An Intertidal Biodiversity Monitoring Framework to Support Climate Adaptation in the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park

The Boston Harbor Islands make up the only coastal drumlin archipelago in the United States. This area features a distinctive geological intertidal habitat known as mixed coarse substrate, which supports a diverse range of coastal species and ecological processes. But it also faces significant challenges from the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, erosion, increased storm frequency, and non-indigenous species.  Due to these growing threats, the islands were recently designated as one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places.

This webinar will present a comprehensive intertidal biodiversity monitoring framework developed to support future climate adaptation and restoration efforts for the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park. The framework, which was developed in collaboration with National Park Service staff, was field tested and refined across multiple islands and sites, and integrates traditional (e.g. visual surveys) and modern (e.g. eDNA) methods to provide robust baseline data on intertidal communities. The speakers will discuss the development of this novel framework and study results, highlighting unique biodiversity captured by these methods, including the presence and abundance of keystone, protected, and non-indigenous species. This research addresses the need for standardized monitoring in intertidal habitats and offers a framework for coastal managers to protect both the ecological and cultural integrity of these historic islands as they face rapid environmental change.

Aly Putnam is a PhD candidate in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at UMass Amherst and a former NE CASC Fellow. Her research examines marine intertidal systems, the organisms that are found in this habitat, and how climate change may alter this dynamic space. Thus far, she has focused on understanding how increased temperature will affect settlement, survival, and community composition of sessile invertebrates and algae; conducting field species identification to determine biodiversity and monitoring of important or emerging populations; and using statistical modeling to assess long-term trends in abundance, predict future distributions, and gauge the impact of invasive species.

Marc Albert is the Director of Natural Resource Partnerships for the National Parks of Boston, which includes the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site. Marc facilitates the study and management of natural areas and cultural landscapes of the parks through partnerships and community engagement. Marc studied plant ecology at Tufts University and U.C. Berkeley, and has more than 20 years of experience linking park management to science and community in both San Francisco and Boston.