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CoastSnap Program Expands to Mashpee

WHOI Sea Grant Coastal Processes Specialist Bryan McCormack (left) and Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Ryan Clark (right) complete the CoastSnap installation at South Cape Beach in Mashpee.
WHOI Sea Grant Coastal Processes Specialist Bryan McCormack (left) and Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Ryan Clark (right) complete the CoastSnap installation at South Cape Beach in Mashpee.

With its soft sand and warm water, South Cape Beach in Mashpee is a popular Cape Cod summer destination. But it's more than just a great place to relax; year round, South Cape also serves as a barrier for marshes, ponds, and habitats. Monitoring this shoreline is fundamental to being able to protect it, and beach-goers can be part of the solution, using cell phones to capture seasonal and weather-related changes to the beach. Over time, these cell phone pics form a time-lapse picture of the health of the beach, providing data to researchers, and managers to make informed decisions.

Working with our friends at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, WHOI Sea Grant installed a CoastSnap site at South Cape Beach. Visitors slide their phones into the mount, snap a photo and upload it to the CoastSnap page on MyCoast.org. All the photos uploaded are the same “shot,” but they uniquely capture the beach state at a specific time and date. Once uploaded, the MyCoast servers retrieve weather and tidal information to add context to each photo. “When combined, the photos tell a story of shoreline erosion and recovery cycles, documenting long-term changes and helping us understand why some beaches are more dynamic or resilient than others,” said WHOI Sea Grant Coastal Processes Specialist Bryan McCormack.

"The CoastSnap site at South Cape Beach State Park will help Waquoit Bay Reserve enhance people's connection to the coast and understanding of how our shoreline is changing over time," said Kristen Weir, the Reserve's training and engagement coordinator. "We’re excited to partner with WHOI Sea Grant to give community members an easy, hands-on way to contribute to shoreline monitoring and help planners and local communities better understand and prepare for changes along the coast. By working together, we hope to increase awareness of environmental change, inspire coastal stewardship, and support informed protection of our beaches and coastal habitats."

South Cape Beach joins six other CoastSnap stations WHOI Sea Grant has installed around southeastern Massachusetts. See all the CoastSnap locations on our website. And visit MyCoast.org/MA to see photos from each site.