Island Science

Snapping Turtle Nantucket
Island Science

Monster from the Deep – Snapping Turtles

~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ Last week I went with some of my high school interns to do water sampling at the small bridge located in Madaket at the intersection of South Cambridge Street, Red Barn Road, and Massasoit Bridge Road […]

Island Science

Caw Me, Crows on Nantucket

~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ I have always been fascinating by crows, we have several very vocal ones here at the field station that will fly off in a huff when you disturb them while walking the trails. Every day I […]

Humpback Whale | Nantucket, MA
Island Science

Hump(b)ACKs

~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ One of the many luxuries that Nantucket visitors can experience is the chance to see a humpback whale, and just a few weeks ago we had one cavorting very close to the island in the shallow […]

green crabs
Island Science

Crab Wars

~ by Marc Hensel and Dr. Sarah D. Oktay ~ Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station. There is a habitat war going on between many different colored armored soldiers who hide in the muck like WWII combatants and fight to the death over territory and food. Much of the […]

Island Science

Raccoon on the Loose on Nantucket

-by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station- For the first time in many years, we have a new mammalian intruder who has managed to stowaway on a boat and make their way to the island. What would be a farcical children’s book story for the […]

Ocean Sunfish | Mola Mola | seen off the coast of Nantucket
Island Science

Basking in the Sun, Ocean Sunfish

by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station We have had three visitors this week, a Mola Mola otherwise known as an ocean sunfish, a beautiful humpback whale out by Great Point and an errant washashore/rode-ashore raccoon, and I thought I would write about one of […]

Risso's Dolphin
Island Science

The Grey Grampus or Risso’s Dolphin

• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay – Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Over the past few weeks, a deceased Risso’s Dolphin has been seen off Madaket as its sad corpse is returned to the shoreline by incoming waves. At least three people have emailed or texted me […]

Tent Caterpillars | Nantucket, MA
Island Science

It Came for My Cherry Trees

• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay – Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • I wrote about eastern tent caterpillars a couple of years ago but they are so prevalent around the island, literally spreading out in all directions, that I felt it made sense to write about them […]

Nantucket Harbor
Island Science

Dreaming of a Green Nantucket

• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Spring has sprung, the island is filling up with people and warm sunny weather is erasing memories of a long hard winter. This is a perfect time to become aware of how your actions can effect […]