06/17/2026
The health of eelgrass in Nantucket’s Harbor has long been a priority for the Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC). This year we are joined by Eve and Zack, our Eelgrass Project Managers. Together they will work on the monitoring and restoration of eelgrass in Nantucket harbor.
The health of our eelgrass meadows in Nantucket’s harbor is paramount to our community’s needs. The benefits of eelgrass are well documented, supporting habitats for scallops, reducing carbon emissions, mitigating impacts of coastal erosion, and improving the overall water quality.
Eelgrass is so vital to marine health some have often compared it to trees in a rainforest.
Led by Dr. Alyssa Novak, a Research Assistant Professor at Boston University, the NLWC and a wide range of community partners, including the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department, Anderson’s Stillwater Moorings, The Sunken Ship, and countless volunteers, have successfully transplanted over 20,000 shoots of eelgrass from donor sites to the half-acre restoration area in Nantucket Harbor in 2025 alone.
The NLWC will continue to use the information we collect, compare it to other eelgrass communities in our region, and work to improve this critical natural resource through research, education, and advocacy.
To learn more about eelgrass research with the Nantucket Land & Water Council visit our website for more information!
