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Kelsie Linnell was spending 10 days in a row on a 75-foot boat, working during the day and pulling the 1 to 6 a.m. watch; when she did get on land it was for 24 hours at a time trying to pack in all she missed: seeing friends and family, going to the gym, going out to dinner, and grabbing a good cup of coffee. When her stint working on a scout boat for Sea Services, contracted by Vineyard Wind, ended late last year she flew down to Disney World with her boyfriend...

Spread over 1,400 square miles in southern New England, five wind farms planned by different companies all must do studies to gauge their impacts. One key issue is that commercial fishermen believe their legitimate concerns about how large fields of turbines will affect their livelihoods is being brushed off and overlooked.

A skate plan, an ecosystem update, fisheries protections in wind lease areas, criminal charges, and the fate of sea clammers were just a few of the items discussed by the New England Fishery Management Council in February – and that was just day one of a three-day meeting. The regional council, one of eight established by federal legislation in 1976, is charged with conserving and managing fishery resources from three to 200 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

Once upon a time there was a writer named Joseph Mitchell. Mitchell came to New York City from a small town in swamp country North Carolina in 1929, 22 years old. He worked as a reporter for a handful of big-city papers for eight years, then landed at The New Yorker magazine, where he wrote groundbreaking long-form stories that helped define that publication, earning him a legendary reputation that lingers to this day among people who care about journalism...

The January issue of the emagazine showcased seven ports across the Cape, this photo gallery highlights the remaining eight (in alphabetical order.) Taken together the economic value of the peninsula's ports exceed the value of Gloucester, the second most valuable port in the state - after New Beford - with an ex-vessel value of approximately $53 million by more than $20 million...

Turns out the Russian Navy was no match for Irish fishermen, and this small appreciation for what our counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic accomplished will suffice, at least for now, as congrats and thanks -- though a shared Guinness would be far better. The Russians decided their navy needed more war games and drills, beginning February 1 in fertile fishing grounds off the southwest coast of Ireland...

Craig Poosikian was a summer kid from New Jersey fishing in Harwich when he caught the fish that got him hooked. “I caught my first fluke when I was 11. They are the most awesome fish in the ocean. The lowly fluke – just awesome,” he said.

When codfishing took a big hit in the Gulf of Maine close to a decade ago, longliner Eric Hesse went looking for something else to do in winter and found himself helping scientists test underwater research vehicles and gliders. That introduction led to work on a project that may help explain cod’s decline and other changes to the New England fishery...

“We do these routinely. They are rarely controversial. But this one is.” Those words were from Dan McKiernan, director of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, as he opened a public hearing earlier this month to get comments on a proposal from five lobstermen, calling themselves “Pioneers for a Thoughtful Co-Existence,” to test on-demand gear, often called ropeless, in an area closed to fishing to protect North Atlantic Right Whales...

At the most terrifying moment, storm overwhelming a ship, wind howling, waves off the bars pounding the hull, deck awash, many a fisherman and mariner has faced horrifying options: Abandon ship and take your chances trying to get through the surf. Go below for protection, hoping the cabin is not your coffin. Lash yourself to the mast to avoid getting washed overboard, praying the ship stays upright...

The working waterfronts across the Cape serve as huge economic drivers, but many of us only think of them as picturesque harbors. With a number of challenges on the horizon – including escalating climate change, supply chain issues and gentrification – the ports across the Cape will be essential in protecting the character of the peninsula. As decisions get made about the future, we teamed up with state Division of Marine Fisheries and Urban Harbors Institute at UMASS Boston to showcase the value of our ports and the challenges they face...

Much of this month’s issue conjures up stories and images going back 30 years, when the first incarnation of this alliance came together as “the hook” and then evolved. Now it’s my turn to pivot, look forward, and peer into a crystal ball: What might the next 30 bring? After staring awhile, and closing my eyes awhile too, here are some things I now foresee: