Ecology of Atlantic Shores Erin Miller, 2008

Home -------------------------- Nahant -------------------------- Narragansett Bay: Introduction Water Quality Methods Observations Results Discussion -------------------------- Bermuda: Introduction Water Quality Coral Disease Aspergillosis Hypothesis and Methods Results Discussion -------------------------- Conclusions -------------------------- References

Narragansett Bay Abstract Narragansett Bay has a history of poor wastewater and sewage treatment programs that have continually threatened bay health. The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Narragansett Bay Commission recognized the impacts this has on ecosystem function, and are currently implementing new strategies and policies to reduce pollution inputs and monitor the bay’s water quality. I analyzed water samples from various locations throughout the bay to determine if the current management strategies are effective in improving bay health. Results indicated large fish kills were due to consistently low dissolved oxygen levels, and poor water quality in Greenwich Bay was due to terrestrial runoff and poor drainage systems. Save the Bay recognizes these issues and is pushing for policy changes that will help restore Narragansett Bay's health. Background Information Narragansett Bay is an estuary in Rhode Island Sound, encompassing 400 miles of coastline and over thirty islands. The bay covers over 147 square miles, with a watershed of 1,657 square miles. Forty percent of the bay’s watershed is in Rhode Island, and sixty percent is in Massachusetts (22). Narragansett Bay is one of the most heavily populated bays in the country with an average of over 1,100 people per square mile (23).Right: Narragansett Bay watershed (28). History The geography of what is now known as Narragansett Bay was formed as a result of recession of the last glacial maximum, about 15,000 years ago. The Rhode Island coast is currently undergoing a much slower change due to natural erosion (24).The first colonial settlements on the shores of Narragansett Bay were established by Roger Williams and his followers in 1636. Maritime trade became the first significant form of business in the bay, and shipbuilding was the first large-scale industry. By 1769 Narragansett Bay merchants owned 200 vessels engaged in foreign trade and about 300 to 400 used in coastal trafficking. By 1774 the population of the Narragansett Bay colony was 59,000; the colony was growing both in size and in power, hosting encounters with British forces during the Revolutionary War. Providence emerged as the bay’s center of commerce and industry. In the 1800’s Newport and several other locations developed into resort towns, and recreational activity on the shores and in the waters of Narragansett Bay developed as well. Water front homes and summer cottages were built, and in the nineteenth century yacht clubs developed. Fishing and shell fishing developed as a significant business in mid-1800s, affecting the abundance of many species and completely extirpating oysters (24). Narragansett Bay has also served as a significant player in naval activity since the Civil War. The bay was the site of many experimental approaches to naval warfare, and was the location of the Newport Naval Base and Quonset Point Naval Air Station. At the peak of its activity, 125 naval ships were based in the bay, including almost all of the Navy's destroyer force. At the time Quonset Point was the largest of the Navy's airbases and held a fleet of aircraft carriers (24). A series of bridges now connect the people of Narragansett Bay as well as tourists who visit the area for its beaches, fishing, boating, and other scenic and recreational activities (24).