Every four years, the Buzzards Bay Coalition releases the State of Buzzards Bay, a comprehensive review of the health of the Bay. Using indicators in the categories of water pollution, watershed health, and living resources, we generate an overall score of the Bay’s health.
The Buzzards Bay Coalition is a membership-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection, and sustainable use and enjoyment of our irreplaceable Bay and its watershed. The Coalition works to improve the health of the Bay ecosystem for all through education, conservation, research, and advocacy.
The Bay Health Index measures the nutrient-related health of more than 100 harbors, coves, salt ponds and rivers throughout Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. The index is a snapshot of the Bay’s health, using monitoring data collected each summer by the Coalition’s Baywatchers program and analyzed the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. Each local waterway is assigned a score between 100 and 0, with 100 being pristine water and 0 representing severe nitrogen pollution. For nearly 30 years, this data has formed the foundation of work to protect clean water in our region.
Swimmer Ben Ostiguy challenged himself to complete his first open-water swim at the Buzzards Bay Swim in 2008. Now, for his 10th year swimming — and the Swim’s 25th anniversary — he’s set himself a new challenge: to double his fundraising donations in support of clean water.
The Horseneck Point Life-Saving Station has lived many lives: since its retirement from active service in 1913, it has been a restaurant, a bar, a clam shack, an ice cream parlor, a private residence, and an environmental visitor center.
On March 23rd, the Buzzards Bay Coalition participated in a prescribed burn of Penikese Island, led by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The purpose of the burn was to expand and manage habitat for nesting shorebirds, including gulls and the endangered roseate tern. It also helps to control invasive species, and is a tool used for managing the island as grassland habitat.
Follow along below with Mary Doucette, Buzzards Bay Coalition Land Stewardship Assistant, as she recounts her firsthand experience of the burn. Watch her video on YouTube to see the incredible images.