Coastal America's Northeast region includes the coastal watersheds along the Atlantic seaboard from the U.S. - Canada border in Maine south to the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and then we went along the northern edge of Long Island Sound to the New York - Connecticut state line. In general, coastal watersheds in this region were formed by glaciers that removed the soil cover, leaving rocky shorelines and steep-sided river channels. Consequently, this region is not characterized by extensive coastal wetlands. The predominant land use in the coastal drainage areas of this region is forest, except for several large population centers adjacent to the coastline and agricultural lands throughout the basin.
The nearshore waters of this region support an array of commercially and ecologically important fish and shellfish. Estuarine dependent species of economic importance include the soft shell clam and summer flounder. In addition, several species that contribute to the significant offshore Georges Bank fishery of this region rely on estuaries for nursery areas, e.g., winter flounder and red hake, and seasonal foraging, e.g., bluefish and spiny dogfish.
The focus of the Northeast RIT is to examine the region's remaining significant ecosystems, i.e., temperate coastal salt marsh and estuarine habitats in particular, and assure their viability over the next several decades. All potential Coastal America projects in this region are introduced to the RIT by their lead agency, i.e., that agency with the primary responsibility to implement the project. The team formally reviews and accepts specific projects based on actions identified for emphasis by existing interagency water resource management programs in the region, e.g., existing National Estuary Program and the Gulf of Maine program. Various means to collaboratively implement the projects are then pursued. Technical studies, that may re-prioritize these potential Coastal America projects, are often required before implementation, to gather information that will ensure a greater likelihood of project success.
In its strategy, there are two significant problem areas identified for priority action by the Northeast RIT. One is the long-term conversion of ttemperate coastal salt marshes into monotypic stands of the common reed, Phragmites australis. Salt marshes have been ranked along with tropical rainforests and coral reefs in terms of their productivity and diversity of species. Because of the historic use of the lowland strip along the region's coastline as a transportation corridor, many salt marshes throughout this region have been eliminated, especially between the heavily urbanized cities of Boston and New York City. This degradation has occurred largely from the construction and maintenance of highways, roads, bridges, railways, navigation channels, and dredged material disposal areas. In many cases, these roadways and railbeds were constructed through salt marshes, cutting off or restricting large areas of once-productive salt marsh from natural tidal influence. The reduction in tidal flows inhibits fisheries migration and, over time, results in a decrease in species diversity by converting entire salt marsh areas to far less productive fresh water marsh typically dominated by the common reed. Consequently, the Northeast RIT considers degraded salt marshes as the single most important restoration initiative in New England.
The second major issue faced by the Northeast RIT are contaminated sediments. High concentrations of toxic pollutants have been found in the bottom sediments of specific areas in this region, such as Boston Harbor and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Contaminants in sediment can be released into the water column, causing water quality problems. In addition, aquatic species diversity and population densities are generally lower than normal in areas with contaminated sediment. Researchers also have found a high incidence of tumors, skin lesions, and other abnormalities in the benthic animals that live and feed in these areas. Moreover, sediment contaminants are considered a major source of the toxic residues that are accumulating in some highly valued Northeast Atlantic fish and shellfish, resulting in commercial fishery closures and fish consumption advisories. In addition, New England ports and harbors generally have fine-grained sediments underlying their urbanized waterfronts. Historical dredging and disposal operations have relocated these potentially contaminated sediments to many aquatic disposal sites. The Northeast RIT has various efforts underway to map existing contaminated sediments, with specific focus on Boston Harbor, Massachusetts and Casco Bay, Maine. Additionally, several abandoned offshore dredged material disposal sites, such as Boston Lightship Disposal Site in Massachusetts are being examined to determine the extent of contamination.