2 BIOLOGICAL REPORT 31 



recommendations, and educating and involving the public in the formulation and implementation of these 

 recommendations. 



The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the ecology of the Buzzards Bay ecosystem. It 

 is not intended to represent an inclusive review of the literature, but instead is an attempt to present key 

 features of the bay in a readily accessible form and to summarize the dominant ecological processes 

 structuring the bay environment. Because the current and future environmental health of these types of 

 embayments can be directly influenced by activities within contributing watersheds, understanding the 

 interactions between land and sea is important to understanding the ecosystem as a whole. The subjects 

 addressed in this profile, therefore, focus not only on the open bay waters but also on the ecology of 

 Buzzards Bay within its watershed. After a general introduction to the system, the formation of the bay is 

 discussed in Chapter 2, followed by descriptions of the physical (Chapter 3 ) and biological (Chapter 4) 

 components of the system and their interaction. Chapter 5 addresses watershed land use and water 

 quality issues within the bay proper and its circulation-restricted coastal embayments, while natural and 

 anthropogenic influences responsible for present and future changes to bay systems are the focus of Chap- 

 ter 6. We conclude with a summary of management issues and the difficulties in balancing demands for 

 access and development while protecting water quality (Chapter 7). 



Although Buzzards Bay is an important environmental and economic resource for New England, eco- 

 system level information is still rather limited in some areas. We hope that this monograph will not only act 

 as a reference for researchers, managers, and citizens interested in the bay but may also serve to point out 

 major gaps in our knowledge of this system. Two previous community profiles (Nixon 1982; Teal 1986) 

 may be particularly useful companion texts providing more detailed information on saltwater wetlands in 

 southeastern Massachusetts, including Buzzards Bay. 



While Bartholomew Gosnold would certainly be taken aback by the alterations wrought within his 

 stately sound's watershed, areas of the bay itself remain much as when he sailed them almost 400 years 

 ago. However, many activities and the increasing pressures of development are beginning to significantly 

 alter this system, and only management from a whole system perspective will be effective in protecting this 

 resource that attracts so many. 



This estuarine profile was originally intended to be one in a series originally coordinated by the U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Research Center, now part of the National Biological Ser- 

 vice. Questions or comments concerning this publication or others in the community and estuarine profile 

 series should be directed to: 



Center Director 

 National Biological Service 

 National Wetlands Research Center 

 700 Cajundome Boulevard 

 Lafayette, LA 70506 



