 Though the need to conduct studies on these studies should be done, it is important to note that they should be carried out with the approval of the landowner on whose property the middens are located, as well as with the associated tribes.To start the process of either studying a shell midden or formally recognizing a midden, interested parties can become involved in the University of Maine ‘Midden Minders’ project which seeks to catalog the various sites along the coast and document the impact of shoreline change.The area around the remains of the Whaleback is a Maine state historic site, first opened for a full season in 2005, with some historical displays and a hiking trail.