Skip to main content

Log in links for this page

CZ-Mail - November 2020

The monthly electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Welcome to CZ-Mail, the monthly electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Each issue provides information on major CZM initiatives, available tools and publications, upcoming workshops and events, grants, contracting opportunities, job openings, coastal legislation, and other news of interest to people working on coastal issues. Additional information about CZM's programs, publications, and other coastal topics can be found on the CZM website. To subscribe, send a blank email (please be sure that the email is completely blank, with no signature line) to join-env-czmail@listserv.state.ma.us. Also, please feel free to share CZ-Mail with colleagues and friends—and if you have any suggestions for future editions, or would like make a change to your CZ-Mail subscription, please email your request to CZ-Mail@mass.gov. For daily updates from CZM, please follow us on Twitter.

All links on this web page were current and working on the date of publication.

Highlights

BUAR Partners with the Trustees of Reservations to Document and Manage Ipswich Shipwreck Site - On September 22, king tides and Hurricane Teddy amplified the effects of coastal erosion to displace and scatter a formerly intact shipwreck site over a 9-acre area. The 145-year-old Essex-built fishing- and sand-schooner, Ada K. Damon, ran aground during the “Christmas Storm of 1909” on Steep Hill Beach in what is now the Trustees of Reservations Crane Estate property. For the past 110 years, the shipwreck site had been a stable, mostly buried, intertidal archaeological deposit and local landmark on the Ipswich shoreline. The site was the focus of the first-ever marine archaeological field schools in Massachusetts, run by the Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR) from 2015-2017 with partners from Salem State University, SEAMAHP, the National Park Service, the Nautical Archaeology Society, and the PAST Foundation. BUAR has conducted multiple site visits over the past several weeks to document and assess the shipwreck site’s current condition. BUAR is currently working with the Trustees to document newly exposed elements of the shipwreck site and to develop a plan for the site’s near- and long-term management. Before and after images of the Ada K. Damon shipwreck site are available on CZM’s Flickr site. For news coverage of the shipwreck, see the links below. (Articles may only be available for a limited time. Not working? Try copying the web address directly into your browser, rather than clicking on it.)

For more on the shipwreck, check out the many photos on the Wreck of the Ada K. Damon page from the Historic Ipswich website. Also see the Massachusetts Archaeology Month Ada K. Damon Shipwreck Site presentation by BUAR Director David Robinson from the “Diggin’ In” Zoom speaker series on archaeology, sponsored by MAS/Robbins Museum and the RS Peabody Institute of Archaeology.

CZM Offices Remain Closed - Due to COVID-19, all CZM offices remain closed for in-person services. During this time, CZM staff are working remotely and available to assist with coastal management issues. See Contact CZM for details.

Grants/Funding/Proposal Opportunities

Shellfish Aquaculture Partnership Funding - The National Sea Grant Office and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Acidification Program are seeking proposals to fund collaborations between researchers and the shellfish aquaculture industry to study how ocean and coastal acidification and other stressors impact shellfish aquaculture. Approximately $2,000,000 is expected to be available to support up to six projects at an approximate level of $100,000 - $300,000 per year for one to three years. For more information, see the full grant opportunity. Submit Letters of Intent by December 15 to oar.hq.sg.aquaculture@noaa.gov.

Reminders - This opportunity, listed in the last CZ-Mail, is still available:

  • Marine Debris Research Funding - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program is seeking proposals to support marine debris research through field, laboratory, and modeling experiments that explore the ecological risk, exposure levels, fate and transport of debris in coastal environments, and/or habitat impacts of marine debris. For more information, see the federal funding opportunity. Proposals are due by February 8, 2021.

