Mission statement

The Center's latest commitment to marine conservation is the Marine Policy Initiative & Monitoring Programs.  The shared mission of the two programs is to:

• To inform the public and decision makers about the natural resources of the Bay and threats to long-term protection through workshops, forums, special events and publications;

• To advise local, state and federal resource managers about this unique marine environment;

• To collaborate with agencies, organizations and institutions for the conservation and protection of the Bay;

• To work with other PCCS programs whose research and applied science investigations engage Cape Cod Bay;


• To preserve Cape Cod Bay as a State Ocean Sanctuary, as defined by Chapter 132 of the General Laws of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Ocean Sanctuaries Act.

Stewardship and sustainability define our goals and those two key words are core to the Marine Policy Initiative. 

To understand Cape Cod Bay as an ecosystem in the southernmost reach of the Gulf of Maine, the Marine Policy Initiative examines how our culture uses Cape Cod Bay, the largest bay in the Northeast, for pleasure and for commercial gain. 

We educate people about this diverse, unique ecosystem and offer ways to care for the marine waters, estuaries, inlets and shore in their own backyard.  We study the rules and regulatory frameworks that govern management of Cape Cod Bay, and through public policy offer opinions for healthy change.

The Cape Cod Bay Council at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster in November 2006.

Cape Cod Bay Council

A key element of the Sanctuary Program is the Cape Cod Bay Council, an advisory arm to the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.  Its members are drawn from the ranks of resource managers, decision makers, and concerned citizens.

Each year the Council will issue the State of the Bay Report that will be available to all resource managers, decision makers and people who live near, and care about, Cape Cod Bay. 

State of the Bay

This compendium of town-by-town issues, concerns, questions and solutions will be issued annually by the Cape Cod Bay Council.  Preparation of the inaugural edition is underway.

Throughout the year, the Marine Policy Initiative will sponsor public education events and information workshops on ways you can learn more about Cape Cod Bay, and how to conserve this special resource. 

To learn about upcoming events, programs, forum and workshops, join our email blast list at:

ccbay@coastalstudies.org

Support the Marine Policy Initiative

To learn more about how you could support this program, contact:

Email: ccbay@coastalstudies.org

Phone: 508-487-3623 ext. 121