, and why documenting coastal biodiversity is critical as warming oceans reshape kelp forests in places like the Gulf of Maine.

seaweed

4/5/26: A Conversation with Seaweed Biologist Amanda Savoie, part 1

Glen speaks with Amanda Savoie, a research scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, about her work documenting seaweed biodiversity in northern Norway and the Canadian Arctic. They discuss how extreme light regimes, limited historical surveys, and rapid climate change shape Arctic macroalgal communities, including unusual species such as kelps that grow beneath winter ice using energy stored during the summer’s continuous daylight.

Bohemian Waxwing

3/29/26: A Waxwing Winter

In this episode, Logan explores the winter irruption of Bohemian Waxwings into Maine, where flocks descend from boreal breeding grounds in search of lingering fruits such as crabapples and mountain ash. He describes their gregarious behavior, fruit-based courtship rituals, and surprising presence in towns and cities, reminding us that even in winter’s apparent scarcity, the landscape still holds abundance.

Eastern Meadow Vole

3/22/26: Beneath the Snow – Winter Life of Meadow Voles

Logan explores the hidden world of Eastern Meadow Voles living within the subnivean zone beneath Maine’s winter snowpack. He describes their tunnel networks, grass-lined nests, and winter survival strategies, placing these small mammals within the broader ecology of predators, seed dispersal, and seasonal population cycles.

Ocean Plastic

3/15/26: Sailing Through Plastic Along the Maine Coast

Recorded while sailing east along the Maine coast in the summer of 2025, this episode reflects on the striking absence of visible plastic at sea and the far more pervasive presence of microplastics throughout the water column. Glen explains how these long-lived fragments move through marine food webs, from plankton and shellfish to birds and seals, and why reducing single-use plastics remains one of the most direct ways individuals can make a difference.

Jellyfish

3/8/26: Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Along the Maine Coast

Recorded while sailing east along the Maine coast in the summer of 2025, this episode reflects on sightings of Lion’s Mane jellyfish and how their presence varies with water temperature and coastal geography. Glen describes their immense size potential, surprising life cycle, and their place in Maine’s cold-water food web, contrasting them with the more familiar moon jellyfish of Penobscot Bay.

nudibranch

3/1/26: Molluscan Mystery in Acadia, part 2

In Part 2, Jovan Grollino recounts the careful observation, rearing, and documentation of the mystery aeolid nudibranch, from egg-laying to larval development. The episode traces how these findings helped rule out known species and culminated in the specimen being sent for DNA analysis, with the possibility of a species new to science.

Nudibranch

2/22/26: Molluscan Mystery in Acadia, part 1

Part 1 of an essay by Jovan Grollino introduces listeners to the surprising diversity of nudibranchs and sea slugs in Acadia’s tide pools and the obsessive pull of studying these intricate marine mollusks. The episode follows the discovery of an unfamiliar aeolid nudibranch on Mount Desert Island and the early clues suggesting it may be something new.

2/15/26: Observations at a Dug Pond

In this episode, Celeste reads an essay by Janet Galle reflecting on decades of close observation at a small dug pond, from frogs and aquatic insects to the arrival of leeches. Through a memorable encounter with a determined leech, the piece explores resilience, instinct, and the shifting balance of a backyard food web.

Sea Surface Tempature

2/8/26: Cold Currents and the Downeast Coast

Recorded while sailing east along the Maine coast in the summer of 2025, this episode explores how cold ocean currents shape the ecology of Downeast Maine. Glen explains how the Labrador Current, Bay of Fundy tidal mixing, and underwater topography deliver cold water to eastern Maine, supporting Arctic plant communities on coastal and offshore islands and highlighting why baseline ecological data are essential as the Gulf of Maine warms.

Laphria grossa

2/1/26: Maine’s Marauders, Bandits, and Thieves

In this episode, Logan introduces listeners to the robber flies—voracious predatory insects with names like “marauder,” “bandit,” and “thief”—and describes their surprising diversity in Maine, from garden-perching hammertails to the formidable marauders of the pine barrens. He also highlights their ecological value, noting how these agile hunters help keep insect populations in balance despite their fearsome reputation.

Sunset at Petit Manan Point

1/25/26: Saw-whet Owls at Petit Manan Point, part 2

In this episode, Tracy and Coco Faber explain why Petit Manan Point, despite its sparse vegetation, is an effective place to band migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls. They discuss how coastal landscapes funnel migrants, why most Saw-whets they capture are females, and how cone-mast cycles drive dramatic swings in owl numbers from year to year.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

1/18/26: Saw-whet Owls at Petit Manan Point, part 1

This episode features sisters Tracy and Coco Faber, who spend their nights banding migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls at Petit Manan Point. They describe how mist nets and audio lures help capture these tiny, nocturnal migrants and how recent banding efforts have revealed the species to be far more abundant than once believed.

Eastern Whip-poor-will

1/11/26: Maine’s Pine Barrens, part 3

In this episode, Logan shares nighttime experiences studying whip-poor-wills in Maine’s barrens, describing the shifting soundscape, dense scrub oak nesting sites, and the remarkable protection these habitats offer to ground-nesting nightjars. He also highlights other rare wildlife that depend on these young forests, from Black Racers to New England Cottontails, underscoring the importance of conserving these resilient but vulnerable landscapes.

Leonard's Skipper

1/4/26: Maine’s Pine Barrens, part 2

In this episode, Logan explores the plant communities of Maine’s pitch pine–scrub oak barrens, from fire-adapted pines and dense thickets of scrub oak to rare wildflowers, grasses, and sandplain specialists. He highlights the insects and butterflies that depend on these habitats, including several rare species, and the management efforts that help maintain these declining ecosystems.

Pitch Pine

12/28/25: Maine’s Pine Barrens, part 1

In this episode, Logan introduces Maine’s rare pitch pine–scrub oak barrens, explaining how glacial sands, fire, and other disturbances shaped these unusual habitats and how development and fire suppression have contributed to their decline. He also reflects on how his nightjar research led him into these ecosystems, which support several rare species despite their limited extent.

12/21/25: A Conversation with Seabird Researchers, 2025

This episode features a discussion with Coco and Tracey Faber, Alison Ballard, and Peyton Caylor, seabird researchers who worked on Maine’s offshore colonies this summer. Together they reflect on the role of these islands beyond nesting seabirds, describing their importance as stopovers for migrating shorebirds and staging areas for gulls. They share observations of sandpipers, plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, and other migrants, and note how islands like Eastern Egg Rock can host large flocks during peak migration.

12/14/25: A Conversation with Peyton Caylor and Colleagues, 2025

This episode begins with an interview with Peyton Caylor about her work on Matinicus Rock, comparing seabird research there with her season on the Farallon Islands. The conversation expands to include Coco and Tracey Faber from Seal Island and Matinicus Rock, and Alison Ballard from Eastern Egg Rock, as they discuss seabird dynamics across colonies, unusual visitors like the Tufted Puffin, and the parallels and contrasts between Atlantic and Pacific seabird systems.

12/7/25: A Conversation with Alison Ballard, 2025

Alison Ballard, who spent the summer supervising Eastern Egg Rock for Project Puffin, reflects on the differences between working on Matinicus Rock and Egg Rock, the unique mix of seabirds found at this nearshore colony, and the challenges of monitoring puffin productivity in such rocky terrain. She also shares insights into the colony’s growth, from new burrows to the dense nesting of puffins in limited space.

11/30/25: A Conversation with Coco and Tracey Faber, 2025, part 4

This episode is part 4 of an interview with Coco and Tracey Faber, who have spent the past decade working in Maine’s offshore seabird colonies. They reflect on broader patterns observed across years of fieldwork, including tern foraging strategies during food shortages, the recurring mid-July drop in forage fish, and the stark differences in survival between early- and late-hatched puffin chicks.

11/23/25: A Conversation with Coco and Tracey Faber, 2025, part 3

This episode is part 3 of an interview with Coco and Tracey Faber, who have spent the past decade working in Maine’s offshore seabird colonies. They discuss the challenges facing Arctic and Common Terns, from poor body condition on return from migration to storms, food shortages, and gull predation. Despite these pressures, they describe moments of resilience when chicks recovered rapidly once conditions improved.

11/16/25: A Conversation with Coco and Tracey Faber, 2025, part 2

This episode is part 2 of an interview with Coco and Tracey Faber, who have spent the past decade working in Maine’s offshore seabird colonies. They discuss the struggles and resilience of seabirds facing storms and changing conditions, share the story of a record-aged puffin still breeding at 36 years old, and reflect on long-term changes in island vegetation and tern colony numbers.

11/9/25: A Conversation with Coco and Tracey Faber, 2025, part 1

This episode is part 1 of an interview with Coco and Tracey Faber who have spent the past decade working in Maine’s offshore seabird colonies. Coco shares her experiences on Seal Island, the state’s largest puffin colony, while Tracey describes her work on nearby Matinicus Rock. Together they reflect on a season of challenges and surprises in the Gulf of Maine, from poor prey availability and storm impacts on terns and Razorbills to unexpectedly strong productivity among puffins.

Bog with trees and flowers

11/2/25: Two Domes Diverged by A Stream Channel, part 2

This episode continues Laura Hatmaker’s reflections on Balch Head Heath and the dilemmas of conservation management. She considers the uncertainties of bog succession, the challenges of climate change and incomplete historical records, and the importance of long-term monitoring. Laura shares her work establishing protocols for future surveys, ensuring that data will guide conservation decisions for years to come.

Crowberry plant

10/26/25: Two Domes Diverged by A Stream Channel, part 1

This episode features part one of an essay by environmental scientist Laura Hatmaker, exploring Balch Head Heath, a rare Coastal Plateau Bog in Lubec, Maine. Laura describes the contrasting northern and southern domes of the peatland, the habitat of the rare Crowberry Blue butterfly, and the questions conservationists face when deciding whether to intervene in natural processes.

10/19/25: A Discussion with Elliot Johnston

Elliot, an ecologist at Maine Natural History Observatory, discusses his work on purple sandpipers, island songbirds, and upcoming research on mammals and Black Guillemots. He also reflects on his path into field biology, from backyard bird feeders to graduate school at the University of Maine, and shares his perspective on Maine’s islands as unique self-contained ecosystems with rich opportunities for future research.

Seaweed Database

A database of the available reference, voucher, and observation data of seaweed species in Maine.

10/12/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 7

In this episode, Glen rows and sails along Mount Desert Island’s south shore, recalling his early days learning plants and birds and the beginnings of his field ecology career. He describes the quiet rhythm of rowing and decades of ecological surveys along the Maine coast.

10/5/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 6

Leaving Marshall Island after a rainy night at anchor, Glen sails east toward Mason Ledge, a long-time seabird colony. Along the way, he notes loons now commonly seen on saltwater in summer, lines of Black Guillemots, and flocks of southbound Semipalmated Sandpipers.

9/28/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 5

Anchored in Boxam Cove on Marshall Island, Glen reflects on a rainy night lit by the glow of bioluminescent plankton. Morning brings fog, eagles, schools of fish, and the striking contrast of dark spruce forests against patches of blue sky as Glen shares the beauty and solitude of Maine’s wild offshore islands.

9/21/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 4

As Glen sails past Roberts and Brimstone Islands south of Vinalhaven, he reflects on decades of baseline research in collaboration with Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge—mapping vegetation, inventorying plants, and surveying birds to track long-term ecological change. Along the way, he shares the challenges of island fieldwork, a close puffin sighting far from a breeding colony, and the occasional mishap with lobster buoys.

9/14/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 3

Drifting in Penobscot Bay, Glen shares the sounds of a ringing bell buoy, a close encounter with harbor porpoises, and surprising concentrations of moon jellyfish. When the sea breeze arrives, he sails south of Vinalhaven, reveling in a fast and lively run along the Maine coast.

9/7/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 2

This episode takes listeners to a bustling gull and cormorant colony on Garden Island near the Mussel Ridge Channel, where the air is filled with noise, movement, and the pungent scent of seabird guano. Glen describes colony counts using aerial imagery and the ingenious ways cormorants keep cool on hot days, blending science with the sensory details of a summer visit.

8/31/25: Sailing the Maine Coast, part 1

In this episode, Glen shares observations about terns, cormorants, Black Guillemots, and eider as he sails Maine’s midcoast, from seabird-rich Muscongus Bay to the narrow Muscle Ridge Channel.

8/24/25: A Hunt for the Winter Wren

This episode follows one naturalist’s decades-long quest to see the elusive Winter Wren, from first hearing its song in the Maine North Woods to the long summer mornings spent waiting for a glimpse in a damp forest swale. Written by Janet Galle, this essay was originally published in The Observer, an online natural history journal from Maine Natural History Observatory.

8/17/25: Cliff Swallows

This episode tells the story of one biologist’s journey into Cliff Swallow conservation, from rescuing fallen nestlings to developing management techniques that help colonies rebound in the face of habitat loss and invasive species. This essay, written by Mara Silver and read by Pepin Mittelhauser, was originally published in The Observer, an online natural history journal published by Maine Natural History Observatory.

7/6/25: Summer Solstice

This episode reflects on the beauty of the summer solstice, celebrating the lush abundance of early summer while acknowledging the quiet turning point toward shorter days and the rhythm of the seasons. This essay, written by Lewis Holmes and read by Pepin Mittelhauser, was originally published in The Observer, an online natural history journal published by Maine Natural History Observatory.

Aquatic Plants of New England Field Guide

We’re excited to announce the upcoming publication of Aquatic Plants of New…

5/25/25: Shark Alley

Logan explores the evolving presence of sharks in the Gulf of Maine, from childhood memories of touch-tank dogfish to the modern realities of Great White Sharks along Maine’s coast. This episode examines shifting shark populations, seal recovery, and how modern tracking research is reshaping our understanding of these apex predators.

4/13/25: Brown Brook Thaw

This piece is a reflection on the ecological stirrings of early spring, centered on the thaw and renewal of a small brook. As the snowmelt surges through the brook, it awakens a vibrant world of birds, amphibians, and aquatic life, offering a fleeting season of beauty before the forest fully leafs out.

4/6/25: Cold Beauty of the Marsh, and Pipits

On a frigid January morning, Lewis Holmes explores a frozen Scarborough Marsh, encountering a variety of winter birds whose brief yet vibrant presence contrasts with the solitude and cold, evoking memories of the livelier summer months.

3/30/25: John on Isle au Haut, part 2

Glen and Logan speak with John on Isle au Haut about the changes in the island's biota he has observed over the past few decades. This is the second part of their conversation.

3/23/25: John on Isle au Haut, part 1

Glen and Logan speak with John on Isle au Haut about the changes in the island's biota he has observed over the past few decades. This is the first part of their conversation.

2/2/25: American Rowan

Found atop the Western Maine Mountains and along the rugged Downeast coast, the humble mountain-ash is a boon to wildlife, large and small. 

1/26/25: Late Autumn Sulphurs

Late autumn isn't usually a time associated with butterflies, yet a few hardy species persist despite chill and frost.

1/19/25: Hollies of Maine

Hollies have long been associated with winter celebrations, both "across the pond" and here at home. Here we introduce Maine's three native species: winterberry, mountain holly, and inkberry. 

1/5/25: Maine Seabird Crew, 2024, part 1

This episode is part 1 of an interview with Tracey Faber, Liv Ridley, and Coco Faber who are field biologists working out on offshore seabird colonies in Maine.

12/29/24: Maine Seaweeds, part 2

This episode is part 2 of an interview with Amanda Savoie and Jordan Chalfant who are field biologists working to build a field guide to the seaweeds of Maine.

12/22/24: Maine Seaweeds, part 1

This episode is part 1 of an interview with Amanda Savoie and Jordan Chalfant who are field biologists working to build a field guide to the seaweeds of Maine.

Seaweed Map

An interactive map to explore the distribution of seaweed species in Maine.

12/15/24: Jay Mimicry

Is that truly a hawk you hear? Learn the deceptive tactics jays employ to secure their share of the acorn crop.

12/8/24: Seasonal Shift

The transition from summer to autumn ushers in more than just magnificent foliage. Join Logan on a stroll through a Maine landscape in flux.

12/1/24: Clock-work

Maine’s cuckoos are among the most secretive birds to breed within our woodlands. Here we explore their fascinating natural history through the lens of field observations.

Purple Sandpiper Surveys

Repeating Historical Purple Sandpiper Surveys to Update Status of Overwintering Population In…

Harlequin Ducks in Jericho Bay

In the 1990s, research indicated that Jericho Bay was the single largest wintering location for Harlequin Ducks in Eastern North America, but the latest research suggests this is no longer the case.

Event TEMPLATE

Seaweed Social Join us for a magical evening of celebrating Maine seaweed,…

Wildflowers of Maine Islands

This book is the result of decades of published and unpublished plant inventories of Maine islands made by numerous botanists, my 25 years of plant inventories along
the Maine coast, and assessment of thousands of plant collections preserved in various herbaria.

Sedges of Maine: A Field Guide to Cyperaceae

The sedge family is frequently considered by professional and amateur botanists alike to be one of the most challenging groups of plants to study. This unflattering reputation is due in large part to the vast number of sedge species not only in Maine but also throughout the United States and Canada.

Grasses and Rushes of Maine

This guide is an identification manual for all grass and rush species currently found in the state of Maine.

The Plants of Baxter State Park

Maine’s Baxter State Park is one of the most ecologically diverse and beautiful protected sites in the Northeastern United States. The Plants of Baxter State Park presents scientific descriptions of 857 plant species.

Nightjar Monitoring

Maine’s Eastern Whip-poor-wills and Common Nighthawks have undergone significant declines in recent years and MNHO is partnering with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Biodiversity Research Institute to try to figure out why and what can be done.

Maine Bird Atlas

The Maine Bird Atlas is a project of the Maine Department of Inland…

Mini Guides

Free mini-guides designed to distill the decades of experience that enables professional naturalists and biologists to recognize each species by observing a few key characteristics.

The Plants of Acadia National Park

Building on the data collected by Dr. Craig Green of College of the Atlantic, The Plants of Acadia National Park was published in 2010 - the first field guide of its kind for the area. 

Observer Field Journal

An online natural history journal that features Maine-based natural history observation, musings about the natural world, reflections from amateur or professional field studies, and much more!

Island Plants Map

This map is the culmination of decades of Maine island vascular plant data from published lists, unpublished lists, herbarium vouchers, and the fieldwork done by Observatory staff over the last 30 years.

Coastal Songbirds

Maine's small islands—particularly those along the Downeast coast—may act as important refuge from climate change for boreal bird species...

Curating Collections

The Observatory’s work falls into two main categories: data collection and data…

Seaweeds of Maine

Although numerous marine species depend on seaweeds for food and shelter, seaweeds…

Invasive Plants

The Observatory has worked on Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge (MCINWR)…