What we do

Conservation and Restoration

MassBays works closely with our partners to carry out and support restoration efforts for critical habitats such as salt marshes, eelgrass beds, and fish runs, as well as conservation of coastal resources like natural beaches and rocky intertidal areas.

Below you will find more information on initiatives for conservation and restoration of habitats across our watershed.

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a plant that grows in estuaries and provides critical habitat for the juvenile stages of fish, lobsters, mussels, and other organisms. Eelgrass provides several ecosystem benefits including high biodiversity, carbon sequestration, nutrient uptake, and other important ecosystem services. Historic data suggest that eelgrass meadows flourished in many estuaries and embayments in MassBays. Over time however, several embayments have suffered extensive losses in the extent of this habitat, as documented by the eelgrass aerial mapping conducted by the Department of Environmental Protection since 1995.

In collaboration with several partners, MassBays is participating in various efforts to investigate and better understand the causes of these losses, to improve efforts for successful restoration, and to develop management plan for eelgrass across MassBays. Click here for more information on these ongoing programs.