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26th of September 2025

SUMMER SUMMARY

SUMMER SUMMARY! This was a busy and beautiful summer for our science team! As the fall season approaches we want to recap this summer’s field season (May- September) on a couple of our regularly monitored ponds. We will continue sampling through the fall. Here are the summer stats, be sure to stay tuned for the […]


PLANT SAMPLING

PLANT SAMPLING Over the summer we ventured out on what felt like a safari! We were joined by scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole, and Sheriffs Meadow’s botanist to explore the coves of Edgartown Great Pond and Chilmark Pond collecting wetland plants. This nondestructive sampling method is used to assess how much and […]


2024 POND REPORTS

2024 POND REPORTS During the field season our science team collects water quality and nutrient samples to assess the ecosystem. These data and scientific support is shared with local, state, and federal agencies to help them make informed decisions about pond management. We also use these data to create our annual Ecosystem Monitoring Reports. These […]


29th of August 2025

EGP CYANO UPDATE

Edgartown Great Pond: MV CYANO Update MV CYANO has detected elevated concentrations of cyanobacteria throughout Edgartown Great Pond. Floating clumps of cyanobacteria were present at Max’s Landing and a few were spotted at the center of the Pond. Microscopy revealed at least 2 genera of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in these clumps. As such, the Edgartown Board […]


14th of July 2025

The Reel Deal: Protect Ponds & Vineyard Lawns! 

The Reel Deal: Protect Ponds & Vineyard Lawns! 🎥🌊🖼️ On Friday, July 18th at 7pm, The Vineyard Conservation Society and Great Pond Foundation invite the community to a special screening of Finding a Better Balance, the second episode in the acclaimed Great Ponds Film Series by local filmmaker Ollie Becker who will be on-hand to […]


2nd of July 2025

Beach Seine Day July 12th

Join us for a beach seine net event @ State Beach Little Bridge Saturday, July 12, 10:00 – 11:30 am (Rain date Sunday, July 13th) All ages welcome! We will catch fish, crabs, and many other pond creatures! 🌊🦀🐟


GPF Annual Report 2024

Living Waters…Thriving Island By Emily Reddington (an excerpt from 2024 Annual Report) The actions our community takes in the next decade will have a profound impact on the fate of the Island’s living waters. The land upon which we stand, grow our food, and build our homes is interconnected with the health of our waters. […]


EGP Update

EGP Cut Update Most recent cut stats: EGP was opened to ocean on June 9th and was tidal for 6 days. This was a bit shy of the 9-11 ideal target. Tidal exchanges increase salinity and water clarity. The elevation on 6/9/25 was ~3.43 ft NAVD88 (3.81 ft LMSL). Following the 7 day cut the […]


14th of May 2025

Be a Scientist for the Day!

Be a Scientist for the Day! Please join the Great Pond Foundation team for an open house and tour of our new laboratory in Vineyard Haven. Come discover the life within Island waters and be a scientist for the day. We will look at samples under a microscope, analyze the biology and chemistry of pond […]


2nd of May 2025

MV CYANO Announcements

MV CYANO Announcements We are excited to announce the completion of our improved and mobile friendly MV CYANO site! We are extremely grateful for Al Reed’s hard work and dedication to making this possible. We also want to send a special thank you to Fernando Lana for assisting with the Portuguese translation. Be sure to […]