Happy 2026! New England winters can be brutally cold and unforgiving, and yet, the beauty of the changing landscape is mesmerizing. We gaze out at icy rivers, frozen salt marshes, barren sand dunes, and the rise and fall of tides in MassBays. As we huddle down to work on the data we collected last summer and fall, we are aware that the seemingly dormant estuaries and their habitats are still functioning, protecting our coastlines and providing shelter and food for a diversity of species. We wonder about the changes happening in the waters we study, and what the fish, crabs, and other organisms are up to, and how eelgrass and other habitats are changing. We look forward to the coming of spring, to start preparing for another field season. Until then, we pause to take a deep breath, reflect, and look forward to another busy and fruitful year, working closely with our collaborative partners to fulfill our mission for a healthier ecosystem and thriving communities.

Prassede Vella

MassBays Interim Executive Director

Join us to learn about MassWateR: a tool for water quality monitoring groups



Do you collect, manage, interpret, or use water quality data?

Do you wish there were more tools available to help you with data tasks? If so, you’re in luck! MassBays is part of a team of National Estuary Program scientists developing tools for QA/QC, analysis, reporting, and sharing of discrete and continuous surface water quality data. The team is hosting a meeting to provide a demonstration of the existing popular MassWateR tools, details about upcoming improvements, and to hear your feedback on desired functionality.

Register using the link below to ensure you receive updates and announcements in advance of the meeting, and please share this invitation with colleagues who may be interested.

What: MassWateR demo and needs assessment

Date: January 27th, 2026

Time: 2:00 - 3:30 PM



Register here

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC), MassBays' Cape Cod Regional Service Provider, has released its 7th annual State of the Waters: Cape Cod report on water quality across coastal embayments, freshwater ponds, and public drinking water supplies. The findings show a familiar contrast: drinking water remains largely excellent, while many coastal and pond ecosystems continue to face serious, long-standing water quality challenges driven largely by nutrient pollution from wastewater and land use.

94% of coastal embayments monitored (48 of 51) received an “unacceptable” status. Septic systems remain the primary source of excess nutrients in embayment watersheds, and while towns are increasingly approving and advancing modern wastewater projects, measurable improvements in embayment health have not yet shown up in the data.

APCC’s Action Plan outlines steps for Cape Cod homeowners, businesses, towns, and agencies to reduce nutrient inputs and accelerate wastewater and pond restoration efforts. In 2025, APCC also launched the State of the Waters Data Viewer, an online tool that lets users explore grades and underlying data for individual coastal embayments and ponds.

Read the full State of the Waters here.

On October 24, 2025, the Green Crab Task Force hosted a Green Crab Summit led by Senator Bruce Tarr, at the Essex Technical Regional High School in Danvers, MA where scientists, policymakers, educators, and community leaders gathered to discuss existing and future market pathways for the harvesting and use of European green crab in such industries as bait, animal feed, cosmetics, restaurants, and bioplastics. 

Following the summit, the Green Crab Task Force will continue to meet regularly to advance the ideas elevated at the summit for sustainable green crab management. Through working with a group of students from the Tufts Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) course this spring, the Task Force is excited to continue exploring innovative market pathways for green crab use in New England, and beyond. The Merrimack River Watershed Council and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, MassBays' Upper North Shore Regional Service Provider, continue to support the work of the Task Force through outreach and education.

For more information about the Task Force, Summit, and/or how to get involved, reach out to: enviro@mvpc.org.

More info here.

In early October, the Northeastern University Grabowski Lab team, together with MassBays’ Habitat Restoration Program Manager Jill Carr, planted approximately 20,000 eelgrass seeds off Black Rock Beach in Nahant, MA. Funded via a Restore America’s Estuaries grant, this pilot project is part of a multi-region initiative led by MassBays, with regional coordinators implementing test plots at four sites in embayments across the MassBays study area. The team employed two planting methods including planting seeds in biodegradable bags, and hand-broadcasting seeds over sediment, to determine which sites and techniques are most suitable for larger-scale efforts.

Based on lessons learned from these pilot plots, MassBays' Metro Boston Regional Service Provider, Northeastern University's Marine Science Center is preparing to scale up restoration efforts to a one-acre site off Black Rock Beach in Summer 2026. This expanded restoration will apply the most effective planting techniques identified during the pilot phase while engaging community volunteers in hands-on restoration activities. Eelgrass meadows provide critical nursery habitat for fish and shellfish, improve water quality through nutrient filtration, and help build climate resilience by capturing carbon and stabilizing sediments, making their restoration essential for strengthening Boston Harbor's ecosystem resilience.

