Climate Change Challenge
Coastal erosion adaptation
Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions
RESILIENT MASS GOAL: Marine and coastal ecosystems, including beaches, dunes, and coastal wetlands, are resilient to sea level rise and the effects of increased temperatures, precipitation, and storms.
Climate Resilience Project Scope
This project would stabilize and restore Ram Island for the benefit of rare terns and saltmarsh habitat. This island in Buzzards Bay is a state-owned wildlife sanctuary that supports 20% of the N. American population of the federally endangered Roseate Tern as well as MA's second-largest Common Tern (MA-listed: Special Concern) colony. Ram Island is rapidly eroding and threatened by climate change, including sea-level rise. An alternatives analysis to explore approaches to protecting the island (reducing erosion and combatting sea level rise) was completed in January 2023. Design elements include saltmarsh creation and restoration, intertidal cobble berms, coastal dune enhancement, and offshore boulderfields. In April 2025, an engineering consultant began the next phase of the project to investigate performance of a subset of alternatives to withstand climatic conditions, develop engineering plans, obtain permits, and develop construction bid documents; expected completion date is January 2027.
Resilient Mass also supported FY2025 actions to protect terns in Buzzards Bay during the nesting season, improve habitat conditions, and manage associated data. This included hiring seasonal staff to protect, monitor, and manage terns and their habitat; purchasing a boat to access Ram Island to replace an unreliable, aging boat; and making improvements to seasonal staff housing and storage areas to address issues related to deferred maintenance and increase safety and function.
Metrics and Results
The following ResilientMass Metrics are aligned with the project:
- # of acres of coastal habitat and resources protected and restored (acres or % protected and increased/year)
Seasonal staff enhanced nesting habitat across approximately 10 acres and protected and monitored 4,033 pairs of Roseate Terns (a record high, and the largest colony in North America) and 7,217 pairs of Common Terns.
The Restoration of Ram Island Wildlife Sanctuary project is in the design phase and has not yet been constructed, so there is not yet any increased acreage of coastal resources. Environmental assessments were conducted and modeling of design alternatives was initiated.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Due to the complexity of the Restoration of Ram Island Wildlife Sanctuary project and the many important natural resources in the area, strong interagency input and coordination continues to be critical for advancing the project.
Further Action
The Restoration of Ram Island Wildlife Sanctuary project is complex. Further work is necessary to advance the project through construction. Estimated completion date for the current contract (engineering, permitting, and construction bid documents) is January 2027, after which the construction phase may begin. In the meantime, protection and management of the nesting islands in Buzzards Bay is critical to maintaining tern populations to compensate for the degraded and eroding coastal resource areas on Ram Island.