Online Tools and Resources

Cape Cod State of the Waters 2020 Report - The Association to Preserve Cape Cod has released State of the Waters: Cape Cod 2020, an online report that provides a comprehensive look at the water quality of Cape Cod’s estuaries, ponds, and drinking water, with detailed results presented in maps and spreadsheets. The report assigns water quality grades for coastal embayments and estuaries, freshwater lakes and ponds, and public drinking water supplies. These grades can help determine which waters need immediate action to improve water quality or preventative measures to protect current conditions. 2020 results indicate that the number of unacceptable embayments (79%) and ponds (42%) increased from 2019 conditions and is likely the result of excess nutrients from wastewater treatment limitations, stormwater runoff, and fertilizer use on the Cape. Funding for this project was provided from numerous sources, including the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

The National Marine Ecosystem Status Web Portal - NOAA has launched the new National Marine Ecosystem Status web portal, which provides a wide range of indicator data for seven major U.S. coastal and marine ecosystem regions and the nation as a whole. The portal’s key indicators include measurable biological, climatic, physical, and human factors to help provide the status and trends of the nation’s ecosystem health.

MIT Climate Portal - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has released an overhaul of the MIT Climate Portal, a website that provides up-to-date, science-based information on the causes and consequences of climate change, along with strategies to tackle it. The portal now features a comprehensive climate change primer, climate-related news, and brief “explainers” from MIT faculty and scientists that provide detailed overviews of topics such as wildfires, carbon pricing, renewable energy, and ocean acidification. The website also includes an “Ask MIT Climate” feature that allows users to ask questions of MIT faculty and scientists.

Marine Debris Webinars - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Trash-Free Waters website provides presentations on marine debris, impacts of plastics and microplastics, and efforts to address litter in the marine environment, including innovative solutions, citizen activism, and local and state plastics policies. The next webinar, Experiences and Lessons Learned from Trash Capture Projects will be presented on November 5.

NOAA Marine Debris Blog - Recent posts in the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Marine Debris Blog include debris cleanup efforts in Alaska’s Maybeso Estuary to benefit juvenile salmon, the annual marine debris art contest, and the new NOAA Marine Debris Program partnership with the National Park Service to coordinate outreach efforts. All blog topics can be searched by category and date. To receive notifications of new posts, sign up for email updates.

New Resources and Data from NOAA Digital Coast - NOAA’s Digital Coast has posted these new resources:

Products/Publications

State of the Beach Report - The Surfrider Foundation has released its 2020 State of the Beach Report that grades 30 U.S. coastal and Great Lake states and Puerto Rico on their policies and practices that protect beaches from coastal erosion, sea level rise, coastal development, and related issues.

Report on Fiscal Effects of Climate Change on Coastal Communities - The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) has released Surging Seas, Rising Fiscal Stress: Exploring Municipal Fiscal Vulnerability to Climate Change, a research paper written in collaboration with Dr. Linda Shi from Cornell University. The publication summarizes Dr. Shi’s research on long-term sea level rise and how it can impact property tax revenue for 99 coastal cities and towns in Massachusetts.

Newsletters and Other Periodicals

Buzzards Bay Coalition Newsletter - The latest edition of The Bay Buzz from the Buzzards Bay Coalition features stories on efforts to address water quality issues in a Martha’s Vineyard salt pond, new nitrogen reducing septic systems in West Falmouth, and other regional news, volunteer opportunities, and events.

Marine Protected Area Newsletter - The September-October 2020 issue of MPA News covers the potential funding of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by selling blue carbon credits based on fish stocks, along with other MPA news and notes.

Neponset River Watershed News - The October 2020 update from the Neponset River Watershed Association includes tips on the proper disposal of yard waste, information on the upcoming online climate crisis lectures, and other Neponset River news, events, and updates.

NOAA HabitatNews - The October 2020 issue of HabitatNews, a newsletter of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Restoration, includes articles on Chesapeake Bay Education Grants, restoration efforts in the Great Lakes, and other marine fisheries habitat news.

Northeast Ocean Data Portal Newsletter - The October 2020 issue of Northeast Ocean Data, a newsletter of the Northeast Ocean Data Portal, provides details on available new data and map layers, including marine transportation, energy and infrastructure, habitat, and commercial fishing.

The Sandbar - The October 2020 issue of The Sandbar, a quarterly publication from the National Sea Grant College Program on U.S. ocean and coastal legal issues, covers recent updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, a new ruling that denied NOAA’s effort to regulate aquaculture under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other ocean- and coastal-related legal issues.

