Coastal Conversations 5/22/15

Guest host Catherine Schmitt
Studio Engineers: Amy Browne & Matt Murphy

Issue: Maine coastal and ocean issues

Program Topic: The Spring Running: Fish Migration in Penobscot River and Bay

Key Discussion Points:
Maine’s coastal rivers are home to several species of fish that are “sea run” or diadromous – they spend part of their lives in the ocean but return to freshwater to spawn. Many towns continue to gain income from the harvest of alewives and blueback herring, which are sold for lobster bait.
Maine’s coastal communities are working to restore habitat for migratory food fishes, taking such actions as replacing drainage infrastructure with fish-friendly culverts, installing fish ladders, and removing dams.

Guests:
Oliver Cox of the Maine Department of Marine Resources
Jeffrey Pierce of Alewife Harvesters of Maine
Tara Lake of NOAA Fisheries

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 5/21/15

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Seen the movie Ex Machina? It raises, in a gentle way, big questions about the relationship of humans to the artificial intelligences we are trying to create. People such as Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk are warning that we are not thinking deeply enough about creating artificial intelligence agents and that our AI creations could, someday down the road, mean the end of the human race. Might be worth considering that possibility now while there is still time.

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