May 2025
Earlier this spring the Massachusetts Sea Grant programs invited residents to add their names to a sign-on letter urging Congress to maintain strong support for Sea Grant. To date, over 600 constituents-from shellfish growers in Wellfleet to science teachers in…
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They’ve been called the nurseries of the coastal waters. Eelgrass meadows are crucial to the health of coastal ecosystems and the planet, providing essential habitat for marine life. In addition, they stabilize shorelines, improve water quality, and even contribute to…
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By Kiran Johnson I am allergic to lobster. I grew up in Chicago, and deep dish pizza is our pride and joy, not lobster rolls. When I moved to Boston to study journalism and environmental science at Northeastern University, my…
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Hometown: Northampton, Massachusetts Area of research focus/interest: Restoration ecology of coastal habitats What are you doing during your Knauss Fellowship? I’m placed in NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation’s Restoration Center (RC) for my Knauss Fellowship. Here, I get to…
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Seventh Grade Day in the Village is an ambitious undertaking for WHOI Sea Grant educator Grace Simpkins and her counterpart at NOAA Fisheries. Every year they bring approximately 250 twelve- and thirteen-year-olds from Falmouth’s Lawrence Middle school to Woods Hole…
Read MoreCape Cod Survey: Participate in flood protection research
Did you receive a postcard survey about flood protection in the mail from WHOI? Your response can help advance WHOI Sea Grant-funded research into how homeowners perceive flood risk! If you received a postcard, we'd appreciate your taking the time to fill it out. Questions? Contact Michael Weir via email at mweir@whoi.edu.
New Floodplain Management Training Held
Municipal officials, conservation commissioners, and private sector consultants learned about the basics of coastal flooding and erosion in the Coastal Team's Intro to Floodplain Management Training in March. The course also covered the many regulations that communities are responsible for through local, state and federal laws. » Learn more and watch the training.
Learning to Work the Waterfront
The 2025 Fundamentals of Shellfish Farming class finished up the year with 37 students attending 10 Zoom and in-person classes. They learned the basics of growing oyster and quahogs, how to protect them from predators and pests, how to harvest them safely, and what agencies are involved with permitting and regulation of shellfish farming. Interested in the next class? Please email aarcher@capecod.gov.
Sea Grant: Making a difference in Massachusetts
WHOI Sea Grant supports scientists, educators, nonprofits, & municipalities with expert guidance on coastal challenges. Collaboration drives innovation for a stronger, more resilient Massachusetts!
» Learn more about WHOI Sea Grant's economic and environmental impacts
Around WHOI Sea Grant
Honoring the Earth
In April, WHOI Sea Grant was one of more than 40 exhibitors at the Honor the Earth Fair, sponsored by the Native Lands Conservancy and held at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Headquarters. Nearly 400 attendees sampled food in a cooking contest, watched native dancers and storytellers, and learned from Cape Cod's many environmental stewards about the good work their organizations do. At WHOI Sea Grant's table, visitors of all ages enjoyed playing shellfish matching game, learning about the importance of keeping trash out of the ocean, and even painting sea shells.
Improving Our Marine Environment
On a bright day in April, more than 20 eighth graders from Falmouth's Lawrence School grabbed reusable grain bags, gloves, and "claws" to do beach cleanups at Trunk River, near WHOI's Quissett Campus. Later, using materials from the Cape Cod Trash Tote, they learned about the sources and types of marine debris and the dangers it poses to marine life. The enthusiastic students noted that most of what they collected was plastic -- from small fragments and cigarette butts to one very long piece of PVC piping pulled from the marsh.
Culturing Kelp on Cape Cod
This winter, WHOI Sea Grant's marine team ran experiments in two towns—Mashpee and Falmouth—to explore how well sugar kelp grows in shallow waters around Cape Cod. Marine Resources Specialist Josh Reitsma, left, is shown here with WHOI Sea Grant intern Kiran Johnson collecting kelp in Mashpee six months after it was planted. The on-going experiment is a collaboration with local shellfish departments and farmers.
» Read about 2024 work on this project
A Convergence of Art and Science
WHOI Sea Grant-funded scientists Caroline Ummenhofer and Svenja Ryan collaborated with visual artist Deb Ehrens to help inspire the ocean-themed exhibit "Warming Seas" at the Cape Cod Art Center in Barnstable this spring. The vibrant collaborative artwork – "Marine Heatwave" – hung alongside more than 80 pieces in the exhibit that bring awareness to ocean science on Cape Cod. Ummenhofer's team measures local ocean conditions in partnership with the Cape Cod fishing community.
Donate to WHOI Sea Grant
Click the donation link on the WHOI Sea Grant website and directly support the program's important coastal research, extension, and education. We thank you in advance!