Stormwater News - The September 2020 edition of Massachusetts Stormwater News (PDF, 810 KB), a periodic newsletter from EPA and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on the Massachusetts Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit, focuses on the work of various communities within the Neponset River Watershed to strengthen their post-construction stormwater management standards. Highlights include the Neponset Stormwater Partnership’s efforts to assist the watershed’s 14 cities and towns in updating their stormwater permit requirements. To sign up to receive Massachusetts Stormwater News, send your request to StormwaterNewsMA@epa.gov.

USGS Sound Waves - This August-September 2020 issue of Sound Waves, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) newsletter, includes articles on rapid coastal change data provided by USGS to the National Park Service after hurricane Isaias in August, landslide and tsunami hazards in Glacier Bay, Alaska, and other coastal and marine research news.

Calendar - Individual Events and Announcements

Please note: Due to COVID-19, social distancing recommendations and requirements are in place. Consequently, many events are conducted virtually. For this edition of CZ-Mail, events are listed by announced date with a link to more information.

Challenge Meets Opportunity: Global Erosion Control Case Studies - November 1-5, a webinar series sponsored by the International Erosion Control Association.

The Clean Water Act at (Almost) 50 - How Federal Water Law Continues to Evolve and Affect Infrastructure Development - November 3, webinar presented by the Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC).

Teach About Microplastics - November 4, virtual workshop for teachers sponsored by the Blue Ocean Society.

Building Resilience through Infrastructure Planning - November 5, webinar presented by NOAA.

North and South Rivers Annual Meeting - November 6, sponsored by the North and South Rivers Watershed Association and held virtually.

2020 State of Wellfleet Harbor Conference - November 7, 14, and 21, virtual conference sponsored by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

Kids’ Corner: Plants of the Sea - November 7, webinar presented by the Barnstable Land Trust.

2020 Virtual Water Resources Conference - November 9-11, sponsored by the American Water Resources Association and held online.

Exploring the World’s Ocean Habitats Conference - November 9-13, virtual conference sponsored by the Georgia Association of Marine Education.

Advancing Racial and Social Equity through Natural Hazards Mitigation - November 10, webinar presented by the Natural Hazards Center.

Regenerative Solutions for Resilient Landscapes Conference - November 12, sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance and held online.

Women Exploring Marine and Atmospheric Science - November 14, webinar sponsored by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami.

America Recycles Day - November 15, sponsored by Keep America Beautiful.

Sea Change Film Shorts - November 15-23, sponsored by the Center for Coastal Studies and available to stream online.

NALMS at 40: Advancing Our Mission to Forge Partnerships - November 16-20, a virtual symposium sponsored by the North American Lake Management Society.

Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network Fall 2020 Meeting - November 18, virtual meeting focusing on Environmental Justice. For details, contact Torrie Hanley at t.hanley@northeastern.edu.

Creating Connections: Resilience and Equity in Transportation - November 20, webinar presented by EBC.

Revolutionizing Ocean Data to Mitigate Climate Change, Overfishing, and Pollution - December 1, webinar presented by Open Communications for the Ocean.

EBC 8th Annual New England Offshore Wind Conference: 2020 Decisions and Outlook for Permits, Procurements and Ports - December 2, virtual conference sponsored by EBC.

Human Health and the Ocean: In a Changing World - December 2-3, an International Symposium sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and available online.

2020 Virtual Youth Ocean Conservation Summit - December 4-5, in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory and held virtually.

The Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing Buyouts - December 8, webinar presented by the Natural Hazards Center.

Reminders - The following calendar items posted previously in CZ-Mail are still to come:

  • MIT Water Summit—A World of Water: Reimagining Resilience - November 11-13, sponsored by MIT and held online.
  • EBC 14th Annual Dredging Conference: Cleaning Up Past Contamination—Rivers, Ports, Harbors, and Lagoons - November 13, sponsored by EBC and held online.
  • Coastal & Island Conference - November 16-17, sponsored by the Center for Watershed Protection and held online.
  • National Watershed & Stormwater Conference—Call for Abstracts - April 13-16, 2021, sponsored by the Center for Watershed Protection and held in St. Petersburg, Florida. Abstracts are due by December 30.

