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Coastal Zone Initiative

Healthy ecosystems and vibrant wildlife populations are critical to ensuring that human communities thrive. The Coastal Zone Initiative (CZI) is committed to addressing these issues and working toward maintaining and restoring resilient habitats that benefit wildlife and people. Manomet CZI works to increase the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM) for habitat restoration and resource protection in the US. For decades dredged materials were simply viewed as a “Spoil” and something that need to be disposed. An effort is underway to treat these sediments as a resource to nourish our coasts and associated habitats. We facilitate conversations among Federal, State, Local, and NGO partners to identify lessons learned, challenges and opportunities for coastal habitat restoration.

Sea Run Fish

Restoration of river herring is critical to rebuilding coastal ecosystems and strengthening climate resilience as the Gulf of Maine continues to warm. Manomet supports community-driven river herring stewardship and is tracking the impact of such efforts on the health of river herring runs. River herring is a collective term for two species, alewives and blueback herring. They are anadromous, which means they live primarily in the ocean and migrate upstream each spring to spawn in freshwater lakes and ponds before returning to the ocean. Historically, they have been foundational species in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, comprising an important source of forage for birds, mammals, and commercially valuable species including cod and haddock. Over the last four hundred years, dams,...

Interview with Scott Johnston, US Fish and Wildlife

One of Manomet’s core beliefs is that by working in partnership, we can more effectively influence and scale our impact. One key example of this partnership is the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative (AFSI), led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Manomet serves on the Executive Committee of AFSI, working closely with Scott Johnston of the USFWS. We had the opportunity to sit down with Scott to get an update on the ASFI business plan and some of his other work. Tell us a little bit about your work at the USFWS. I am the Branch Chief for Populations in the Division of Migratory Birds, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region. The Branch of Populations focuses on waterfowl,...

Resilient Habitats

Mending nature to benefit wildlife and human communities For animals that travel tremendous distances — like migratory shorebirds that span continents, or fish that leave ocean life to spawn in rivers and streams — a diverse network of healthy and intact coastal, riverine, wetland, and grassland habitats are critical to ensuring that migratory populations thrive. At Manomet, our greatest conservation accomplishments involve our ability to work with others, integrating cutting-edge science, targeted management actions, and long-term monitoring to improve habitat. Throughout the Americas, we identify threats to nature and develop measures to alleviate pressure on the most valuable and sensitive ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems and vibrant wildlife populations are critical to ensuring that human communities thrive. Manomet is committed to understanding...

Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative

The Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative was launched in May 2018 to address specific threats to the shorebirds dependent on the southeastern region of the Atlantic Coast. By increasing the involvement of the public, as well as state and federal agencies, we strive to build a local, holistic culture of shorebird conservation to ensure the region continues to provide the resources necessary to sustain shorebirds throughout the year. For many shorebirds our focal geographic area, which encompasses coastal South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida, provides exceptional habitat. This section of the coast is studded with barrier islands and highly dynamic inlets and estuaries that support more than 300,000 shorebirds annually. The unique curved coastline of the Georgia Bight results in...

Arctic Shorebird Research

In recent decades, shorebird populations have plummeted. Without effective and immediate action, some species could disappear entirely in the coming decades. Scientists know that populations are falling precipitously, but they don’t know exactly why. Through our Arctic shorebird research, Manomet researchers hope to unlock some of the mysteries of these dramatic shorebird population declines.

American Oystercatcher Recovery

By 2009, human encroachment, habitat loss, destruction and other threats had reduced the entire North American population of American Oystercatchers to around 10,200 individuals. Our research team works to increase this number by coordinating the American Oystercatcher Working Group, which implements rangewide research and management efforts that promote the conservation of American Oystercatchers and their habitats. Manomet supports participating organizations with fundraising, coordinates the monitoring that serves as the common success measure for the initiative, and conducts research on factors limiting Oystercatcher populations. We currently manage and monitor nearly 400 nesting pairs of oystercatcher in the Northeast. Our key strategies respond directly to the issues raised in the Business Plan for the Conservation of the American Oystercatcher, and include: Predation...

Careers

Manomet is a nonprofit committed to science-based decisions for humans and nature. Our scientists and staff work from Alaska to Argentina. Our headquarters are located on a 40-acre waterfront campus in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod Bay, 45 miles south of Boston. We have a satellite office in Brunswick, Maine. With an annual budget of approximately $6M and more than 30 scientists and staff, Manomet offers an entrepreneurial atmosphere of dedicated professionals who support each other toward a common vision of creating a more sustainable world.

New England Lobster Fishers Sound the Alarm on Ocean Change

For Immediate Release | Contact: DKlissas@Manomet.org | 917-287-5643 New England Lobster Fishers Sound the Alarm on Ocean Change Manomet Conservation Sciences Tap Fishers’ Insights to Uncover How Warming Waters Disrupt Marine Food Webs Plymouth, Massachusetts, October 16, 2025: Manomet Conservation Sciences plays a critical role in strengthening coastal resilience. With rapid climate change threatening coastal ecosystems, scientists are turning to local fishers for critical insights. In a September 2025 study in Fish and Fisheries, scientists conducted interviews with lobster fishers, finding that their knowledge can be invaluable in enhancing our understanding of the diverse impacts of warming waters on coastal ecosystems. "As a result of warming waters, species are moving poleward and have the ability to disrupt food webs, increasing...

The First Tracking Data for Juvenile Hudsonian Whimbrels

A new study led by Manomet scientists is shedding light on one of the most remarkable journeys in the bird world: the migration of the Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus), hereafter referred to as Whimbrel. The paper draws on satellite transmitter data from juvenile Whimbrels tagged on Cape Cod to trace their first southbound flights. By fitting these young shorebirds with small devices that transmit their locations via satellite, researchers established migratory connections between Cape Cod and key stopover and wintering sites across the Americas.   Where do these juveniles go—and why is it important to find out? The Whimbrel population along the West Atlantic Flyway has been shrinking by about 4% each year, earning it a place on the...