States / Maine
Maine
55.5%
Population of State Living in Coastal Areas
$15.8 Billion
Coastal Employment
Annual Wages
3
Climate and Weather Disasters
(Affecting Maine 2010 to 2018)*
Coastal Demographics
Of the total population of approximately 1.3 million in Maine, about 721,000 people live in coastal portions of the state.
Coastal Economy
Coastal Maine employs around 343,000 people annually, earning a total of over $15.8 billion. This equates to over $37 billion in gross domestic product.
Natural Hazards
One billion-dollar weather disaster affected Maine in 2018—and a total of three affected the state between 2010 and 2018. The most recent was a Nor’easter in January 2018, which caused widespread damage throughout the Northeast, costing a total of $1.1 billion and collectively causing 22 deaths.
Sources:
American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates (NOAA Data)
*Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (NOAA Website)
(All economic and demographic facts represent the latest data available [2015] and are regularly updated as new data become available)
Making a Difference
in Maine
Environmental Educators Tailor Lessons to Diverse Student Needs
The Takeaway: Students of the coast love to learn when educators reach them where they are—whether that’s online, in the field, or through the wisdom of their own culture and stewardship traditions.
Learn MoreExpanding Coastal Opportunities for People with Disabilities
The Takeaway: Creating sign language for “estuary” and other coastal terms, and trails that accommodate wheelchairs and the needs of the visually impaired—these are just two of the contributions from research reserves and coastal zone management programs.
Learn MoreLearning about Estuarine Ecosystems in American Sign Language
The Takeaway: Three New England research reserves, the Center for Research and Training at The Learning Center for the Deaf, and Boston University created an immersive instructional experience for educators of the Deaf. The benefits keep adding up.
Learn MoreNOAA Helps Maine Communities Assess, and Expand, Working Waterfront Economy
The Takeaway: NOAA’s economic-analysis resources and workshops uncover the power of working waterfronts.
Learn MoreNative Americans Play Critical Roles in Many NOAA Projects
The Takeaway: We take a look at the great things that can happen when NOAA and Indigenous communities work together on coastal issues.
Learn MoreNew Hampshire “Green Credits” Process Okayed by Two Regulators
The Takeaway: “Credit for Going Green” provides a strategy for earning regulatory credits by installing natural buffers, plus a way to calculate buffer pollution-removal rates, with support from four national estuarine research reserves and NOAA’s Science Collaborative program.
Learn MorePrograms Improve Public Access for All
The Takeaway: NOAA safeguards coastal public access and inclusive adventures through the efforts of the National Coastal Zone Management Program and National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
Learn MoreWade into Estuary Recreation at a Research Reserve
The Takeaway: Paddling azure waterways. Casting a line for that delectable campsite dinner. Spying an elusive warbler in a birder’s paradise. These adventures and many more await.
Learn More