Intertidal Biodiversity Monitoring

Intertidal zones are unique environments found where the coast meets the ocean. These areas are submerged during high tides and exposed during low tides. The intertidal zone provides key habitat for many marine creatures and seaweeds and also helps protect our coasts from waves and flooding. These special areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change as sea levels rise, more intense storms impact shorelines, and periods of extreme heat become more frequent.

Researchers from UMass Boston and the Stone Living Lab want to find out more about these unique habitats across Boston Harbor.

• What kinds of creatures live on our shorelines?
• How are they being affected by extreme weather events?
• How can we design future development to support these areas?

Participants in this project help reseatchers answer these questions by collecting intertidal biodiversity and temperature data.

Our volunteers are trained to identify a few key species in the intertidal areas around greater Boston harbor.

SHELLED ANIMALS

This group of animals, which includes Molluscs and Crustaceans, are invertebrates - they do not have a backbone or spine. This is a broad category of organisms including animals like mussels, oysters, snails, and barnacles. These species have hard outer shells to protect them from the elements.

SEAWEEDS

A seaweed isn't a plant, but a marine algae! Marine means that it is found in the sea, and algae are organisms that use the sun to create energy. Unlike plants, algae do not have roots, pollen, or seeds. The long long "leaves" of a seaweed are called fronds or blades. There are many kinds of seaweed, which can be sorted into three categories: green, brown, and red.

Curious what else we're looking for? Check out our Field Identification Guide  here. 

What have our volunteers observed so far? Use the interactive map below to see what our participants are finding.

At each site, we are monitoring temperature 24 hours a day, through high tide and low tide. Our volunteer scientists also have handheld infrared temperature sensors they can use to explore surface temperatures of different areas around their sites. Explore the results below.

The information gathered by participants in this project will be used by researchers to better understand the intertidal areas of Boston harbor.