GHYC Foundation Awards $630K In Grants For Harbor Health Efforts

The Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation has announced $630,000 in grants to a range of initiatives dedicated to the health of Nantucket Harbor and its marine ecosystems. The recipients span a diverse array of causes, including coastal resilience, research, remediation, education, and scholarships.

One of the grant recipients, the Nantucket Land & Water Council, which advocates for the integrity of Nantucket’s natural land and water resources, received funding for an alternative mooring system that eliminates bottom scouring and allows eelgrass meadows to flourish. 

Other recipients include the Trustees of Reservations and Nantucket Conservation Foundation, organizations working in tandem to carry out a feasibility study and preliminary designs for the two areas most vulnerable to sea level rise and storms within the Coskata Coatue Wildlife Refuge: the Haulover and Coskata Pond. The Foundation continues to support the Maria Mitchell Association's Harbor Monitoring Buoy, which seeks to better prepare the island community to detect and respond to water quality changes.

The Foundation also pledged a matching grant to the town's Natural Resources Department and Harbormaster for two new vessels. In addition, the Artists Association of Nantucket has received a grant for an Environmental Artists Residency, and the Egan Maritime Institute received funding for marine research experiences for Nantucket Public School students.

"All grants are part of the Foundation's broader mission to protect Nantucket Harbor and serve the community," GHYC stated in a press release. "Applicants are chosen through a rigorous review process that evaluates the feasibility and potential of their projects to create sustainable change. In addition to this grant cycle, the Foundation funded a community viewing of David Attenborough’s Ocean film as part of the Dreamland’s Film for Thought series. It played to a packed house and lively conversation followed."

“We prioritize projects that deliver both immediate and long-term benefits to Nantucket Harbor’s ecosystem and our community at large,” said GHYC Foundation President Ed Orenstein. “By partnering with the Town and local organizations, we are ensuring this beloved resource thrives for generations to come.”

Over the past five years, The Foundation has provided over $1 million through its semi-annual grants to 20 community-based organizations.

"This grant program is just one way we’re investing in the future of our beautiful island, and we are proud to partner with groups that share our commitment to making a real difference," said Karen Ketterer, Foundation Vice-President.

Full list of projects and organizations funded by GHYC grants

Coastal Resilience:

• Drone Data Surveys of the Coatue Wildlife Refuge to Inform Long-Term Resilience of Nantucket Harbor – Nantucket Conservation Foundation
• Barrier Beach Resilience on Coskata-Coatue – The Trustees
• Rain Gardens - Development of Maintenance and Remediation Strategies – UMass Boston

Research:

• Harbor Health Monitoring Buoy – Maria Mitchell Association
• Fishery Management and Research Vessel – TON / Natural Resources Dept
• Molecular Research for Eelgrass Management – UMass Boston, Nantucket Field Station

Remediation:

• Eelgrass Friendly Moorings – Nantucket Land & Water Council
• Harbormaster Crane Barge – TON / Police Dept

Education & Scholarship"

• Scallop Research and Mentoring Program – Maria Mitchell Association
• Marine Research and Career Opportunities for Nantucket Youth – Egan Maritime
• KIBO Robotics for Harbor Science – Nantucket Public Schools
• Environmental Artists Residency – Artists Association of Nantucket