Invasive species are organisms that are introduced to a new location by human activity and can harm the environment, economy, or public health. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Marine Invasive Species Program, within CZM's Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Program, promotes understanding, effective monitoring, and management of these species.
Program Priorities
The CZM Marine Invasive Species Program focuses on:
- Rapid Assessment Surveys - Every few years, CZM coordinates teams of scientific experts to visit marinas in New England to collect and accurately identify marine organisms to detect new marine invaders and document regional patterns of established invaders.
- Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative (MIMIC) - Organized by CZM, MIMIC brings together scientists, resource managers, and coastal community members to monitor for established marine invasive species.
- Marine Invasive Species Identification Cards - These identification cards provide information on 22 established invasive species in New England monitored by MIMIC.
- MIMIC Story Map - This story map provides photos and descriptions of species monitored, maps of where each species has been observed, and additional information.
- Publications - This page includes an annotated listing of all CZM publications related to marine invasive species, covering these topic areas: general information, management, identification, monitoring, rapid assessment surveys, impacts, and prevention.
Contact Us
For more information, please contact:
- Lexie Neffinger - Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Specialist
alexis.neffinger@mass.gov
(617) 890-9116