"A force of nature and a force for nature" - These words perfectly describe the beloved MassBays Director Pam DiBona, who passed away peacefully in August after a long battle with cancer. For over 12 years, Pam led MassBays, transforming the program into a robust partnership aimed at empowering coastal communities to protect, restore, and enhance their coastal habitats. Pam was smart, passionate, and always willing to speak her mind, and she did so with genuine kindness and honesty that made everyone stop and listen. She was a fearless advocate for the environment, starting her career as a college graduate with the Charles River Watershed Association, and moving through various roles in advocacy and government before becoming the Director of MassBays. Throughout her decades-long career, Pam profoundly impacted numerous lives as a mentor, colleague, and friend, as evident from the many tributes and stories shared on this kudoboard. Despite her responsibilities, Pam always found time to engage in a wide range of non-work-related activities with relentless energy, at home and in her community.  

The MassBays community is richer thanks to you, Pam, and we are all so lucky to have had you in our lives.  Fair seas and following winds, dearest friend…

Left: USGS tech calibrating sonde and preparing for deployment off the Beverly Pier. Sensors will gather continuous water quality data from the mouth of the Danvers River in Salem Sound, MA. Right: MassBays-USGS offshore buoy deployed at the mouth of Duxbury Bay, MA. Continuous water quality data were collected over summer 2025.

MassBays had a busy and productive summer with projects focusing on habitat restoration and examining habitat conditions with the help of partners and volunteers. However, when it all comes down to it, the health of the Bays is primarily dependent on water quality and having better and more accurate data across diurnal and seasonal changes is key to address environmental priorities in our communities. Since June, MassBays scientists, working closely with USGS, deployed three buoy systems to collect continuous water quality data including temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, and pCO2 from Duxbury/Kingston Bays*, from the mouth of the Danvers River, and from the Lower Merrimack River. These estuaries face several environmental challenges and gathering baseline data is one of the first steps to inform communities on the best solutions. In addition, MassBays was fortunate to have many partners** ready to step in to learn and help collect grab samples from these estuaries. 

At the end of this month we will be wrapping up an eventful monitoring season with many successful data collection events and a few challenges with the buoys and data transmission as we pilot this program. Live buoy data are available on the USGS website (see links above). Grab sample data and overall data analysis and findings will be shared in the coming months through MassBays website. All data will be uploaded into the EPA’s WQX data portal. Monitoring was made possible thanks to funding from EPA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC). MassBays will be focusing on finding opportunities (including funding) to sustain and grow this monitoring program in order to generate actionable data for the MassBays communities and help improve conditions in the MassBays study area. 

*Due to weather conditions, buoy sustained some damage in October. System will be back online in 2026 (data available soon)

 **Salem Sound Coastwatch, Salem State University, EPA Chelmsford Lab, Beverly and Salem Harbormasters, Duxbury Bay Maritime School, North and South River Watershed, and Center for Coastal Studies

Photos from left to right: Jill Carr holding a cup of about 5,000 eelgrass seeds, ready for planting. Baggies filled with sediment and eelgrass seeds awaiting deployment at the Nahant pilot site. The planting team finishing up the plot in Beverly

MassBays Habitat Restoration Program Manager , Jill Carr has partnered up with the Regional Coordinators from the Upper North Shore, Lower North Shore, Metro Boston, and South Shore regions to implement the planting of four pilot restoration sites. This fall, the team has been planting small pilot-scale test plots to determine if sites are suitable for larger-scale efforts. The methods include planting eelgrass seeds in biodegradable baggies and broadcasting seeds over the sediment by hand. If these sites are successful, a new restoration grant (announcement coming soon) will be used for 1-acre plantings at the four sites.

MassBays and three sister NEPs received funding from the EPA Exchange Network Grant Program to enhance and build upon MassWateR, a highly successful, R-based tool developed by MassBays for water quality data analysis. This project continues MassBays’ efforts to increase capacity among nongovernmental groups to collect and manage quality data that can be used for decision making at multiple levels. At the same time, standardized analysis and reporting by local monitoring groups will maximize data available for analyses by the partnering NEPs and other data end users. For more information, contact Jill or read about the current tool on the GitHub website.

North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA), MassBays' South Shore Regional Service Provider, is wrapping up a very busy field season! One of the main highlights was completion of a two-year salt marsh prioritization study and report. The report presents the results of a multi-partner assessment and prioritization strategy for salt marsh restoration potential across the South Shore of Massachusetts. Approximately 3,400 acres of salt marsh across eight distinct areas in six towns were evaluated. The project, led by the NSRWA and MassBays, in partnership with Mass Audubon, UMass Amherst, and UMass Boston was supported by funding from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. The primary goal was to identify marsh vulnerability, evaluate restoration potential, and provide actionable recommendations to enhance marsh resilience in the face of accelerating sea level rise and anthropogenic pressures.

Eight key marsh complexes were assessed through a combination of field surveys, sediment monitoring, and GIS-based analysis. These sites span diverse geomorphological, hydrological, and land-use conditions, from the extensive Duxbury Bay marshes to smaller suburban marsh units like Green Harbor and Peggotty/Kent Street in Scituate, MA. Key findings include data on marsh loss, resilience, sediment dynamics, marsh migration potential, and vegetation health. Based on combined ecological, geomorphic, and land ownership factors, the report identifies short-, medium-, and long-term restoration opportunities. 

The results of this study provide a foundation for strategic salt marsh conservation, restoration, and adaptation planning on Massachusetts’ South Shore. Recommendations include targeted pilot projects, enhanced monitoring of vegetation and sediment trends, and improved management of tidal restrictions and stormwater infrastructure. The communities will have important actionable information for both near-term restoration investments and long-term resilience planning under changing climatic and coastal conditions.

The next step is to use these results to inform restoration planning, with pilot-scale restoration efforts on at least one priority marsh parcel starting in 2026.

Read full article here

Over this summer, Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSCW), MassBays' Lower North Shore Regional Service Provider, completed an eelgrass field germination experiment as part of a collaborative study with MassBays and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). This study, funded by WHOI Sea Grant, investigated the timing of eelgrass flowering and seed production, the impact of seed-harvesting on donor beds, and the viability of harvested seeds. 

A big part of the investigation involved investigating the germination success of seeds planted in the field. In September 2024, over 3,000 eelgrass (Zostera marina) seeds were planted in Salem, MA using burlap pouches. Others were planted directly in the sediment (control group). The eelgrass seeds were then allowed to germinate over 8 months, from September 2024 to June 2025. 

In June, the team examined the burlap pouches and the control plots for results. With the help of volunteers, the number of germinated shoots and recovered ungerminated seeds were counted. This painstaking task involved sorting through sediment, shell, and other debris to locate the eelgrass shoots and tiny seeds from each study plot. Overall, seeds had more success germinating when they were protected in burlap than when planted directly in the sediment. The team of scientists hopes to use these promising results for future eelgrass restoration efforts.

The underwater world can often seem inaccessible: too wet, too dark, too cold, too deep, too mysterious, too weird. How do we make seeking knowledge of the amazing and very important features of the ocean more appealing to a wider swath of the public? While science helps to describe these underwater features and explain their function, art helps illuminate and broaden their appeal by bringing in new perspectives and making them accessible to all of the human senses.

On October 2nd, the MassBays Metro Boston Regional Coordinator convened artists and scientists at its Fall 2025 Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network (BHEN) meeting at UMass Boston to tackle these questions. The meeting featured discussion into the myriad of ways in which regional scientists and artists can collaborate to promote better understanding and active stewardship of the coastal marine environment across many audiences. 



Learn more about the work of the four talented presenters and participate in opportunities and events to bring artists and scientists together.

• Nedret Andre, Abstract Artist
• Rebecca McGee Tuck, Sculptor
• Mary Parks, Founder and Director, Greencrab.org
• Alex Shure, Photographer and Videographer

Those interested in pdf copies of the presentation slides from Intersecting SEAs should contact the Metro Boston Regional Coordinator, Diana Chin 

Photo above: Sculptor Rebecca McGee Tuck at the Fall 2025 BHEN meeting - photo credit: Jill Carr

Photos from rebeccamcgeetuck.com

Ramps Are for Boats, Not Runoff – Improving Water Quality Through Stormwater Management at Public Boat Ramps

At the One Cape Summit in September, April Wobst, Association to Preserve Cape Cod’s Restoration Program Manager and MassBays Regional Coordinator for Cape Cod, joined a panel of experts to share findings of a public boat ramp stormwater management project. The project was aimed to address nutrient and bacteria contamination through installation of green stormwater BMPs on Scargo Lake in Dennis, MA. These included installation of porous pavement and underground infiltration chambers, and planting in bioretention areas to capture, infiltrate, and remove pollutants from stormwater runoff before it enters the lake.

Earlier this summer, on-site maintenance training was held for the Town of Dennis staff. Led by stormwater engineering consultants from the Horsley Witten Group, the team reviewed the final operation and maintenance plan, which outlines the type and frequency of care required for these green infrastructure practices. The discussion covered practical topics such as managing weeds, determining when and how much to cut back vegetation (e.g., knee height in Spring to support overwintering pollinators), and locating underground structures for inspection and cleanout. The team also addressed common questions—like where to place snow—an important consideration for preventing damage to plantings and avoiding sediment buildup that could clog the system’s ability to infiltrate.

Photos above: Staff from the Horsley Witten Group and Town of Dennis participate in an on-site training on operation and maintenance of green infrastructure practices, covering vegetation management and inspection of underground structures.

MassBays' Upper North Shore Regional Service Provider, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC) awarded $270,000 to support six projects aimed at improving water quality in the Lower Merrimack River. This opportunity was made possible through earmark funding from Chapter 102 in the Acts of 2021 and the support of State Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). Awardees include the City of Methuen, the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District, the City of Haverhill, the City of Newburyport, the Town of Tyngsborough, and the Merrimack River Watershed Council. Primarily, these projects aim to identify solutions to improve water quality conditions by reducing or eliminating combined sewage overflow (CSO) events and/or non-point source runoff pollution in the region. For more information about MVPC’s initiatives to address the root causes of pollution and advance solutions that protect both the river’s health and the communities that depend on it: Environment | MVPC.

MACC Annual Conference, October 25, 8:00AM-3:30PM

The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) is holding its annual conference in Devens, MA! The conference and workshops will focus on the overall theme of balancing environmental protection with housing and energy needs, including sessions on restoration permit streamlining, stormwater, landscaping, and flood resilience. For more information and to register, click here.

EBC Annual Water Summit, November 5, 9:00AM-12:30PM (virtual)

The Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC) will hold its annual summit of US EPA and New England state water and wastewater leaders, with a focus on shifts in federal and state policies, stormwater permitting, and PFAS/biosolids. For more information and to register (government and non-profit rates are available), click here.

Wicked High Tide Events, November 5 at 10:13 a.m.



Join Stone Living Lab and partners at Long Wharf in Boston to experience our annual perigean spring tides (aka king tides), which are naturally occurring tides 2-4 ft higher than at other times of year and which help clearly show how sea level rise is expected to impact Boston Harbor in the future! For more information about any of these events, click here.

Pre-Funding Opportunity - ECO One Stop

The MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (MA EEA) is accepting up to 4 Expressions of Interest (EOI) per entity for feedback on project ideas for potential future grant applications falling under Environment & Climate One Stop (ECO One Stop). Grant programs include the EEA Dam and Seawall Program, EEA MVP Action Grant, CZM Coastal Resilience Grant, CZM Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grant, EEA Planning Assistance Grant, and DER Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grant. All EOIs are due October 28. For more information and to submit EOI(s), click here.

Municipal Technical Assistance

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) will soon open its 2026 call for concepts for the Technical Assistance Program (TAP). For more information and to reach out to discuss project ideas, click here.

MVP 2.0

The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program is anticipating the release of the FY26 MVP 2.0 Planning Grant for municipalities in early November. Priority (required) municipalities who completed MVP 1.0. An informational webinar will be held October 30, 12-1pm. For more information and to register for the webinar, click here.

Outdoor Recreation

The MA Office of Outdoor Recreation has opened applications for Inclusive and Accessible Outdoor Recreation Grants of up to $10,000 to create new or enhance existing outdoor recreation events in accessible ways. Applications are due in the EEA Grant Management System by October 24. For more information and to apply, click here.

Water Quality Monitoring

The MA Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is offering SFY26 Water Quality Monitoring Grants of $10,000-$50,000 to supplement the state's waterway monitoring for bacteria, nutrients, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, and clarity. Applications are due November 3. For more information and to apply, click here.

Marine Biotechnology

Revive & Restore has opened applications for a Biotech for Climate Resilience Fund. Awards of $50,000-$400,000 over 1-2 years are available for projects that harness biotechnology to benefit marine ecosystems and nature-based climate solutions. Non-coral marine ecosystems will be prioritized. Letters of Intent are due November 7. For more information and to apply, click here.

Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance

The MA Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) is accepting applications for the Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance Grant program. The program provides technical assistance to rural communities, Gateway Cities (including Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Quincy, Revere), and other areas with capacity limitations on infrastructure, climate, or economic development projects that will seek or have received federal funding. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. For more information and to apply, click here.