Research & Monitoring

The Waquoit Bay Research Reserve facilitates research on coastal ecosystems and the impacts of human activities on them. Because Waquoit Bay and surrounding ecosystems are representative of shallow embayments in the northeast, research done here is applicable far beyond the Bay itself. The 2800 acres of land and water owned by the Reserve provides a dedicated, stable platform for scientific investigation. Hundreds of studies over the Reserve’s thirty year life, as well long-term data from ongoing monitoring projects, provide a wealth of background information and data that attracts researchers from the world-over, and makes it one of the most studied estuaries in the northeast.

If you are planning a research project within the Waquoit Bay Reserve’s property, please contact the Reserve’s Research Coordinator, Megan Tyrrell to discuss the details. Once you are informally approved, you will need to complete and return a  Research Project Registration form (below). After assessment of the information provided on the form, the project can receive the Reserve’s formal approval.

The purpose of registration process is to facilitate communication and coordination between visiting users of the Reserve and the Reserve’s research program. For multi-year projects, registrations are renewed annually, usually at the start of each field season (typically in the late spring).