Calendar - Multiple/Ongoing Events

Please note: Due to COVID-19, social distancing recommendations and requirements are in place. Consequently, many events are being conducted virtually. For this edition of CZ-Mail, announced events are listed alphabetically with a link to more information.

Barnstable Land Trust Events - Programs for children and adults across Barnstable.

Boston Environmental History Seminar Series - Monthly webinars from the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Buzzards Bay Events - Events in the Buzzards Bay area compiled by the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

Cape Cod Field Schools - Multi-day field courses offered by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History Programs - A calendar of events at the museum.

Climate Change Webinar Series for New England Local Government Leaders - Webinars presented by the Association of Climate Change Officers.

Climate Resilience Speaker Series - Monthly webinars presented by Storm Surge Climate Stewards.

Conservation Commission Education - Workshops, webinars, and trainings scheduled across Massachusetts and posted by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions. See the MACC Complete Education Catalog and Community Calendar.

Ecosystems Center and Semester in Environmental Science Webinars - An online series presented by the Marine Biological Laboratory.

Ipswich River Watershed Events - Events throughout the watershed compiled by the Ipswich River Watershed Association.

Mass Audubon Cape Cod Walks, Lectures, and Events - Programs for children and adults hosted by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary Programs and Activities - Programs for children and adults in and around Ipswich.

Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center Programs and Events - Programs for children and adults in and around Newburyport.

Mass Audubon North River Wildlife Sanctuary Activities and Events - Programs for children and adults in and around Marshfield.

MIT Climate Action Symposia - Climate change webinars presented this fall by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mystic River Watershed Events - Events throughout the watershed compiled by the Mystic River Watershed Association.

National Marine Sanctuaries Webinars - Periodic webinars hosted by the sanctuary system.

NOAA Coastal Training and Learning Resources - A range of training opportunities from NOAA’s Digital Coast.

NOAA Planet Stewards Educator Events - Webinars, workshops, and book club sessions from the NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project.

North and South Rivers Watershed Association Events - Events listings on the South Shore.

OneNOAA Science Seminars - Webinars and seminars on science and climate issues from several NOAA partners.

Restoration Webinar Series - Webinars hosted by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Salem Sound COASTWATCH Community Calendar - Events posted in the Salem Sound region.

Sound in the Sea Webinars - Webinars hosted by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.

Watershed Wednesdays - Lunchtime webinars presented by the Neponset River Watershed Association.

Other Items of Interest

Land Stewardship Volunteer Opportunities - The Harwich Conservation Trust is seeking volunteers on several dates in November for trail trimming and invasive plant removal. Advance registration is required. For more information, email events@harwichconservationtrust.org.

National Wetlands Awards - The Environmental Law Institute is seeking nominations for the 32nd Annual National Wetlands Awards, which honors individuals who have demonstrated “exceptional effort, innovation, and excellence in wetlands conservation at the local, state, or regional level.” Nominations are due by December 23.

Marine Policy Fellowships - The NOAA Sea Grant College Program is accepting applications for the 2022 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. This one-year paid fellowship matches “highly qualified” graduate students studying ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and policy with hosts in the legislative and executive branches, or appropriate associations and institutions in and around Washington, DC. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact their state Sea Grant Program to notify them that they intend to apply and to receive assistance with the application. For details, see the grant opportunity on Grants.gov. Applications are due by February 19, 2021.

NOAA College Scholarships - The NOAA Office of Education is accepting applications for two undergraduate scholarship opportunities. The Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, which supports undergraduate education in oceanic and atmospheric science and trains students for careers in public service and education, awards up to $9,500 per year (junior and senior years) and includes a paid summer internship. The Educational Partnership Program/Minority Serving Institutions Scholarship Program provides up to $45,000 in total support to students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math and entering junior year, and includes paid NOAA research internships for two summers. Applications for both scholarships are due by February 1, 2021.

Marine Debris Art Contest - The NOAA Marine Debris Program is seeking entries for their Art Contest. Students in grades K-8 can submit original artwork that shows how marine debris impacts the oceans and what they are doing to help prevent marine debris. The winning artwork will be featured in the 2022 NOAA Marine Debris Calendar. The entry deadline is December 15.

Related

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback