Sea State Recap: Hope and the Gulf of Maine

After a brief introduction from GMRI Chief Scientific Officer Janet Duffy-Anderson and a note on refreshments from our beer sponsor Allagash Brewing, Dr. Susie Arnold from the Island Institute opened the evening by introducing the "Science of Hope," also known as the hope theory construct.

Dr. Arnold highlighted that hope isn't merely optimism or wishful thinking, but an active, strategic approach grounded in psychology. As she shared, quoting psychologist Dr. Chan Hellman, "In times of adversity, hope is not the light at the end of the tunnel. Hope is the light you need to get through the tunnel."

Dr. Arnold recounted how speaking about climate-related threats in lobster fishing communities often left listeners feeling overwhelmed if she didn't emphasize actionable hope. She remembers one community member nearly in tears, which led her to realize she needed to think of a different way to talk about climate science. "Just talking about the facts does not prompt people to take action. It usually leaves them feeling despair and apathy — and apathy is the opposite of hope."

The Science of Hope

The science of hope stems from clinical psychology research focused on helping traumatized youth overcome their experiences to live happy, fulfilling lives. This framework can be applied beyond childhood trauma to other topics, including the state of the climate.

Dr. Arnold explained that the three components of hope are goals, agency, and pathways. "To start, you need to have a personally meaningful goal that you really want to strive for," says Arnold. "This can't be a goal that your boss has for you, or that your parents say you should do. If you're a community charting your course towards climate action, it can be a community-generated goal."

Next comes agency, she says. Having agency means you have the information and knowledge you need to achieve your goal. And lastly, you need to have a pathway to taking action. "Without the pathways thinking, it's simply wishful thinking," says Arnold. "You might find yourself saying 'I really know a lot about this now, but I'm not doing anything about it.' Having a plan is important — and having the capacity to set that plan into action is also important."

Hope in Action

To demonstrate actionable hope, Dr. Arnold described the community of Great Diamond Island in Casco Bay. Local champion Tracy Summers created a detailed 26-minute YouTube video to educate her neighbors about the risks of sea level rise and coastal erosion. Summers’ efforts exemplify community-driven resilience, illustrating what Dr. Arnold explained as the essential components of hope: personally meaningful goals, agency, and pathways.

This pathway approach was reinforced when Great Diamond Island residents identified shared values around natural resources and strong community ties. They emphasized the importance of "Islanders helping Islanders," showcasing social resilience in practice. Dr. Arnold pointed out the contrast in how different communities handled disaster recovery during recent January storms, noting; "It was really striking to see how smaller, socially connected communities actually had better disaster responses because of their connectedness."

Community Support Through Engagement

Building on these themes, GMRI Senior Program Manager Gayle Bowness discussed her team’s efforts in supporting municipal climate readiness through a blend of science, local knowledge, and community engagement. She highlighted the necessity of a proactive stance: "We can’t plan for what we don’t know," she explained, advocating for vulnerability assessments that incorporate local values and priorities with scientific data to inform action.

She also spoke about the interactive sessions that GMRI holds with communities, often around shared meals, allowing residents to openly discuss their climate concerns. These conversations are foundational, fostering social capital and resilience. "For example, we need to plan for one and a half feet of sea level rise by 2050, and four feet by 2100," says Bowness. "What does that look like and mean within your community? To answer that, we talk with community members by going to where you're at, we'll show up at your grocery stores, your libraries, your farmer's markets, and have conversations to better understand what's important to you within your communities."

With 5,000 miles of tidal coastline and limited resources, Bowness and her team employ community science as an invaluable tool to gather critical flooding data from Maine residents, helping to fill gaps in local scientific understanding across communities.

Finally, Bowness underscored the importance of youth engagement and intergenerational collaboration in shaping resilient futures. By inviting young people to the decision-making table, communities ensure that climate strategies are inclusive and forward-thinking. "At the heart of a lot of the work GMRI is doing is youth engagement, and we have an incredible education team we collaborate with on all of our work," says Bowness. "We have to remember that we’re not just planning for our futures, we’re planning for theirs."

This evening at GMRI offered examples and insights into how Gulf of Maine communities are not just surviving, but actively thriving amid change — led by science-based, community-driven hope.