Maine Landings was officially launched on May 10, 2011 after being postponed several months due to developer delays.
The site is an initiative of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and its staff, freelancers, community organizations, fishermen’s associations, business leaders, and others involved in Maine’s lobstering industry generate the site’s content, reports Melissa Waterman, project coordinator.
The website, which is updated with new material every other day, includes stories, photos and videos.
“The site currently consists of a home page containing the three most recently posted articles and five sub-sections which organize content by topic: Science, Management, Community Voices, People, and Miscellaneous,” says Waterman.
At the bottom of each story is a comment box that allows readers to comment on individual articles, encouraging discussion among members of the lobstering industry and the general public.
Before the MLA’s site was even launched, it was advertised to many of Maine’s environmental, scientific and community organizations. On launch day of its launch, the site was promoted to a many stakeholders, reports Waterman.
In the coming year, Waterman and her team will promote the site through the association’s e-weekly update, Facebook page, newsletter and professional and media networks. Maine Landings will also work to target support from businesses native to Maine who “may wish to be associated with a site dedicated to the quintessential Maine icon,” reports Waterman.
-Emily Harwood
