SALEM SOUND Coastwatch

As Regional Service Provider for the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program (MBP), Salem Sound Coastwatch assisted MBP in the implementation of the CCMP & FY21 Work plans with the following priorities: 1. Reduce bacterial contamination in Salem Sound 2. Protect & restore eelgrass habitat 3. Enhance understanding of the transport, population dynamics, & impacts of invasive species 4. Prepare for & understand the potential impacts of climate change & sea level rise on coastal ecosystems & communities & enhance education & adaptation efforts 5. Protect & restore emergent wetland habitats (improve condition of salt marsh with buffer habitat improvements, tidal restrictions, protection) In addition, this year water quality & benthic assessments of Salem Sound took place. This year there were additional funding for water quality monitoring in Salem Sound.

Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSCW) received a grant for North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE). SSCW partnered with Salem Public Schools and the YMCA at their federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC). The 21st CCLC goals are to close proficiency/opportunity gaps, increase student engagement, support social and emotional learning, and promote college and career readiness and success. Bringing its expertise in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and environmental education, SSCW worked with Salem children and educators through out-of-school time programming and expanded day at sites served by the YMCA. In addition, a 5-week Summer Academy was designed, managed and staffed by SSCW. hands-on, place-based experiential learning connected youth and educators to their local watershed and coastal marine ecosystems fostering deeper learning, greater engagement with the world around them, and cultivating a sense of belonging and stewardship.

Salem Sound Coastwatch has a grant from the NOAA Marine Debris Prevention Program to reduce community reliance on single-use plastics. The Talking Trash for Clean Ocean Leadership Project is a service learning opportunity for Salem & Lynn High school students. Meeting with SSCW staff afterschool, they learn about marine debris and the problem, then design & implement solutions. Salem Sound Coastwatch invites Girls Inc of Lynn to be its Lynn partner in this project. The interns are working on new CoastSmart Restaurant Campaign that encourages restaurants to use more sustainable products, produce a Restaurant Composting 101 Video about composting at the restaurant scale, conduct an evaluation & deploy Cigarette Butt Bins, and create a Single-Use Plastic Reduction "ad" Campaign. The interns designed posters to be displayed at commuter rail stations and prominent coastal billboard.

Described on Schedule O Total Program Service Expenses 379452. The organization conducts research, monitoring and and education related to the protection and preservation of the natural resources. Programs include Wetlands Monitoring, Adopt a Beach, Invasive Species Monitoring, Clean Beaches and Streams Program (bacterial) monitoring of outfalls and streams) and participation in CoastSweep. In addition, the organization works with North Shore municipalities under its fee for service Greenscapes Program and staffs the program. School to Sea is watershed and ocean literacy program that works with teachers and students to foster watershed learning and expand ocean and climate literacy.