Researchers say time is ticking to protect lighthouses in Maine because future severe weather could significantly damage the landmarks. Some students say they’ve identified the problem but say we need to act fast.
More than a dozen students from the University of New England in Maine spent the summer researching environmental issues facing communities across the region.
Regina Dyer said ‘it’s only a matter of time” before catastrophic storm surge destroys one of the state’s lighthouses.
Using geographic information system software, she and other students are working on a solution.
“We meet with either the lighthouse keeper, the steward, a harbormaster, and basically had them tell us everything they knew about the lighthouse and I created the maps,” she said.
The maps gave a closer look at the risks posed to area lighthouses. Research showed a third of the lighthouses were damaged by storms last winter and if protective measures aren’t taken soon, even more of the iconic buildings will be impacted.
“I just hope that it’s able to open some people’s eyes to what we need to be focusing on when it comes to preservation,” she said.
The students hope to present their work to the public sometime soon.
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