Beach Landscapes Introduction

Ecosystem Value

Cape Ann is primarily defined by its relationship to the surrounding waters. Beach Landscapes include ecosystems where the marine environment meets the coastal edge.

Cape Ann’s Beach Landscapes have been maintained to support fishing enterprises, tourism, and residential use while inspiring cultural identity and artistic expression, especially in the maritime harbors. The coast is beloved by dogwalkers, sunbathers, surfers, filmmakers, and other residents and visitors.

The region is connected to the global ocean through the Gulf of Maine, a semi-enclosed body of water stretching from the Bay of Fundy in the north, and to Cape Cod in the south.¹ Across the Gulf, coastal estuaries are the most biologically productive environments. These areas, where freshwater and saltwater meet, are the spawning and nursery grounds for fish and shellfish. These areas also include the offshore fishing banks that have supported Cape Ann’s fishermen for centuries. In addition to fish species, there are over three hundred known species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that breed or live in the Gulf of Maine, as well as over three thousand species of vascular plants.²

Cape Ann’s coast is comprised of rocky intertidal zones and sandy beaches. Rocky intertidal zones are globally scarce and serve as critical habitat for Blue mussels and fish, including Fourspine stickleback and Cunner.³ Birds, including Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), Sandpipers (Actitis hypoleucos), and Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) feed in the rocky habitat and roost in the intertidal zone at high tide.⁴ Cape Ann’s sandy beaches are also ecologically-vital hosts to native vegetation communities and rare bird species, including Wrack seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus), Surf clams (Spisula solidissima), and Atlantic jackknife clams (Ensis leei).

“If you look closely at Good Harbor Beach, you can see a thriving organism, with vegetation, fish, birds, and so forth spreading in all directions through the watershed. This is an ecosystem that is rich in variation, and it’s all interconnected.”—Denton Crews, Trustee at Friends of Good Harbor Beach⁵

While Cape Ann’s Beach Landscapes provide significant regional value, they face several threats, including overfishing, rising sea levels, beach erosion, and pollution.

Current Challenges

Marine ecosystems are in transition due to human intervention and climate change. Fishing fleets have over-harvested the Gulf of Maine since the 1800s. Sea surface temperatures have risen three degrees fahrenheit since 1900 and are expected to rise an additional one to two degrees before 2050.⁶ These changes will likely lead to further declines in native species including zooplankton (Calanus finmarchicus), American lobster (Homarus americanus), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). This transition has reduced the impact of the ecosystem
services human communities are able to derive from marine and coastal systems.⁷ Continued weather
changes and unsustainable fishing practices are expected to contribute to a loss of heritage, cultural changes, and financial burden.

“Existing and future sea-level rise is what worries me most on Cape Ann. In particular, there are so many places where there are limited options for infrastructure retreats. It is coastal habitats that will be greatly impacted.” —Eric Hutchins, Habitat Restoration Biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration⁸

Sea-level rise is already impacting Cape Ann’s coast and will continue to present challenges. The solid rock coastline is expected to experience minimal alterations due to sea-level rise, with exceptions such as when houses are constructed too close to the shoreline, making them vulnerable.

Beaches across Cape Ann are more susceptible and have been eroding over time. Historical photographs and quantitative data show that the high water shoreline has retreated by almost two hundred feet since 1884.⁹ Beaches along the coastline are inherently dynamic systems, yet the current rate of sea-level rise will transform beach configurations. Coastal armoring structures are preventing beach migration. As a result, some beaches will disappear, other will substantially change in shape, and new beaches may appear elsewhere. Investing heavily in preserving beaches in their current states may not be a sustainable strategy.¹⁰

“The ocean and associated natural communities make an enormous contribution to the ecological richness of Cape Ann. Clearly the sea has had a long-standing influence on local cultures and communities.” —Chris Leahy, Mass Audubon¹¹

Dunes on Cape Ann’s beaches protect against sea-level rise and serve as habitat for migrating neotropical birds. The dune system is stabilized by vascular plants, particularly American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) and is home to Piping Plovers(Charadrius melodus). The birds nest in the dunes, but are threatened by dogs and dune trampling. Dunes are also suffering from erosion and act as a loss of the ecosystem’s first line of defense. The foredune on Good Harbor Beach was eroded by eight to ten feet across its entire length during the Perfect Storm in 1991.¹² Coffins Beach alone is estimated to have one hundred buildings within the floodplain, and a 2002 study estimated that a major storm event could result in over forty-four million dollars in damages.¹³

“The coastal dunes of Wingaersheek and adjacent beaches and the marshes along the Annisquam River are geomorphologically coupled via sediment transport processes and are likely to face the largest impacts of increased North Atlantic storm activity due to climate change.”—Dr. Catherine Matassa, University of Connecticut¹⁴

Additionally, Cape Ann’s Beach Landscapes are threatened by pollution. Declining water quality due to pollution and chemical contamination has resulted in declining mussels and periwinkles across the world, including in Cape Ann’s ecosystems.¹⁵ The decline of these species threatens the birds that feed on them during low tide. Development throughout the region, including septic systems, wastewater pipes, and stormwater runoff from roads has degraded water quality in marine systems. In recent years, water bodies within Cape Ann have been closed to swimming during summer due to high levels of Enterococcus bacteria.¹⁶ Additionally, nitrogen fertilizers and chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), runs off from lawns into the ocean. Litter left on Good Harbor Beach is also an ongoing problem. Non-biodegradable trash left on the beach is swept into the ocean at high tide. Continued pollution will further degrade Cape Ann’s coastal and marine ecosystems.

Future Opportunities

Despite these ongoing challenges, there are multiple opportunities for ecological regeneration through a variety of plans, interventions, and projects. Cape Ann’s coastal and marine ecosystems are among the region’s most researched, with several studies regarding dune and beach restoration. Significant numbers of interest groups are also invested in the future of Cape Ann’s Beach Landscapes.

While beaches face challenges due to ecological migration, there is potential to anticipate these changes and plan for future conditions.

“Trying to keep beaches as they are today will involve large, maintained investments that will only grow through time. An alternative is trying to predict where beaches will disappear and where they may settle under the new conditions. This will help plan ahead of time the relocation of resources.”—Dr. David Moreno-Mateos, Oxford University¹⁷

Additionally, there are opportunities for innovative solutions towards beach preservation where applicable including artificial shellfish reefs. These artificial reefs can be designed to facilitate shellfish settlement, consolidating the reef structure and enhancing its protective capacity.

“Given the nature of the northeast coastline, the growth of shellfish on artificial reefs is a unique process that I would suggest to support.”—Dr. David Moreno-Mateos, Oxford University¹⁸

Cape Ann also faces socioeconomic vulnerability due to the fishing industry’s decline. There is potential to develop innovative and sustainable practices due to Cape Ann’s historic and cultural commitment to the industry.

“Mechanisms for resilience and pathways for fostering the adaptive capacity of the fishery-based economy on Cape Ann should be identified as part of any climate adaptation strategy.”—Dr. Catherine Matassa, University of Connecticut¹⁹

For additional information regarding Cape Ann’s Beach Landscapes, see the Good Harbor Beach Case Study Dossier.