Modernization of Computer, Communications, and Data Management Equipment at the Nantucket Field Station

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A grant has been awarded to the University of Massachusetts Boston under the direction of Dr. Sarah Oktay-Quigley for partial support for the acquisition of broadband internet capability for the Nantucket Field Station (NFS) facility. In addition, funds granted will be used to purchase much needed computer and data transfer equipment to enrich research and instructional programs, archive decades of environmental and biological data, provide real-time web data feeds, and expand the usage of the facility. This grant will significantly increase the NFS' ability to support research use and to maintain its high quality of instruction. The multidisciplinary nature of the programs supported by the NFS is reflected in the topics of current courses taught on site: coastal ecology, salt marsh ecology, marine invertebrate ecology, environmental geology, oceanography, hydrogeology, art, ornithology, linguistics, instructional design, and medical counseling. Examples of research and educational programs that will benefit from this grant include the following: NFS participation in an island-wide Biodiversity Assessment Initiative, collaboration on water quality surveys with the Town of Nantucket, a citizen beach profiling project, and funded projects investigating coastal circulation, fisheries management, groundwater flow, and salt marsh remediation. The NFS also provides laboratory space for many visiting scientists funded through the NSF on studies ranging from gray seal repopulation surveys to the reintroduction of the American Burying Beetle. The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in Ecology and Conservation Biology at UMass Boston culminates their annual summer program with a retreat to the Field Station to present their summer research projects and conduct field trips. The research facility is available for use by all scientific, local government, and environmental organizations on Nantucket. The NFS' unique location on Nantucket enables research addressing a wide range of environmental concerns such as habitat protection of endangered species like the northern harrier to identification of pollution threats to sole source aquifers. The NFS is closely linked with the town of Nantucket, local environmental and land conservation non-governmental agencies, citizen scientists and naturalists, the arts community, and the educational system. As such, we have a great responsibility to inspire environmental stewardship and provide scientific data that can be used in environmental management decisions. This award will benefit a rapidly growing research community, enable the dissemination of large amounts of data between area ecological stations, and provide a storehouse of educational materials available to the community. The NFS is open to the public and provides educational outreach through an interpretive nature trail and interactive research demonstrations. Hosting school groups, senior citizen trips, organic landscaping forums, poetry performances, and Native American Heritage programs are among its many contributions to the community.