Resources for the Sciences

Over 40% of the land area of Nantucket is in conservation, offering investigators a wide variety of coastal habitats and a diverse flora and fauna for study. The island's heath and sandplain grasslands are globally significant, and Nantucket is home to many rare birds and animals such as the federally endangered piping plover and the American burying beetle.

Marine ecosystems include Nantucket and Madaket Harbors, which support the last wild bay scallop fishery in the nation, as well as the waters of Nantucket Sound and the open North Atlantic.

The Nantucket Field Station is a partner in the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative which is a collaboration of island conservation, scientific, and educational groups working to inventory Nantucket's flora and fauna. Go to Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative for details. The NBI hosts Biodiversity Weeks every other year and a complementary Science conference the following year to allow participants to present their findings. Small grants for on island taxa research are available.

Related Links

There are numerous environmental organizations on Nantucket that serve as resources for faculty and students. These organizations include:

Maria Mitchell Science Center
Massachusetts Natural Heritage
Nantucket Conservation Foundation
Nantucket Harbor Preservation
Nantucket Land Council, Inc.
The Nature Conservancy Islands Program
The Trustees Of Reservations - Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge

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