Study Area: Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands
Period: 1893 to 1995
Funds: Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Download Phase 1 Report: 100 Years of Estuarine Marsh Trends in Massachusetts (1893 to 1995): Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands (PDF, 56 MB)

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management with project partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Massachusetts Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences conducted an investigation of estuarine marsh trends-losses, gains, and changes-over three time periods.

This investigation is the first of a three-part series designed to provide a statewide assessment of estuarine marsh trends. The areas selected for this investigation were: Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands. The wetlands class of estuarine marshes includes tidal emergent and tidal shrub-scrub wetlands, commonly known as "salt marshes." The goal of the study was to inform coastal managers on recent and historic trends of estuarine marshes, providing information and context on these resources for the development and implementation of assessment, conservation, and restoration strategies. The report describes the methods and results of the trend analysis and offers brief discussion on the findings.