[Classifieds] Friends of Pleasant Bay Launches New Pleasant Bay Fisheries Study With Center for Coastal Studies

[MBL Classifieds]

Friends of Pleasant Bay (FoPB) has launched the Pleasant Bay Fisheries Study, a new research effort intended to provide timely, locally grounded science that can help inform future fisheries management, coastal policy, and climate resilience initiatives in one of Cape Cod’s most productive and rapidly changing estuaries. The study, originated and funded by the Friends of Pleasant Bay, is being conducted by the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS).
Pleasant Bay, the largest estuary on Cape Cod and a designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern, is a living laboratory—home to shellfish, finfish, and hundreds of species that sustain both coastal ecosystems and local livelihoods. But it has experienced dramatic change in the past decade due to climate change, warming waters, invasive species, and repeated breaks in the barrier beach. These changes directly influence fisheries, water quality, and habitat health.
The new study builds on the landmark Marine Ecosystem Assessment of Pleasant Bay: Below the Surface of the Bay, commissioned by the FoPB and conducted by CCS in 2015-2016. Nearly a decade later, scientists are returning with a focused fisheries lens to measure how conditions have continued to evolve and what those changes mean for shellfish, finfish, lobsters, and coastal habitats. “This is not research for research’s sake,” said Allison Coleman, FoPB board president. “Our goal is to generate practical, usable science that towns, managers, and regulators can draw upon as they make decisions in a time of rapid change.”
The Fisheries Study will collect updated data on temperature, salinity, habitat, and key commercial and recreational species. Friends of Pleasant Bay hopes the results will help communities, agencies, and stakeholders better understand current conditions and trends, and inform habitat restoration, local resource management, and long-term resilience planning. The effort is intended to serve as a shared scientific resource for municipalities, regulators, and the public. Results will be made publicly available as the study progresses, with opportunities for public observation of testing sites as the study progresses (visit www.friendsofpleasantbay.org/news to sign up for e-newsletter updates on opportunities).
“Timely, local science gives us a stronger foundation for smart decision-making,” said Owen Nichols, Director of Marine Fisheries Research for the Center for Coastal Studies. “While this research alone does not set policy, we hope it will meaningfully contribute to the choices our region faces about fishing, ecology, recreation, and public safety.”
For more information about the Pleasant Bay Fisheries Study and how you might support it, visit www.friendsofpleasantbay.org/fisheries.
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About Friends of Pleasant Bay: Friends of Pleasant Bay is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and stewardship of Pleasant Bay through conservation, access, research, and education. Visit friendsofpleasantbay.org.
About the Center for Coastal Studies: The Center for Coastal Studies is a nonprofit research organization based in Provincetown, Massachusetts, dedicated to understanding and protecting marine and coastal environments through applied science. Visit coastalstudies.org.

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