FSML: Planning Proposal for Plum Island Coastal Research Facility

Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to the Marine Biological Laboratory under the direction of Dr. William Speck to develop a Master Plan for the Plum Island Coastal Research Facility that will meet the needs of a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary research, education and outreach program. The goal of the Plum Island Coastal Research Facility is to develop a scientific and societal understanding of coastal ecosystems through integrated research, education and outreach. Under this grant, a plan will be developed for a modern research facility on the northern shore of Massachusetts in the Plum Island Watershed. Plum Island has a long history of use as a research site by a variety of researchers and institutions because it is the largest and most pristine saltmarsh system on the Northeast Atlantic Coast. Despite the national and regional significance of the Plum Island ecosystem, no research facility exists in the area. This new facility will allow scientists and students to remain for longer periods of time and to process samples on site, fundamentally changing the types of questions that can be answered. A workshop, involving scientists, educators, and field station managers, will be held to develop a conceptual statement of ideal facilities. An architect will translate these diverse viewpoints into an integrated and scientifically attractive Master Plan. Ultimately, the product of this planning proposal will be a Master Plan detailing improvement of existing structures and describing any new facilities that might be needed. Wise use and conservation of coastal ecosystems will require knowledge of the physical environment, the species that live there and human use, and depends on transferring this knowledge to society through education and outreach. This project will substantially improve our understanding of complex ecosystem processes by improving scientific infrastructure and by increasing interactions among and within scientific disciplines. The proposed facility will triple the available housing, thus allowing long-term and short-stays by more researchers and students and allowing multiple groups to be on-site simultaneously. It will increase laboratory space by an order of magnitude and provide facilities that will allow researchers to use modern technologies to take and process samples on site. This will provide immediate data and feedback on experimental results and enable researchers to more effectively plan the next steps in discussions with their co-workers. This project will address broader societal concerns about the environment and will provide a venue and focal point for education and outreach efforts in the watershed. Currently, scientists, teachers, students from K-12 through post-doctoral scientists, town and state managers and volunteers from the general public have joined forces to study the watershed, estuarine and nearshore ecosystems of Plum Island. Their work addresses pressing environmental concerns such as the consequences of eutrophication and biotic impoverishment on vulnerable coastal ecosystems of importance to humans but they have no place to meet or organize. This facility will enhance the ability of people to communicate by providing an appropriate venue for the exchange of ideas.