For James Sewell, diving for scallops on the ocean floor off Maine’s jagged coastline transcends making a living – it’s what keeps him alive.

In 2009 Mr. Sewell lost his right arm in a snowmobile accident. Less than a year later, he plunged back into the familiar cold sea, unsure if he could still dive. But strapped with weights and a tank of air, Mr. Sewell discovered that he felt more stable 80 feet below the surface than he did on land. For Mr. Sewell, 43, this balance is a compass by which he moves forward every day.

As with other fisheries around the world, his is changing fast. Just a few decades ago, hundreds of fishermen in Maine made a living harvesting sea scallops by hand along the ocean floor (“diver scallops,” as opposed to “day-boat scallops,” which are harvested by boats that drag nets across the ocean floor). Now, with scallop populations under pressure, Mr. Sewell is one of only about 30 active scallop divers left in his state. He and his tender, Jason Simmons, have harvested scallops together each winter and early spring for the past seven years. The rest of the year he catches bluefin tuna and dives for sea urchins.

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