PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 10, 2025
I’m 23, from Saco/Old Orchard Beach, and I manage an oyster farm in Yarmouth. Just a few years ago, I didn’t even know aquaculture was a career path. I worked as a lobsterman and tried college out of state, but I wasn’t sure how to turn my love of the ocean into a livelihood. That changed when I came back home and enrolled at the University of New England, majoring in marine affairs and joined Maine’s Aquaculture Apprenticeship Programs. Those opportunities gave me the training, connections and confidence to build a future in my home state. Our working waterfront needs skilled people. We need to invest in rural students and connect them with training and job pathways that reflect the needs of our local economies. That means sectors like aquaculture, marine trades and sustainable food systems. By funding RPED grants and passing the Success Act, Congress can help make that possible. ~ Michael Scannell, Madeline Point Oyster Farm, Yarmouth