James Lynch / NPS Photo
About the Park
Cape Cod National Seashore preserves approximately 17,442 hectares of uplands, wetlands, and tidal lands along Massachusetts’ outer Cape Cod. Shaped by natural processes and a millennia of human activity, Cape Cod is a mosaic of both natural and cultural resources.
The park encompasses pitch pine-oak forests, heathlands of low-growing shrubs, dunes, coastal plain pond shores, vernal pools, kettle ponds, salt marshes, barrier spits, and mudflats. These habitats are home to many rare, threatened, and endangered plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates. Cape Cod’s ecosystems, however, have been heavily impacted by human activities, particularly from the last 300 years. The park faces challenges from construction, shoreline dredging, recreational activities that trample vegetation, and pollution from landfills, septic systems, and golf courses. These activities have all led to declines in water quality, biodiversity, and habitat availability at Cape Cod.
Our Work with Cape Cod
The health of Cape Cod’s natural resources is significant not only to wildlife, but also park visitors and local communities. To ensure these resources are well-managed, the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, along with Cape Cod staff, collects ecological monitoring data on a number of ecosystem vital signs. This data helps inform park management decisions that protect Cape Cod into the future. Learn about our work below.
Monitored here:
Coastal Shoreline
Coastal Topography
Salt Marsh Elevation
Estuarine Water Quality
Seagrass
Air Quality
Publications
Source: Data Store Saved Search 5644. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Last updated: September 3, 2024