UMass Boston

UHI is working with the Town of Nantucket to develop an eelgrass management plan. The eelgrass management plan will identify stressors to eelgrass health, strategies and potential sites to allow for eelgrass protection and restoration, research projects needed on the eelgrass population, and strategies to enhance communication about eelgrass. The plan will likely be finalized during the summer of 2025.

UHI is working with The Nature Conservancy, Communities Responding to Extreme Weather, and several others to advance proactive, community-led relocation as a nature-based climate adaptation strategy. This project will develop a community of practice, professional networks, and a resource database. Additionally, the team will produce a comprehensive report documenting perspectives of managed retreat among Massachusetts coastal residents. This project, which was funded by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, will provide an important step towards a safer, better connected, and more resilient Massachusetts coastline.

UHI is working with the town of Swansea to engage members of the public in waterways planning activities. The plan will cover a wide range of topics including public access, water quality, natural resources, commercial and recreational uses, and climate change. 

For more information on the Swansea planning process or to provide a comment, contact Kim Starbuck at Kimberly.Starbuck@umb.edu. 

UHI, in partnership with Woods Hole Group, is working with the town of Nantucket to engage members of the public in harbor planning activities. The plan will cover a wide range of topics including public access, water quality, natural resource management, commercial and recreational fishing and boating, climate change, dredging, and water quality. A draft plan is expected in the Spring 2025. 

For more information on the Nantucket planning process or to provide a comment, see the harbor plan website or contact Kim Starbuck at Kimberly.Starbuck@umb.edu. 

The Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea is embarking on the development of a Manchester-by-the-Sea Harbor Management Plan with support from UHI, and the Town's Harbor Management Task Force. 

Over the past year, 2024-2025, UHI held a public meeting with the Town in March 2024 to collect public input (notes from that meeting can be found here: Public Notes), conducted interviews with stakeholders, and performed document and resource reviews. UHI is working on drafting the plan, which is anticipated for spring/summer 2025. 

For more information about the Manchester-by-the-Sea plan, contact Shannon Hogan at Shannon.Hogan@umb.edu. 

UHI, in partnership with Woods Hole Group, is working with the town of Mashpee to engage members of the public in harbor planning activities. The plan will cover a wide range of topics including public access, water quality, natural resource management, commercial and recreational fishing and boating, climate change, dredging, and water quality. A draft plan is expected in the Spring 2025. 

For Mashpee harbor plan information and to sign up for updates on the planning process, visit the plan website or contact Allison Novelly at Allison.Novelly@umb.edu.

UHI is part of a large team that is implementing a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded 4-year project entitled Cool Science. Cool Science is a free public art competition held each fall for K-12 artists to improve public understanding of the science behind extreme weather. Over the last seven years, Cool Science piloted a small-scale program in Massachusetts. The program was honored by the White House as an exemplary project to improve climate literacy across a community.

Because of its proven popularity and effective engagement with all ages, Cool Science added partners in the nation’s heartland in Kansas and Missouri. Now, buses with children’s winning artwork will ride in four regions (Merrimack Valley, Worcester, Kansas City, and Topeka). During each year of this 3-year program, roughly hundreds of youth, hundreds of adult mentors, and tens-of-thousands of bus riders will have the chance to learn about the science of extreme weather. More details can be found on www.coolscience.net.

Other Cool Science team members include: the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston’s School for the Environment; UMass Lowell’s College of Education and Art and Design Department; the Massachusetts College of Art and Design; the Transportation Center at the University of Kansas; the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, University of Kansas; Kansas State University; and Goodman Research Group, Inc.

UHI hosts a webinar series (3 - 4 per year) to share new, groundbreaking research being conducted by UMass Boston professors/staff and other professionals from around the world. The webinar topics include: climate change, marine debris, fisheries, municipal planning, waterfront issues, community outreach, and more. The 60-minute webinars are free and geared towards professionals in the ocean science field, yet open to all. To be informed of upcoming webinars, please sign up for our newsletter.

UHI serves as the administrative coordinator for the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC), a collaboration of citizens, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies dedicated to providing essential and advanced training to individuals involved in municipal planning and land use. To learn more about CPTC and available trainings, including monthly webinars, visit the CPTC website.

A founding member of the NWWN, UHI is leading several initiatives to advance the resilience of working waterfronts in partnership with Network members.

UHI staff assisted in coordinating the NWWN's 2025 conference that was held in San Diego in February. For more information, visit the conference website. Additionally, staff at UHI are managing the NWWN Internship Program, which is in its fourth year and will happen during spring/summer 2025. To learn about past interns and their research, visit our the program's page on the NWWN website.

Join the NWWN listserv to receive information about the upcoming 2025 conference proceedings and future NWWN activities.

Looking to become involved with the NWWN? Email shannon.hogan@umb.edu 

The Stone Living Lab is a partnership working to advance coastal resiliency to climate change through research, education, outreach, and policy. The majority of the Lab’s work is conducted in Boston Harbor and surrounding communities and focuses on exploring both the natural and socio-economic impacts of nature-based approaches to addressing the impacts of climate change. Staff from UHI are working with the Lab to coordinate research and communications activities and provide overall management for the Lab. The Institute’s work is funded by the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.