by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Silvery splashes in the Machias river have drawn the attention of nature lovers, fishermen, and seals as the pogies visit their Downeast summer home in numbers not seen since the 1990s. The Atlantic menhaden, sometimes confused for herring, is a filter feeder, which makes it a vital link in the Gulf of Maine food chain, according to Maine Department of Marine Resources scientist Matt Cieri.