Sea Grant Program
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The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Sea Grant Program supports research, education, and extension projects that encourage environmental stewardship, long-term economic development, and responsible use of the nation’s coastal and ocean resources.
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BookInternational profiles on marine scientific research : national maritime claims, MSR jurisdiction, and U.S. research clearance histories for the world's coastal states(WHOI Sea Grant Program, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1992)The WHOI Sea Grant International Marine Science Cooperation Program has been tracking maritime claims and the evolving jurisdictions over marine scientific research for 146 coastal states covering the past 21 years. This monograph profiles each coastal state (through February 1992) for its Law of the Sea treaty status, size of marine area, claimed maritime zones, breadth and date of claims, maritime boundaries with other coastal states, jurisdiction over marine scientific research specifying national legislation and extent of jurisdiction, and the coastal state's history with U.S. research clearance requests from 1972-90. The coastal state profiles are followed by a series of tables which show the country data from various perspectives and several figures which illustrate the current situation of national maritime claims and regulation of oceanographic research.
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PreprintState and local governments plan for development of most land vulnerable to rising sea level along the US Atlantic coast( 2009-10-24)Rising sea level threatens existing coastal wetlands. Overall ecosystems could often survive by migrating inland, if adjacent lands remained vacant. On the basis of 131 state and local land use plans, we estimate that almost 60% of the land below 1 m along the US Atlantic coast is expected to be developed and thus unavailable for the inland migration of wetlands. Less than 10% of the land below 1 m has been set aside for conservation. Environmental regulators routinely grant permits for shore protection structures (which block wetland migration) on the basis of a federal finding that these structures have no cumulative environmental impact. Our results suggest that shore protection does have a cumulative impact. If sea level rise is taken into account, wetland policies that previously seemed to comply with federal law probably violate the Clean Water Act.
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Working PaperThe future of Massachusetts beaches : relocate, nourish, or lose them(Woods Hole Sea Grant program, 2009)Proceedings of a Workshop on Beach Nourishment held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Friday, May 4, 2007
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Technical ReportInternational marine science research projects : second inventory of international projects at Sea Grant institutions, 1990(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1991-03)This inventory of marine science projects at Sea Grant institutions was completed in order to gauge the level and enhance a database of U.S./foreign collaboration in international marine research initiated at U.S. Sea Grant institutions. The inventory was done by the International Marine Science Cooperation Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Sea Grant Office. The first inventory of projects with international components at Sea Grant institutions was done in 1984-85 by the International Program. This second inventory continues in the tradition of the first to "take the pulse" of international interest at Sea Grant institutions. The pulse is very active despite the lack of direct funding accorded the formal Sea Grant International Program at the national level. Of the 122 projects at Sea Grant institutions, however, only 29 were directly funded in part or entirely by Sea Grant. The inventory analyzes data from 122 interntional projects initiated at 20 Sea Grant institutions by profiling and explicating the extent of project foreign locations, sources of funding, areas of expertise for principal investigators, and contacts at foreign and U.S. agencies and institutions. It presents one-page summaries of the 122 projects along with indexes by geographic location, funding source, PI discipline, PI name, and keywords. In addition, this report compares the data from the 1989-90 inventory with that of the 1985 inventory.
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Technical ReportCoastal landform management in Massachusetts : proceedings of a workshop held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA, October 9-10, 1997(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1998-08)The primary objective of this publication is to share with a wider audience the information and ideas that were shared by those attending the first workshop on Coastal Landform Management in Massachusetts that was held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on October 9 and 10, 1997. The workshop was designed to benefit resource management decision-makers through interactive exercises and discussions of coastal problems ranging from those that arise everyday to those of unusual complexity. The immediate objective of the workshop was to improve familarity with existing management methodologies. The long-term objective was to improve the methodologies themselves. The workshop was divided into four sessions, each beginning with a presentation followed by discussion. The discussions took place in four separate "breakout groups"-each led by a facilitator-that looked critically at the presentation and prepared a response. The entire group then reconvened for a panel discussion led by the facilitators and the presenter. The first presentation (J. O'Connell) discussed the diverse landforms of the Massachusetts coast, the processes that produce and maintain them, and the problems associated with selecting the most appropriate management techniques. The second (S. Macfarlane) focused on difficulties of managing inner shores using the Nauset and Pleasant Bay estuaries as examples. The third (J. Tanski) discussed management of altered shores using as an example Westhampton Beach on the south shore of Long Island. The final presentation (M. Reynolds and G. Giese) concerned the monitoring of changes in coastal landform sustainability and described checklists prepared to help managers monitor such changes.
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Technical ReportCoastal Landform System Sustainability Project : an analysis of activities permitted on coastal landforms on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1999(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2000-08)In their natural state, the coastal landform systems of Cape Cod are self-sustaining. However, recognition that humans have become intrinsic agents in the evolution of coastal landscapes is significant. There is a great need to understand how individual actions on a small scale (lot-by-lot) basis affect the sustainability of coastal landform systems, such as coastal dunes, beaches, coastal banks, barrier beaches, saltmarshes, and coastal floodplains. However, there are few investigations relative to this scale. This study illustrates the vast extent of human alterations to coastal landforms on Cape Cod. As a result of analyzing 318 Orders of Conditions issued for activities permitted on and adjacent to coastal landforms in all 15 Cape Cod towns in 1999, it documents and quantifies the gains and losses to coastal landform system sustainability. The study documents the types of activities presently taking place on and adjacent to our coastal landforms and their potential affects, and potential mitigation being required by local commissions to minimize these affects. It also documents the trade-offs and balances oftentimes necessary in the application of performance standard based regulations governing activities proposed on coastal landforms. Because our quantitative understanding of coastal landform function is still evolving, particularly on a small-scale lot-by-lot basis, many decisions are oftentimes made using best professional judgement (if available) without predictive capability to know what the impact will be to the applicant's or neighboring property and resources. It is hoped that the results of this study will assist local, state, and federal coastal resource managers and regulators, as well as the public, in gaining insight into the interactions of human activities and natural coastal landform system function leading towards improved coastal resource management. The project participants stated that during the course of this study the sharing of information among them was invaluable. It is hoped that the sharing of information in this study with a broader audience will also be utilized for improved coastal landform system management.
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Technical ReportStabilizing dunes and coastal banks using vegetation and bioengineering : proceedings of a workshop held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2002-12)The primary objective of the workshop and these proceedings is to share with a broader audience the valuable information and extensive dialogue that took place amongst over 100 individuals who attended the third in a series of workshops on the science and management of coastal landforms in Massachusetts. The workshop took place at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Woods Hole, MA on February 28, 2002. The individuals who attended the workshop are actively engaged in planning, managing, regulating, engineering, educating, and studying the interaction of human activities with coastal landforms and coastal processes, particularly erosion control related activities. This workshop titled, Stabilizing Dunes and Coastal Banks using Vegetation and Bioengineering, was a natural follow-up to two previous workshops: Can Humans and Coastal Landforms Co-exist, held at WHOI, January 24, 2001 (proceedings published as WHOI Technical Report #WHOI-2001-14), and Coastal Landform Management in Massachusetts, held at WHOI October 9-10, 1997 (proceedings published as WHOI Technical Report #WHOI-98-16). This workshop had a very practical, applied focus, providing state-of-the-art scientific and case history engineering applications of non-structural/bioengineering and coastal vegetation-related erosion control and wildlife habitat enhancement techniques. The history and theory of bioengineering in coastal areas was discussed as well.
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Technical ReportCan humans & coastal landforms co-exist? : proceedings of a workshop held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA January 24, 2001(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2001-10)The primary objective of this publication is to share with a wider audience the valuable information and extensive dialogue that took place amongst over 140 individuals who attended the second in a series of planned workshops on the science and management of coastal landforms in Massachusetts. This workshop took place at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on January 24, 2001. The individuals who attended this workshop are actively engaged in planning, managing, regulating, engineering, educating, and studying coastal landforms and their beneficial functions. This workshop titled, Can Humans & Coastal Landforms Co-exist?’, was a natural follow-up to a previous workshop, Coastal Landform Management in Massachusetts, held at WHOI October 9-10, 1997 (proceedings published as WHOI Technical Report #WHOI-98-16). The workshop had a very practical, applied focus, providing state-of-the-art scientific understanding of coastal landform function, case history management and regulation of human activities proposed on coastal landforms, a multi-faceted mock conservation commission hearing presented by practicing technical consultants and attorneys that involved all attendees acting as regulators in breakout sessions, and, at the conclusion of the workshop, an open discussion on all issues related to the science and management of coastal landforms, including future research needs.