Susan Olcott

11 posts

Susan Olcott, of Brunswick, is the director of strategic partnerships for the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association. She welcomes feedback and suggestions for "Intertidal" at susan.olcott@gmail.com.

3 minute read

Columns

Intertidal: Male seahorses carry eggs and ‘give birth’ — and they live in Maine

It is with gratitude and excitement that I am bringing "Intertidal" to the Harpswell Anchor, a paper I wrote for regularly several years ago and have always eagerly read.

bySusan Olcott

June 9, 2026

3 minute read

News

Conversation series addresses etiquette on the water

Etiquette is more than a fancy French word. It translates as "ticket" — a ticket for those who want to coexist with others in an appropriate way. This can apply to many scenarios, including how to operate safely and respectfully on the water.

bySusan Olcott

July 3, 2022

4 minute read

News

Waterfront conversation series tackles access, in all its forms

What is access? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, access is "permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, or pass to and from a place or to approach or communicate with a person or thing."

bySusan Olcott

June 1, 2022

3 minute read

News

Waterfront conversation series to return with panels on access, etiquette

As spring is upon us and people are getting back onto the water, there are many things to learn from people who utilize Harpswell's waterfront in a variety of ways.

bySusan Olcott

April 29, 2022

5 minute read

Features

Maine’s scallop fishery third only to lobsters, clams

They are worth a lot of money in Maine — third only to lobster and soft-shell clams in value, bringing in $6.8 million in 2020 and employing around 600 Maine fishermen.

bySusan Olcott

April 10, 2022

4 minute read

News

Town raises concerns about discovery of ‘forever chemicals’ in Harpswell Cove

The town of Harpswell is raising concerns about the discovery of "forever chemicals" in mussels from Harpswell Cove and the potential for a cleanup operation at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station to flush more chemicals downstream.

bySusan Olcott

February 28, 2022

4 minute read

Features

Harpswell clammers confront challenges, from climate change to water access

Digging for wild shellfish in the intertidal is one of the oldest traditions along the Maine coast. Shellfish provided a food source for the first inhabitants of Maine and continues to do so in the present day.

bySusan Olcott

January 8, 2022

4 minute read

From the Community

To everything there is a season — even in Harpswell’s fisheries

With the change in time, the increased breeze and the piling up of leaves, it is clear that the season is changing. It's not that we have recently begun the official season of fall, but rather that we are entering late fall, when the changes are starkly apparent.

bySusan Olcott

December 4, 2021

4 minute read

Features

From grandfather to granddaughter, a fishing tradition continues in Harpswell

“My great-great-grandfather’s boat blew into Cundy’s Harbor in a storm and he decided to stay.” That’s Rob Watson describing how his family ended up there back in the 1850s.

bySusan Olcott

October 30, 2021