Conservation Mooring Study

Most boaters who moor their vessels in Massachusetts waters have traditionally employed free swinging moorings that use heavy bottom chain. In important sensitive habitats such as eelgrass beds, these types of moorings often have negative impacts on the benthic habitat – from the circular movement of the chain around the anchor point, and/or from the anchor itself. This document objectively describes the different characteristics of conventional moorings versus conservation moorings designed to minimize disruption to the benthic habitat. This report includes discussions on the following topics: Technologies available Ecological impacts Functional differences Economical differences Regulatory issue

Padanaram Harbor Management Plan

The Padanaram Harbor Management Plan was developed over a two‐year period, from 2017–2019, by a broad spectrum of Dartmouth governmental officials, citizens of the Town, regional and state agency staff, and representatives of non‐governmental organizations. There was significant public involvement through open meetings and an online survey. During the entire process, drafts of elements of the Plan were posted on the website of the Planning Board as they became available. The work was supported in consultation with staff of the Urban Harbors Institute from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Funding was provided through a grant from the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council and a local match

COASTSWEEP: The Massachusetts Coastal Cleanup Program

Through this project, volunteers in communities throughout Massachusetts turn out in large numbers each September and October for COASTSWEEP, the statewide coastal cleanup program sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and coordinated by the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of the University of Massachusetts Boston. COASTSWEEP is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) organized by Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC. Through the efforts of the ICC, volunteers from all over the world collect marine debris and record information about the trash they collect. This information is then analyzed and used to identify sources of debris and to develop education and policy initiatives to help reduce marine debris globally

Nantucket Shellfish Management Plan

Nantucket’s shellfisheries are significant both locally and nationally. Locally, commercial and recreational shellfishing are critical to the Island’s history, culture, and economy. Nationally, the Island’s largest commercial shellfishery — the Nantucket bay scallop fishery is one of the last wild-harvest bay scallop fisheries in the country, but there is growing concern over the health of the overall population and the sustainability of the fishery. Given the importance of the shellfisheries on Nantucket and the drastic decline of bay scallop populations elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, there is a compelling interest in ensuring that the Town’s shellfish are managed to sustain both the shellfishing industry and the resources. This is the first official management plan for commercially and recreationally harvested shellfish in Nantucket waters. The Plan addresses bay scallops, quahogs, oysters, mussels, soft‐shell clams, and conchs

Feasibility of Harbor-wide Barrier Systems: Preliminary Analysis for Boston Harbor

The aim of this study is to provide the City of Boston with a preliminary assessment of the feasibilities and potential benefits, costs, and environmental impacts of three harborwide barrier configurations. While this study is not comprehensive, and there are many ways that further research could refine and extend its findings, those findings were clear enough to justify making recommendations for next steps. The authors recommend that the City continue to focus its climate resilience strategy for the next several decades on the shore-based multi-layered approach described in Climate Ready Boston. Shore-based solutions would provide flood management more quickly at a lower cost, offer several key advantages over a harbor-wide barrier, and provide more flexibility in adapting and responding to changing conditions, technological innovations, and new information about global sea level rise. These shore-based solutions would be needed in any case over the next few decades to manage coastal flooding during the design and construction period of a harbor-wide barrier if a decision was made to build one in the future

Plymouth Harbor Management Plan

Located on the South Shore of Massachusetts, Plymouth Harbor is known nationally for its historical significance, with two popular attractions – Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II – located right on the shore of its harbor. In addition to its historical significance, Plymouth Harbor also supports activities such as recreational boating, commercial fishing, whale watching, and aquaculture. UHI worked with the Plymouth Harbor Committee, local officials, town departments, harbor users, and other stakeholders to develop a harbor management plan for Plymouth Harbor. The plan covered topics such as dredging, public access, tourism, natural resources, and climate change

2015 State of Our Harbors: An Examination of Massachusetts Coastal Harbor Conditions and Related Economic Parameters

Coastal harbors throughout Massachusetts play an integral role in the region’s recreational and commercial water uses such as ferry transportation, recreational boating, commercial fishing, shipping, and safety/security; however in many harbors, the ability to support these types of uses requires dredging to keep the waters safe and navigable. On behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, the Urban Harbors Institute prepared an update to the 1990 The State of Our Harbors report, which provided information about dredging needs in Massachusetts and documented economic benefits associated with safe navigable harbors. The report update documents the current public dredging needs of the harbors, as well as the public dredging needed in the next 5-10 years. Additionally, the report presents data documenting the economic value of dredging to the state and local economies. Data for the report were gathered 1) through surveys of harbormasters in the 73 coastal municipalities in Massachusetts, and 2) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Economics: National Ocean Watch (ENOW) database. UHI created maps of boating facilities and dredging sites for each harbor, and work is currently underway to design a system for efficiently updating the data gathered for this report

COASTSWEEP: The Massachusetts Coastal Cleanup Program

Through this project, volunteers in communities throughout Massachusetts turn out in large numbers each September and October for COASTSWEEP, the statewide coastal cleanup program sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and coordinated by the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of the University of Massachusetts Boston. COASTSWEEP is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) organized by Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC. Through the efforts of the ICC, volunteers from all over the world collect marine debris and record information about the trash they collect. This information is then analyzed and used to identify sources of debris and to develop education and policy initiatives to help reduce marine debris globally

Nantucket Shellfish Management Plan

Nantucket’s shellfisheries are significant both locally and nationally. Locally, commercial and recreational shellfishing are critical to the Island’s history, culture, and economy. Nationally, the Island’s largest commercial shellfishery — the Nantucket bay scallop fishery is one of the last wild-harvest bay scallop fisheries in the country, but there is growing concern over the health of the overall population and the sustainability of the fishery. Given the importance of the shellfisheries on Nantucket and the drastic decline of bay scallop populations elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, there is a compelling interest in ensuring that the Town’s shellfish are managed to sustain both the shellfishing industry and the resources. This is the first official management plan for commercially and recreationally harvested shellfish in Nantucket waters. The Plan addresses bay scallops, quahogs, oysters, mussels, soft‐shell clams, and conchs