Petit Manan ramp during construction USFWS photo by Brian Benedict

New ramp USFWS photo by Brian Benedict

Boat access to the seabird restoration islands of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge is critical, as field researchers are stationed on these islands for several months during the nesting season, and personnel and materials must be safely landed under a variety of sea conditions.

Petit Manan Island, one of the most important and diverse seabird colonies in the Gulf of Maine, had its boat slip replaced during November and December 2008.  Work crews from Prock Marine in Rockland worked between storms to install a 188 foot steel rail ramp with wooden decking.  The old wooden construction ramp required extensive annual maintenance and half of the ramp was lost to storms three years ago.  The ramp is vital to providing safe landing on the island which has a rock boulder shoreline and near constant breaking wave action.  The new ramp will provide full-tide access for field researchers who live on the island from May through August.  This ramp design has stood the test of time at the refuge's most remote island, Matincus Rock, where waves have exceeded 24 feet.