Algal Blooms Monitoring Program
The Town of Nantucket, in collaboration with Nantucket Land Council, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Land Bank, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, UMASS Boston, and Mass Audubon monitors the following ponds for harmful algal blooms (HABs) weekly from June through October:
- Long
- North Head of Long
- Miacomet
- Sesachacha
- Capaum
- Gibbs
- Hummock
- Clark’s Cove (West Hummock Pond)
- Maxcy
- Washing
- Tom Nevers
- Stump
- Almanac
- Wigwam
- Pout
- and UMASS Boston’s Nantucket Field Station (NFS) Ponds.**
As part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bathing Beach Testing Program, the Town of Nantucket tests public beaches weekly during the warmer months to ensure bacteria-related water quality requirements are being met. This testing is different from toxic algae as it focuses on bacteria levels, thus sometimes posing an issue with conflicting Town signage. If the Health Department sign indicates water is safe for swimming but the water looks green, please use caution when recreating as potential toxins may be present even when bacterial levels are considered safe for swimming.
Adopt a Pond Program
Want to help expand our capacity to monitor all waterways on Nantucket? By “Adopting a Pond,” you can help us monitor water conditions by visiting https://www.nantucketbiodiversity.org/pondsurvey and downloading the Nantucket Pond Water Guide. Please contact our Water Quality Specialist Emma Morgan at emorgan@nantucket-ma.gov for more information on volunteering to monitor our ponds.
Disclaimer
The Nantucket HAB monitoring team performs VISUAL HAB inspections for the above mentioned ponds. HAB sampling is only performed by the TON for Hummock, Long, Miacomet, and Sesachacha Ponds.
The duration of a HAB occurrence is dependent on a number of factors, including physical and biological conditions, and therefore is not possible to predict in advance.
As monitoring is performed weekly and at specific locations and times, blooms may occur and disappear throughout the week. Not all algal blooms that occur in waterbodies are harmful. If you are unsure whether a bloom is harmful or not, please keep away from the pond. For more information, please visit the Environmental Protection Agency website at https://www.epa.gov/cyanohabs.
What are HABs? Read our FAQs here!
Text JOIN HABS to 30890 to receive LIVE UPDATES!
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Project Updates
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Capaum Pond at Water Tower Beach, Head of Hummock Pond, Miacomet Pond at Miacomet Beach, Maxcy Pond, Sesachacha Pond at Polpis Road, Washing Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Capaum Pond, Head of Hummock Pond, Maxcy Pond, Miacomet Pond, Sesachacha Pond, and Washing Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Capaum Pond, Head of Hummock Pond, Maxcy Pond, Miacomet Pond at Miacomet Beach, Sesachacha Pond, and Washing Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) detected at: Head of Hummock Pond, Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Maxcy Pond, Miacomet Pond at Miacomet Beach, Washing Pond, Sesachacha Pond, and Capaum Pond at Water Tower Beach
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Capaum Pond at Water Tower Beach, Maxcy Pond, Miacomet Pond at Miacomet Beach, Head of Hummock Pond, Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Sesachacha Pond at Polpis Road, and Washing Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Blooms at Gibbs Pond at Barnard Valley Road, Capaum Pond at Water Tower Beach, Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Head of Hummock Pond, Miacomet Pond at Miacomet Beach, Miacomet Pond at Burchell Circle, Washing Pond, Maxcy Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Blooms at Head of Hummock Pond, Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Miacomet Pond at Miacomet Beach, Sesachacha Pond at Polpis Road, Capaum Pond, Washing Pond, and Maxcy Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Monthly Report - August 2023
Several organizations on Nantucket share the responsibility of monitoring 16 Nantucket ponds for harmful algal blooms throughout our warmest months. These organizations collaborate so that monitoring and reporting can occur on a weekly basis in the summer time.
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Gibbs Pond Head of Hummock Pond Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Maxcy Pond on the Cliff Road side, Clark Cove, Washing Pond, Miacomet Pond, Sesachacha Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Washing Pond, Capaum Pond, Gibbs Pond, Head of Hummock Pond, Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Miacomet Pond, Clark Cove, Maxcy Pond, Sesachacha Pond
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Head of Hummock Pond, Miacomet Pond by Miacomet Beach, Hummock Pond at Ram Pasture, Maxcy Pond, Sesachacha Pond by Polpis Road.
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Washing Pond, Clark Cove, Capaum Pond, Maxcy Pond, Miacomet Pond, Hummock Pond, and Sesachacha Pond.
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Sesachacha Pond, Miacomet Pond, Hummock Pond, Maxcy Pond, and Washing Pond.
Harmful Algal Bloom Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom at Miacomet Pond, Sesachacha Pond, Capaum Pond, Gibbs Pond, and Washing Pond.
Harmful Algal Bloom Presence at Miacomet Pond
HABs are algal blooms with the potential to harm human health or aquatic ecosystems!
HABs Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom Presence at 4 of Nantucket's Ponds
HABs Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom Presence at 3 of Nantucket's Ponds
HABs Weekly Report
Harmful Algal Bloom Presence at Miacomet Pond