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Water Quality
Monitoring
In 2006, Nantucket Soundkeeper entered into a water quality monitoring collaborative to assess the health of the Sound’s waters and habitats. The Collaborative used the information and data collected to guide Sound-wide management planning and to promote local community stewardship of Nantucket Sound. It was the first comprehensive monitoring program undertaken for Nantucket Sound.
Coordinated by Nantucket Soundkeeper and with technical oversight provided by the Coastal Systems Program of SMAST (School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass/Dartmouth), two water quality sampling events took place simultaneously at 16 offshore sites in the Sound during July and August of 2006. A consortium of volunteers joined in the sample collecting effort from the Nantucket Marine Department, Martha’s Vineyard Commission, Tisbury Shellfish Department, Three Bays Preservation, Mashpee Water Quality Monitoring Program, Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse Foundation and Falmouth Pond Watch.
Nitrogen is the main nutrient of concern in coastal waters and the monitoring of nitrogen-related water quality is the first step in the habitat restoration, protection and long-term management for the waters of Nantucket Sound. Based on the two preliminary water quality sampling events for Nantucket Sound in 2006, the following was found: most nutrient loading is coming from coastal embayments and watersheds; near shore waters are showing nutrient enrichment; and the central basin of the Sound shows high levels of nutrient-related water quality. In addition, the area of the Sound bounded by Chatham and Monomoy Island could be even more sensitive to nutrient inputs and warrants further investigation due to circulation patterns.
In 2007, the Nantucket Sound Water Quality Collaborative expanded the water sampling frequency from two to seven monthly events, beginning in April and running through October. In addition, the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership joined the list of volunteers working on this project.
We had 100% water sampling success in 2007 from April through October. Sampling continued in 2008 and 2009.
