The Briny

Episode Notes

An old Pepsi bottle appears on a storm-wracked beach. Where (and when) did it come from? And what can it tell us about the future of the coastline in an era of climate change and rising sea levels?

Links

Will Kochtitzky's study of beach erosion caused by the January 2024 storms

Audio Flux

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Get in touch: share story ideas, strange dreams, or spicy seafood recipes with me at matt (at) thebriny (dot) net.

Episode Notes

Alewife, a fish with a funny name, lives in the ocean and swims upstream to spawn in lakes along the east coast of North America. Historically, their vast populations fed everything from eagles to whales. But human-made obstructions like dams have blocked some of their largest migration routes for centuries. This is the story of how a group of determined citizens cleared one stream in Maine—and waited for the alewife to return.

Links

Maine Rivers

Music Credits

Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions

You can find transcripts and listen to past episodes at https://thebriny.net. While you're there, sign up for my email newsletter!

Comments, suggestions, episode ideas? Send 'em my way at matt (at) thebriny.net.

Alewife, a species of river herring native to Eastern North America, has been harvested at Maine's Damariscotta Mills fish ladder since the early 1800s. Two hundred years later, the ladder was falling apart and the numbers of fish making their way upstream to spawn had dwindled. So a group of local residents started raising money to rebuild it. They decided to start a festival devoted to this little fish with a funny name. But would anyone come?

Links
Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration

Alewife, a fish with a funny name, lives in the ocean and swims upstream to spawn in lakes along the east coast of North America. Historically, their vast populations fed everything from eagles to whales. But human-made obstructions like dams have blocked some of their largest migration routes for centuries. This is the story of how a group of determined citizens cleared one stream in Maine—and waited for the fish to return.

Links
Maine Rivers

Additional Music Credits
"Our Only Lark" by Blue Dot Sessions

On the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica, a remote beach serves as an ideal place for sea turtles to lay their eggs. The Dominica Sea Turtle Conservation Organization (DomSeTCO) keeps watch over the turtles when they come ashore and protects them from poachers. But after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, DomSeTCO's organizers knew they needed more than shoestring grants to stay solvent — they needed a business plan. Marine biologist Jake Levenson had an idea that drew on the island's agricultural strengths: why not try making rum?
Links
Dominica Sea Turtle Conservation Organization
GoFundMe for the Rosalie Conservation Center