Progress With Alternative Septic Systems
Back in June, a new alternative septic system called the NitROE Waste Water Treatment System (NitROE WWTS) received a permit for “provisional approval” from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. This permit codifies a 40% improvement over all previously permitted Innovative/Alternative septic systems – and that is only the beginning! We believe this system will […]
Summer Water Sampling
An important part of BCWC’s water quality monitoring is the collection of water samples from our ponds, streams and estuary. This summer, we are lucky to have David Carter on board to conduct weekly water sampling at several sites, including four ponds, one river and cranberry bogs. The water sampling at the ponds involves collecting […]
A Note from the Helm
Three and a half years into our revised mission to restore the Cape’s waters and rescue our blue economy, we are ready to begin the healing process. Right now, that effort involves removing nutrients and contaminants from wastewater, which enters the groundwater predominantly through our septic systems. The principal problem we are facing is nitrogen […]
Diamondback Terrapins: A Girl’s Best Turtle
We have all heard of turtles and tortoises, but have you heard of a terrapin? The Diamondback terrapin is a beautiful reptile with skin spotted like a Dalmatian and scutes, which are the bony plates on the shell, that are shaped like diamonds. What makes terrapins so unique is their preferred habitat: brackish water. Brackish […]
A Dune’s Duties
Sand dunes are significant players in the game of healthy coastal environments. While we have fencing around the dunes on Dead Neck Sampson Island for the nesting shorebirds, we also do it to protect the dunes that are protecting the surrounding ecosystem. Have you ever been on a boat in the bays and notice the […]
What’s Your Preference? Soft-shelled or Hard-shelled Clams?
If you don’t know, that’s normal. There is actually very little difference in taste when preparing a clam based meal. But besides both being bivalve mollusk, there are quite a few differences. Steamers, or Soft-shelled clams, have quite thin, white grey shells. With their oval-like body, they will burrow into the sandy mud of the […]
Eelgrass: Where Did it All Go?
Decades ago, Cape Cod’s coastal ecosystems looked very different than they do today. The decline in eelgrass, an aquatic plant, gained very little attention and unfortunately the lack of eelgrass today has had a major impact on this aquatic region. Why is eelgrass important? It’s luscious green body provides homes for shellfish and juvenile fish […]
The Living Fossil of the Ocean
What species has been roaming the earth for more than 445 million years and still has significant importance in today’s modern society? They have the word crab in their name but actually are more closely related to spiders. If you have already figured out that we are talking about the infamous Horseshoe crab, you are […]
Sea Sponges, Anemones, Tunicates Galore!
The next time you visit a boat dock, and you want to see some new organisms, lay down on your belly and look to see what is attached along the side of the dock. Throughout Barnstable, there are a variety of colorful plant-like structures creating small ecosystems for small invertebrates like shrimp, crabs, and scallops. […]
Are You an Invasive Crab?
One cannot spend a summer on Cape Cod enjoying the beaches and islands without running into one of the tiniest and mightiest animals in the area: CRABS! The master of camouflage, most people don’t even realize that they are next to one until they decide to move to a new hiding spot. What people also […]