In addition to routine responsibilities, the Marine Resources Specialist undertakes a number of special projects each year, assisting with assessment project design and implementation, seeking out funding and supporting requests for projects with merit, and coordinating projects involving multiple stakeholders.
One of the most complex of these special projects is the tracking of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's operation of an ocean discharge that releases an average of 370 million gallons per day of treated effluent into the waters of Massachusetts Bay. The Commission's Marine Resources Specialist works closely with Cape Cod Commission counsel and others to promote the interests of the Cape among local state and federal officials. In addition the Marine Resources Specialist works with a group of highly regarded scientists who have taken a special interest in the possible effects of the outfall pipe on the bays systems (see also the contingency plan exceedance reports). The Center for Coastal Studies is also tracking nutrient inputs from the MWRA outfall both spatially and through the trophic system in Cape Cod Bay. Oversight of the MWRA project and its possible impacts involves attendance at meetings of the Northeast Right Whale Implementation and Take Reduction Team meetings.
Another special project is exploring the designation of Cape Cod Bay as a "No Discharge Area." The Commission's Marine Resources Specialist is joined by representatives from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS), the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, the Massachusetts Bays Program, and others exploring the feasibility of a No Discharge Area designation. Such a designation, ultimately made by the US Environmental Protection Agency, would prohibit the discharge of treated and untreated boat sewage in Cape Cod Bay. The formal designation process, which includes gathering public comments, usually takes at least two years. More information is available on the federal No Discharge Area program and on No Discharge Areas in Massachusetts.
Other special projects are described on the Coastal Resources Committee's home page.
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