RESEARCH

The Waquoit Bay Research Reserve facilitates research on coastal ecosystems and the impacts of human activites on them. The Reserve fulfills this role by providing a dedicated, stable natural ecosystem representative of the biogeographic region as a platform for scientific investigation.

Internal research and monitoring have the primary mission of maintaining the Reserve as a natural laboratory by obtaining and providing critical environmental and societal information on the Waquoit Bay estuarine system and adjacent marine and terrestrial systems. External research by visiting scientists addresses a broad range of natural and social science topics from basic research on the biology and physical environment to applied research addressing coastal management issues. Collaborative research, carried out by the Reserve in partnership with outside entities, focuses on filling information gaps identified by the Reserve or addresses pressing local and regional coastal management issues.

Research Priority Areas:
Water quality / eutrophication / watershed land-use
Climate change / sea level rise / shoreline change
Assessment of ecosystem response to natural variability and human impacts