Vol. 3, No. 3 Contents
Headline Back Issues
Summer 99
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US Nat'l Estuaries Day is Oct. 2Gulf of Maine --- In preparation for National Estuaries Day on October 2, estuary programs and research reserves in the US are planning annual celebrations of the valuable ecosystems that both bind and separate the land and sea. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which administer programs that protect and study the nation's estuaries, have jointly declared the first Saturday of each October as National Estuaries Day. Estuaries are coastal areas where freshwater and ocean water mix, creating productive zones that serve as nurseries for "two thirds of the nation's fish and shellfish," according to EPA. Estuaries also provide habitat and food for birds and other wildlife. They protect the land against storm erosion, and filter pollutants from water that drains from the land into the ocean. But growth and development are damaging some estuaries and threatening others. Under the National Estuary Program established in 1987 by amendments to the Clean Water Act, EPA is working with state and local governments and organizations to protect, restore, and improve water quality in US estuaries. Three estuary projects now operate in the Gulf of Maine. While EPA administers the national program and provides grants and technical assistance, local estuary program committees make program decisions and oversee activities according to the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans they develop for protection of the estuary and its resources. The National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System, established in 1972 under the Coastal Zone Management Act, also protects US estuaries, and is run by NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. Reserves are primarily publicly owned areas within US estuaries that contain important habitat and are protected by state law. State agencies operate the reserves, directing research, monitoring, and public education programs, and working in partnership with local communities and regional groups to address coastal watershed management issues. The nationwide system includes two reserves within the Gulf of Maine. Following are descriptions of National Estuary Projects and National Estuarine Research Reserves in the Gulf, as well as the neighboring Buzzards Bay Estuary Project and Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. To join in Estuaries Day celebrations, many of which will be part of Coastweeks celebrations in the US from September 18 to October 9, contact the estuary program or reserve nearest you, or visit the Estuaries Day Web sites listed under "More estuary information." Casco Bay Estuary Project
Established in 1990, the Casco Bay Estuary Project works to preserve the ecological integrity of the Bay by reducing pollution and protecting habitat. By lowering the amounts of nutrients, toxic substances, and pathogens entering the Bay, the Project hopes to reduce incidents of contaminated seafood, habitat degradation, losses and declines in species and fisheries, and swimming area closures. One project the group is working on involves addressing sources of pollution affecting specific clam flats in the system, working with landowners as needed to help them stop the pollution from occurring. Visit www.muskie.usm.maine.edu/cascobay or call (207) 780-4820. Wells National Estuarine Research ReserveJust off of Route 1 in Wells, Maine, sits historic Laudholm Farm, the site of the 1,600-acre/648 hectare Wells Reserve with a seven-mile/11-kilometer trail system that winds through fields, forests, wetlands, salt marshes, dunes, and beach. Among the resident species are whitetail deer, Snowy Egrets, soft shell clams, and endangered Piping Plovers and Least Terns. Designated in 1986, the Reserve works with more than 400 volunteers, some of whom are involved in its Wells Reserve Watershed Evaluation Team (WET) Water Quality Monitoring Program, in which adult and student volunteers characterize and monitor the aquatic environment of up to 22 sites on the Little and Webhannet River estuaries two or three times each month. The program, one of many at the Reserve, helps its researchers follow changes in water quality in the two estuaries and identify sources of human impact. The Reserve shares the data with all schools involved, local community members, and state scientists. The Wells Reserve is planning family-oriented activities for National Estuaries Day including visits to its floating lab, and coastal bird watching tours. Visit http://inlet.geol.sc.edu/WEL/home.html or call (207) 646-1555. New Hampshire Estuaries ProjectThe New Hampshire Estuaries Project focuses on two estuarine systems, Great Bay/Little Bay and Hampton Harbor and their tributary rivers in Seacoast New Hampshire. Living within the systems are federally protected Piping Plovers and Peregrine Falcons, along with state-protected Common Terns and Osprey. Established in 1995, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project has made prevention of nonpoint source pollution (pollution that enters the water from runoff, rather than from a specific, identifiable source) a priority. The Project is also involved in an effort among seacoast agencies to provide more coordinated and effective assistance to towns in protecting and managing their natural resources as they grow. Visit www.state.nh.us/nhep or call (603) 433-7187 or (603) 436-8043. Great Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveFifteen miles/24 kilometers inland from the coast on the New Hampshire and Maine border in Stratham, New Hampshire, is the 5,280 acre/2,137 hectare Great Bay Reserve, home to Bald Eagles, horseshoe crabs, and Osprey, among other species. The Reserve, which features walking trails, also encompasses Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Designated in 1989, the Reserve gets volunteer support from University of New Hampshire Marine Docents and public volunteers, as well as from its friends group, the Great Bay Stewards at Sandy Point. Among the programs it offers is an integrated elementary curriculum, "It's All Connected." The curriculum incorporates literature, social studies, art, math, and science into an exploration of the characteristics and values of the Great Bay Estuary and how humans have affected it. National Estuaries Day is also the Reserve's tenth anniversary, and it is holding a day-long public celebration: "Great Bay Fest: Celebrating a Decade of Discovery," which will begin with a 5k road race followed by free activities. Visit http://inlet.geol.sc.edu/GRB/home.html or call (603) 868-1095 or (603) 778-0015. Massachusetts Bays ProgramThe Massachusetts Bays region encompasses the coastal waters of Massachusetts from the tip of Cape Cod Bay to the New Hampshire border. The estuary system encompasses about 34,000 acres/13,760 hectares of salt marsh, almost half of which is the Great Marsh stretching from Plum Island Sound through Essex Bay on the upper North Shore. Since its establishment in 1990, the Massachusetts Bays Program has worked to open shellfish beds, reduce toxic substances and nutrient overload, and ensure no-net-loss of saltmarsh and wetlands habitat. In collaboration with the state's Coastal Zone Management Office and the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension, the program launched the Wetlands Health Assessment Program last summer, instructing more than 40 citizen volunteers how to determine wetland health by evaluating indicators including vegetation, tidal influence, water chemistry, and land use. Visit www.epa.gov/region01/eco/massbay/ or call (617) 626-1230 or 626-1231. Buzzards Bay ProjectLocated in Massachusetts to the west of Cape Cod and the Elizabeth Islands, the Buzzards Bay estuary system is home to the North America's largest colony of federally protected Roseate Terns. Accepted into National Estuary Program in 1987, the Buzzards Bay Project focuses on addressing pollution from residential development, industrial wastes, and sewage, which is contaminating fish and shellfish. The Project is also working with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to restore declining herring populations in two rivers in the Buzzards Bay system. Visit www.buzzardsbay.org/ or call (508) 291-3625. Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveMidway between Falmouth and Mashpee, Massachusetts, on the south shore of Cape Cod, is a 2,250 acre/910 hectare estuarine Reserve on Waquoit Bay. The Reserve's diverse habitat is home to numerous species including Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and blue crabs. The Reserve, which was designated in 1988, is working to minimize nutrient loading to coastal embayments by developing demonstration projects and public education materials, holding informational meetings, and participating in the Waquoit Bay Land Margin Ecosystem Research project. More than 100 volunteers help with the Reserve's programs. Visit http://inlet.geol.sc.edu/WQB/home.html or call (508) 457-0495. |
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The Casco Bay estuary system in southern Maine is home to federally protected species including the Piping Plover, Roseate Tern, and shortnose sturgeon.