UMass Dartmouth researchers awarded $525K to study effect of oyster colonies on nitrogen levels

BOSTON – Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology recently were awarded $525,967 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine whether the development of oyster colonies has the ability to reduce nitrogen levels in estuaries and salt ponds.

The grant is part of a $4.6 million program to protect southeast New England coastal watersheds. The geographic area ranges from Westerl to Chatham, Mass., and includes Narragansett Bay, Buzzards Bay and southern Cape Cod as well as the islands of Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Projects will focus on water monitoring, watershed planning, nutrient and/or septic management and resilience to climate change.

Led by Brian Howes and Roland Samimy at SMAST’s Coastal Systems Program, researchers will use the Westport River and Cockeast Pond as testing grounds to see if the oyster’s ability to cleanse the water of nitrogen can reduce levels and help prevent the destruction of fish and other marine wildlife habitats.

If proven successful, the strategy could lead to less reliance on expanded wastewater treatment systems and other high-cost solutions.

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“Addressing the nitrogen problem along the South Coast, Cape Cod and the South Shore will cost billions of dollars if we only consider traditional strategies such as bigger wastewater treatment plants and more sewer lines,” Howes said in a press release. “We just don’t have the time or money for that course. It is, therefore, imperative that we find soft solutions that leverage nature, in this case the oyster, to make progress.”

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