A Project conducted by the 2001 Marine Ecology Class, BU Marine Program.

Concerns with the ecological health of Oyster Pond has been increasing as urbanization on the watershed has taken place.  On October 2001, the 2001 Marine Ecology class of Boston University Marine Program met with stakeholders with an interest in Oyster Pond, Falmouth, MA.  From this meeting a number of issues of concerns emerged, which members of the class translated into a five-part research program headed by Professor Ivan Valiela and with Editor Heba Al-Qatami.

The specific objectives of the project are:

  1. Measure land-derived nitrogen entering Oyster Pond.
  2. Examine the salinity, nutrients and chlorophyll distributions throughout Oyster Pond and compare present status to previous conditions.
  3. Determine nutrient limitation of phytoplankton along salinity gradient of Oyster Pond.
  4. Evaluate the response of submerged and emergent aquatic vegetation in Oyster Pond to nutrient loading from watershed influx
  5. Evaluate the distribution and growth rates of fish fauna along Oyster Pond’s salinity gradient and its physical habitat variations and also investigate how differences in watershed-derived nutrients may also alter these characteristics of the fish community.
  • Part One and Two—
    • Land Derived Nitrogen to Oyster Pond Estuary.
      Authors: H. Al-Qatami, A. Hsu, M. Smith, J. Smith-Giller, A. Solari
    • Vertical and Horizontal Distribution of Biogeochemical Properties and Chlorophyll in the Oyster Pond Estuary.
      Authors: S. Burdick, L. Colamussi, J. DeFilippi, K. Morschauser, S. Ramsey
  • Part Three and Four—
    • Nitrogen and Phosphorus as limiting factors for Phytoplankton in the Oyster Pond Estuary.
      Authors: S. Doverspike, A. Gewirtzman, P. Jekielek, K. Priesner
    •  Responses of submerged and emergent Macrophytes to varying rates of Wastewater Influx in
      Oyster Pond
      Authors: S. Grady and E. Moto
  • Part Five and Six —
    •  Occurrence and Growth of the Fish Fauna of the Oyster Pond Estuary
      Authors: B. Annett, M. Teichberg, P. Martinetto
    •  A primer on Oyster Pond Ecology and possible Research Themes for Junior High
      and High School students       Author: S. Brooke