The island is a 7-acre, treeless wildlife sanctuary owned by the state, and it takes about 30 minutes by boat to get there. Susan and Brian were greeted by a small cadre of interns and research assistants, hundreds of screeching birds, and Associated Press photographer Robert Bukaty, who joined the Maine Public crew for the boat ride and camped out on the island for a separate project.
Here's a look at what they found and some of the challenges they faced in their field reporting:
Originally published Aug. 2, 2019 at 10:06 a.m. ET.