This document discusses the challenges of environmental pollution and climate change, and proposes putting youth in charge as a solution. It summarizes the work done by the UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station and other field stations, including research on water quality, harmful algal blooms, fisheries, climate change impacts like rising seas and stronger storms. The document advocates for youth leadership on environmental data collection and policy changes to address issues like runoff, invasive species, and plastic pollution.

1. HOW YOU CAN BE THE
CHANGE YOU ENVISION
SARAH OKTAY, PHD
DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON
NANTUCKET FIELD STATION
PRESIDENT, ORGANIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL FIELD
STATIONS
Martha’s Vineyard
Youth Leadership
Summit
July 1 2015

2. OUR CHALLENGES
• We are polluting the planet and harming the oceans, our
land, and the animals and habitat
• Big issues like increased carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere are causing planet-wide chaos
• Small issues like septic system runoff, introduction of
invasive species, and plastic pollution are causing algae
blooms, reducing biodiversity, and contaminating the
ocean while choking larger creatures
• Big governments and “adults” are slow moving and
sometimes overly concerned about the bottom line, they
don’t always understand a cleaner earth and ocean
saves money

3. UMASS BOSTON NANTUCKET FIELD
STATION
Placed Based Research doing
science in the field at the
point where research and
the public meet

4. FIELD STATIONS AND MARINE LABS
GLOBALLY900+ international field stations
Interactive Map

5. ORGANIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL FIELD
STATIONS

6. ONE SOLUTION: PUT KIDS IN
CHARGE: GRACE GROSSMAN INNER
CITY YOUTH COLLABORATIVE:
BEACH PROFILING, BIODIVERSITY
SURVEYS & HORSESHOE CRAB
COUNTS

7. High School Students
collecting data and solving
water quality and pollution
dilemmas

8. WATER DEFENSEINSPIRING THE NEXT
GENERATION
 HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM
TESTING
Designing easy to deploy
passive water samplers

9. THE NANTUCKET FIELD
STATIONS WORKS
WITH THE
PROVINCETOWN
CENTER FOR COASTAL
STUDIES: HIGH
RESOLUTION MAPPING
OF SEA FLOOR

10. WATER QUALITY PROGRAMS
 Surface Water
• Freshwater
• Salt (Harbors, Sound and Ocean)
• Brackish (salt marsh studies)
• Groundwater
 Salinity, dissolved oxygen,
 Nutrients:
 too much from fertilizers
 septics
 boats
 Coliforms, etc.

11. • Collaboration with Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
Shearwater Excursions, UMB-NFS, Nantucket Marine Mammal
Conservation Program
• Marine Mammal Science & Education
• Extends range of observations for right and humpback
whales
• Enhances experience on whale watches

12. Humans and Animals collide as marine
mammal populations rebound

13. FISHERIES

14. Ocean acidification is already
causing changes to bivalves and
coral reefs everywhere
Rising sea surface temperatures
are accelerating algal blooms and
driving some fish further offshore

15. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS
FRESHWATER
SALTWATER 

17. NANTUCKET SEMESTER SCIENCE
• Topics: Conch, Bycatch, Scallops, Salt marsh
vegetation changes, Chl-a, HABs, Oyster, eels,
Beach profiling

18. COASTAL RESILIENCY: HOW DO WE
DEAL WITH RISING SEAS AND BIG
STORMS?

19. HURRICANE SANDY
FEBRUARY 2013 STORM
NEMO
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/czm/pr
ogram-areas/stormsmart-coasts/

20. HOW DO WE CHANGE POLICY AND
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
• Fertilizer regulations
• Docks and piers
• Balloons now banned on Nantucket
• Styrofoam and plastic bags
• Protecting wetlands and the harbor
• Fisheries regulations
• Education public about marine mammals
• Showing people effects of climate change