Isabelle Sée: Bridging Maine’s Working Waterfronts, Research, and the Blue Economy
I didn’t find my way into the marine industry through a classroom. I grew up in a small boatyard on the marsh of the Royal River as the daughter of a boat builder. Early on, I came to understand the rhythms of working waterfronts and the people who depend on them. I grew up listening to the lifelong stories of round-the-world sailors and those who worked our home waters every day.
My curiosity in the marine realm started early on and studying it later through school seemed like a natural fit. I saw research as a way to contribute to that world and deepen our understanding of it. But as I began working more closely with commercial fisheries and the broader marine industry, I realized that generating knowledge was only part of the challenge. The people producing research, the people using it, and the people shaping policy were not always aligned, and often were not even speaking the same language.
Through my undergraduate studies, I became more deeply integrated into Maine’s commercial fisheries sector. I completed my capstone research studying North Atlantic Albacore age and growth and spent my first years after graduation in Portland at the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab under the advisement of Dr. Walt Golet. There, I learned the complexities of fisheries management and stock assessments, spent weeks offshore with commercial tuna fishermen, and built lasting relationships with industry partners. I also gained firsthand experience in the academic research process, from publishing peer-reviewed work to navigating grant cycles and collaborative projects.
From there, I transitioned to a small nonprofit in Harpswell, Maine, where I became immersed in the worlds of aquaculture, community-based conservation, and marine education, all within a tried and true commercial fishing community. At the same time, I helped oversee larger research collaborations and philanthropic investments designed to support innovation, science, and long-term impact in Maine’s marine sector.
While these experiences shaped my understanding of Maine’s marine economy in ways I would not trade, they also exposed me to parts of the system I had never fully considered. Working across multiple sectors gave me a front-row seat to both the opportunities and challenges facing Maine’s blue economy. I saw promising, innovative ideas emerge from scientists, fishermen, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, but I also saw how often those ideas struggled to gain traction. Communication gaps between sectors, competing priorities, and institutional silos could slow progress or prevent collaboration altogether. In many cases, the people generating knowledge, the people using it, and the people shaping policy were working toward similar goals, but not always in coordination with one another.
Experiencing those disconnects firsthand changed the way I thought about my own career and educational path. I still cared deeply about marine science and applied research, but I began to realize that scientific expertise alone would not solve many of the complex challenges facing coastal communities. Issues such as fisheries resilience, aquaculture growth, workforce development, and waterfront access also require strong business strategy, communication, systems thinking, and leadership capable of aligning institutions across sectors.
As I explored graduate programs and opportunities for deeper learning, I looked for a path that would help bridge the gaps I was seeing rather than reinforce traditional boundaries. The University of Maine’s MBA in the Blue Economy stood out because it recognized that the future of ocean industries depends on interdisciplinary thinking, innovation, and collaboration. There was no better place to pursue that understanding than in Portland, at the center of Maine’s working waterfront.
Today, that perspective continues to shape both my professional work and academic research. While working within Maine’s marine industry, I am also examining the structural gaps that can limit collaboration and progress. I am particularly interested in how institutions of government, academia, and industry can better align around shared goals, create more effective pathways from ideas to implementation, and advocate more effectively for the resources needed to sustain Maine’s coastal future.
Through this program, I have developed advanced capabilities in strategic analysis, financial management, and cross-sector collaboration. I have also had the opportunity to consult with marine technology companies, gaining further insight into the innovation ecosystem shaping the next generation of ocean industries. That experience was especially formative because, although I entered in a business capacity, I quickly found myself serving as an intermediary translating between technical, academic, and industry perspectives through the lens of my prior experience.
I still feel deeply connected to the working waterfront communities and marine industries that shaped me early on. While I now feel closer to the kind of work I hoped to pursue when I began my undergraduate studies at the University of Maine, I have also come to appreciate how much more there is to learn. My long-term focus is to help build stronger connections between research, industry, and institutions so that good ideas move more efficiently into practice and Maine’s marine economy remains resilient, competitive, and community-driven.