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Among the historic buildings and commercial fishing vessels that populate New Bedford Harbor’s shoreline, Marsh Island has stood out as a rare, undeveloped stretch in this maritime hub.

The next time you find yourself driving east over the Route 195 bridge, you’ll likely see construction crews filtering past Breakwater Marinas (formerly Moby Dick Marina) in Fairhaven, as construction has officially begun on the Marsh Island Salt Marsh Restoration Project.

Since 2011, Sara da Silva Quintal, the Restoration Ecologist at the Buzzards Bay Coalition, has been managing the Coalition’s various restoration projects from feasibility phase through permitting, construction, and post-construction monitoring. We spoke with Sara to learn more about how the Marsh Island project came to fruition, and what we can expect to find when construction is complete.

Nitrogen from on-site septic systems is polluting West Falmouth Harbor.  The nitrogen draining to the harbor from cesspools and conventional septic systems makes algae grow and turns the water murky and cloudy.  Eelgrass beds die and shellfish begin to disappear.  In short, nitrogen pollution is quietly destroying the Harbor we love.  Upgrading your septic system from a cesspool or conventional system to a nitrogen reducing system can substantially reduce the amount of nitrogen coming from your home.