Community members interested in participating in the 2026 planting efforts or learning more about eelgrass restoration in Boston Harbor should contact Interim Metro Boston Regional Coordinator Kelsey Schultz.

This past fall, MassBays' Lower North Shore Regional Service Provider Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSCW) completed the 25th year of vegetation monitoring of the Good Harbor salt marsh in Gloucester, MA. Thanks in part to the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation Grant, SSCW has monitored this marsh since 2001, collecting valuable long-term data on changes to vegetation and soil salinity. Over the past 25 years, data show that the species and abundance of plants in the high marsh zone have remained relatively stable over time.

However, SSCW also observed considerable changes to the dominant plant species located in the low marsh zone along the creek bank. Historically, this area was dominated by smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), a plant that can withstand frequent inundation by salt water. Their data show that sea-blite (Spartina linearis), an opportunistic plant that often colonizes disturbed areas, has now become the dominant species in the low marsh zone. This, along with documented areas of marsh collapse, indicates the marsh may be experiencing changes associated with climate change, as sea level begins to encroach landward. These data serve as a wake-up call to communities and legislators on the impacts of natural forces as well as anthropogenic stressors, and the need for decisive action to mitigate these impacts.

In addition to tracking changes in the abundance of salt marsh vegetation, SSCW partnered with local high school students to collect additional data on the marsh’s health and condition. This work included tracking invasive crab burrows, measuring creek erosion rates, and monitoring the shrinking area of an elevated marsh island. 

The marsh ecosystem plays a crucial role in supporting wildlife, filtering water, and protecting the coastline. With support from the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation and the Boston Foundation, SSCW is able to continue this important, community-driven work.

More information about marsh vegetation monitoring on the North Shore may be found in Salem Sound Coastwatch’s report, Monitoring and Analysis of Five Salt Marsh Tidal Restoration Projects on the North Shore, Massachusetts, published by the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration.

Since its beginning in 1970 as a group of 400 residents passionate about the future of the rivers that made up their surroundings, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) has grown to over 1,400 members, and for the last 30+ years has also served as MassBays' South Shore Regional Service Provider. During 2025, NSRWA worked with more than 800 volunteers to conduct monitoring of water quality, river herring, horseshoe crabs, eelgrass, salt marshes, intertidal mussels, and invasive species. The data collected are shared with local, state, and federal agencies to inform efforts to understand, protect, and restore MassBays’ environmental resources. 

The value of citizen science extends beyond the data collected. Engagement with local science and monitoring efforts lead volunteers to gather a deeper understanding of how systems work and their role in the wellbeing of the communities that depend on them, and builds a strong sense of stewardship. Volunteer citizen science efforts are appreciated by funders seeking to enhance the value of their financial investment in monitoring programs and restoration efforts. 

NSRWA’s inaugural online publication of their 2023-2024 Citizen Science Monitoring Report describes two years of results and findings from a wide range of monitoring programs working with dedicated volunteers.

You can find the report, and opportunities to become a citizen scientist, on this page https://www.nsrwa.org/get-involved/citizen-science/. 

Underwater in Salem Sound Lecture

Third Wednesdays

January through May

7:00 - 8:00 PM

More at salemsound.org/events-calendar/

Funding Opportunity - Data Host Website Design

Friends of Herring River are seeking qualified firms to design, develop, and populate a public website for the Herring River Restoration Project on Outer Cape Cod. The website will host project documents and data for public access. An optional pre-proposal virtual meeting will be held January 8, 2026. Proposals are due Tuesday, January 27, 2026. RFP details available here.

Funding Opportunity - Climate Smart Communities Initiative

Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) provides funding and technical assistance ranging from $75,000 to $115,000 for community-based climate resilience projects in vulnerable US communities. The program supports innovative approaches to building climate resilience with a focus on equity and community engagement. Applications due March 12, 2026. Learn more here.

The following funding opportunities are still open:

In-Lieu Fee Program, MA DFG, rolling, more info here

Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance, MA FFIO, rolling basis, more info here

Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, NOAA, applications due January 31, 2026, more info here