The Maria Mitchell Association, in collaboration with the Nantucket Land Council and the Nantucket Shellfish Association, has produced a twenty-page book highlighting a decade of research focused on Nantucket Harbor. Nantucket Harbor Research: A Ten Year Summary is a synopsis of research projects conducted by island conservation groups ranging from horseshoe crab populations to shell recycling to salt marsh restoration. The text is easy to read and accompanied by photos and graphs. Additional contributors to the book include the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Land Bank, Town of Nantucket, and the University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station.
The publication effort was led by the Maria Mitchell Association with the project funded by money raised from the 2013 Nantucket Paddle Battle and funding from the Nantucket Shellfish Association. The publication will be given away free of charge at island newsstands and at the Maria Mitchell Assoc. office, 4 Vestal Street, Monday-Friday between 8 am and 4 pm.
Nantucket Harbor Research: A Ten Year Summary is divided into four sections and includes research on harbor ecology, shellfish, conservation, and management. “There has been so much research conducted in Nantucket’s harbors over the years that it is difficult to keep track of it all. We wanted a way to communicate all of this great work to the general public,” says Andrew McKenna-Foster, Director of Natural Science from the Maria Mitchell Association. “We hope that as people become more aware of harbor research, they will become more involved in actively protecting this resource,” he adds.
The Maria Mitchell Association is named after America’s first female astronomer, Maria Mitchell. She is known for discovering a comet over Nantucket in October 1847. She went on to become the first professor at Vassar College. The Maria Mitchell Association was formed in 1902 to preserve her legacy of scientific achievement and to carry on her passion for hands-on learning. Today, the Association operates two observatories, the MMA Aquarium, the Natural Science Museum, and the birthplace of Maria Mitchell.