Massachusetts Site

The Massachusetts site is on the island of Martha's Vinyard and is being organized by the Martha's Vineyard / Dukes County Fishermen's Association.  This Association was created by the County Commission on February 25, 2009.

The goals of the Association are to:

1. Represent the Martha’s Vineyard on fishery issues before the local, state, regional and federal regulatory agencies.
2. Identify and champion methods to make fishing sustainable and consistent with sensible environmental goals.
3. Maintain employment, create opportunities in helping with our strong maritime heritage.
4. Educate ourselves and communicate with the community about the issues facing all of fishing.
5. Conduct the research necessary to advocate well.

In addition to the Fishermen's Association, this is a collaborative venture with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) as some of the sampling sites fall within the Tribe's boundaries and since winter flounder likely will be cultured in the Tribe's hatchery.

Menemsha Pond

Lagoon Pond

Menemsha Pond

Two different estuaries - Lagoon Pond and Menemsha Pond - are being studied as possible release locations for winter flounder. Within each pond, 4 sites are being sampled each month for a full year to determine optimal release strategies (i.e. size-at-release, release season, release location, etc.) for hatchery-reared winter flounder.

Martha's Vineyard Project Participants:

Warren Doty, principal investigator
John Armstrong, commercial fishermen
Shelley Edmundson, Vineyard Vision Fellow and UNH PhD student
Danielle Ewart, Tisbury shellfish warden
David Grunden, Oak Bluffs shellfish warden
Andrew Jacobs, Natural Resources Dept, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
Isaiah Scheffer, Chilmark shellfish warden
Bret Stearns, Natural Resources Dept, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head