HOW YOU CAN BE THE CHANGE YOU ENVISION

SARAH OKTAY, PHD

DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON

NANTUCKET FIELD STATION

PRESIDENT, ORGANIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL FIELD STATIONS

Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership

SummitJuly 1 2015

OUR CHALLENGES

• We are polluting the planet and harming the oceans, our land, and the animals and habitat

• Big issues like increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing planet-wide chaos

• Small issues like septic system runoff, introduction of invasive species, and plastic pollution are causing algae blooms, reducing biodiversity, and contaminating the ocean while choking larger creatures

• Big governments and “adults” are slow moving and sometimes overly concerned about the bottom line, they don’t always understand a cleaner earth and ocean saves money

UMASS BOSTON NANTUCKET FIELD STATION

Placed Based Research doing science in the field at the point where research and the public meet

FIELD STATIONS AND MARINE LABS GLOBALLY900+ international field stations

Interactive Map

ORGANIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL FIELD STATIONS

ONE SOLUTION: PUT KIDS IN CHARGE: GRACE GROSSMAN INNER CITY YOUTH COLLABORATIVE:

BEACH PROFILING, BIODIVERSITY SURVEYS & HORSESHOE CRAB COUNTS

High School Students collecting data and

solving water quality and pollution dilemmas

WATER DEFENSEINSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM TESTING

Designing easy to deploy passive water samplers

THE NANTUCKET FIELD STATIONS WORKS WITH THE PROVINCETOWN CENTER FOR COASTAL STUDIES: HIGH RESOLUTION MAPPING OF SEA FLOOR

WATER QUALITY PROGRAMS

Surface Water

• Freshwater

• Salt (Harbors, Sound and Ocean)

• Brackish (salt marsh studies)

• Groundwater

Salinity, dissolved oxygen,

Nutrients:

too much from fertilizers

septics

boats

Coliforms, etc.

• Collaboration with Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. Shearwater Excursions, UMB-NFS, Nantucket Marine Mammal Conservation Program

• Marine Mammal Science & Education

• Extends range of observations for right and humpback whales

• Enhances experience on whale watches

Humans and Animals collide as marine mammal populations rebound

FISHERIES

Ocean acidification is already causing changes to bivalves and coral reefs everywhereRising sea surface temperatures are accelerating algal blooms and driving some fish further offshore

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS

FRESHWATER

SALTWATER

NANTUCKET SEMESTER SCIENCE• Topics: Conch, Bycatch, Scallops, Salt marsh

vegetation changes, Chl-a, HABs, Oyster, eels, Beach profiling

COASTAL RESILIENCY: HOW DO WE DEAL WITH RISING SEAS AND BIG STORMS?

HURRICANE SANDYFEBRUARY 2013 STORM NEMO

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/czm/program-areas/stormsmart-coasts/

HOW DO WE CHANGE POLICY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

• Fertilizer regulations

• Docks and piers

• Balloons now banned on Nantucket

• Styrofoam and plastic bags

• Protecting wetlands and the harbor

• Fisheries regulations

• Education public about marine mammals

• Showing people effects of climate change