Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI)

 Statement of Purpose: The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative is a partnership between Nantucket conservation organizations, government agencies and individuals interested in documenting the biodiversity of the islands and adjacent waters and monitoring and conserving that biodiversity over time.

Biodiversity Defined: Biodiversity is simply the variety of all life - plants, animals and other living things - that occur within a particular area, including ecosystem, species and genetic diversity.

What Makes Nantucket so Different? Nantucket and the adjacent islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget are uniquely situated in the Atlantic Ocean some 25 to 30 south of Cape Cod . The islands began to form about 21,000 years ago when the last of the great ice sheets of the Pleistocene Epoch reached its southern limit on Nantucket . As the ice advanced, it pushed northern species southward where their ranges overlapped with southern species, some of which were at their northern ranges. Due to these factors and its isolation from the mainland, Nantucket today contains a unique assemblage of organisms. The harshness of the maritime environment also has contributed to the evolution of specialized habitats and associated species

Why a Biodiversity Initiative Solely for Nantucket ? Understanding the biodiversity of Nantucket and the adjacent islands is of paramount importance to conservation efforts. We need to document what species occur here before we can protect them. Furthermore, the many rare and endangered species that are known to inhabit the islands must be monitored to determine population trends and guide recovery efforts. Towards this end, the NBI will dovetail with global biodiversity efforts, but will provide a special focus on the unique blend of geologic history, climate, soil conditions and species that make Nantucket, Tuckernuck and Muskeget such important ecosystems.

  Scope of the Project:

• Area - Nantucket County including the islands of Nantucket , Tuckernuck and Muskeget and the surrounding waters up to 10 miles offshore.
• Habitats - All terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats within the defined area.
• Organisms - All species, subspecies and local populations.
• Efforts - Inventory and monitor all organisms found on Nantucket and in surrounding waters over.

Note: We recognize that this is a huge job, but it can be broken down into manageable subsections that can be accomplished as funding and expertise become available.

Project Benefits: The NBI will:

• Provide researchers from off-island with a systematic means of contacting and collaborating with island-based investigators.
• Direct research efforts to high priority sites that will benefit and compliment other ongoing investigations.
• Provide a centrally located, readily accessible repository for research results (Nantucket Biodiversity Library) and specimens ( Nantucket Biodiversity Center ) that will increase our collective knowledge of Nantucket 's biodiversity.
• Document the occurrence and population trends of island populations.
• Provide accurate information to conservation interests and government agencies involved in land management and resource protection decisions that affect Nantucket .

Sampling: Sampling will vary depending on organisms and acceptable practices with those groups of organisms. Where applicable, established protocols will be followed.

• Structured Approach – Biodiversity study plots that are representative of unique habitats found on Nantucket have been established where sampling and long-term monitoring will be focused. Smaller study plots will be established as needed for sampling specific organisms and habitats.
• Traditional Approach – Random searches and surveys will be conducted throughout Nantucket . These will be less structured and not necessarily focused on the established biodiversity plots.

Management Body: The NBI will be managed by a committee of naturalists from Nantucket with representation from island-based conservation or government agencies involved in managing biodiversity. Experts from interested off-island groups also will be included. A series of working groups and subcommittees have been established to focus on the various aspects of implementing and overseeing this effort. These include:

• Taxon Working Groups

a) Botany

b) Vertebrates

c) Invertebrates

• Marine, Estuaries and Marshes Working Group
• Vernal Pools and Freshwater Wetlands Working Group
• Facilities Subcommittee
• Housing Subcommittee
• Equipment Subcommittee
• Tuckernuck and Muskeget Subcommittee

Data Collection and Storage: All participants of the NBI will be requested to provide copies of data sets and reports from their studies. Where possible, we plan to standardize data sets using established protocols and make them available to scientists and the public.

Nantucket Biodiversity Center : The Maria Mitchell Association's Nantucket Biodiversity Center in the Natural Science Museum will be the designated depository for voucher specimens from collections made during the NBI.

 Nantucket Biodiversity Library: All publications, reports and written materials dealing with Nantucket biodiversity, geology and environment will be housed in the already established Maria Mitchell Association's Nantucket Biodiversity Library located in the Science Library.

Public Involvement and Information: Central to the theme of the NBI is the involvement of the public and particularly Nantucket students in the research and inventories conducted. Starting in 2004, the Maria Mitchell Association and the NBI began hosting the bi-annual Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) Week where scientists converge on Nantucket to conduct intensive surveys of the organisms they study. The public will be invited to work side-by-side with professionals during this event. The next NBI Week is taking place May 24th-31st, 2008.