2025 NBI Research Conference Program
Saturday November 1st, 2025
(subject to minor changes until 10/30/25)
8:30 – 9:00am: Coffee and Refreshments
9:00 - 9:10am: Opening Remarks: Danielle O’Dell: Chair, NBI
Session 1: 9:10 - 10:10am
9:10 – 9:30am: INVASIVE MARINE SPECIES IN NANTUCKET AND MADAKET HARBOR, Yvonne Vaillancourt-1, Christina Norman-2, 1-UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station,2-Maria Mitchell Association (Click to read Abstract)
9:30 - 9:50am: THE EEL APPEAL: MONITORING THE AMERICAN EEL THROUGH COMMUNITY SCIENCE ON NANTUCKET ISLAND, Jisun Reiner, Nantucket Conservation Foundation (Click to read Abstract)
9:50 - 10:10am: BAY SCALLOP REPRODUCTION AND HARBOR STRESS: CONNECTING BIOLOGIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLUES, Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sherman, Bennington College and Maria Mitchell Association, (Click to read Abstract)
10:10-10:30am: EELGRASS COMMUNITY BIODIVERSITY IN NANTUCKET HARBOR, Shane McGonagle, UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station, (Click to read Abstract)
10:30-11:00am: Morning Break: Poster Session, Coffee, & Refreshments
Session 2: 11:00am – 12:20pm
11:00 - 11:20pm: TITLE TBA speaker-1, 1-institution, location (Click to read Abstract)
11:20 - 11:40pm: BIODIVERSITY OF ARTHROPODS IN FOUR NANTUCKET SALT MARSHES, Mayra Vidal-1, 1-UMass Boston (Click to read Abstract)
11:40 - 12:00pm: EXPLORATORY BEHAVIOR BY LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, Richard R. Veit-1 and Lisa L. Manne-1; 1- City University of New York, Staten Island, NY (Click to read Abstract)
12:00 - 12:40pm: SPATIAL ECOLOGY AND FINE-SCALE HABITAT USE OF SANDBAR SHARKS (CARCHARHINUS PLUMBEUS IN NANTUCKET SOUND. Caroline Collatos, New England Aquarium & UMass Boston (Click to read Abstract)
12:40 - 1:20pm: Lunch Break & Poster Session
Session 3: 1:20-2:40pm
1:20 - 1:40pm: BLACK PINE MANAGEMENT TO RESTORE SANDPLAIN GRASSLANDS; INCREASING RESILIENCE OF A GLOBALLY RARE HABITAT, Sarah Bois-1, 1-Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Nantucket (Click to read Abstract)
1:40 - 2:00pm: A 30 YEAR COLLABORATION TO RE-ESTABLISH THE AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE (NICROPHORUS AMERICANUS) TO NANTUCKET ISLAND MASSACHUSETTS, Lou Perrotti-1, 1-Roger Williams Park Zoo, (Click to read Abstract)
2:00 - 2:20pm: TITLE TBA speaker-1, 1-institution, location (Click to read Abstract)
2:20-2:50pm: Afternoon Break & Poster Session
Session 4: 2:50 – 4:10pm
2:50 - 3:10pm: TITLE TBA speaker-1, 1-institution, location (Click to read Abstract)
3:10 - 3:30pm: BIODIVERSITY AND INSECTICIDE SENSITIVITY OF NANTUCKET BOG SPIDERS Tyler Kulak, UMass Boston (Click to read Abstract)
3:30 - 3:50pm: TICK BIODIVERSITY ON NANTUCKET ISLAND Sam Telford, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University (Click to read Abstract)
3:50 - 4:10pm: PREVENTING TICK-BORNE DISEASE: THE NAUSHON EXPERIENCE Paul Elias, The Naushon Trust, location (Click to read Abstract)
4:10-4:30pm: Closing Remarks and Final Poster Session
5:00 – 6:00pm: Cocktail Reception Great Harbor Yacht Club
Poster Presentations
Changing Abundance and Spatial Ecology of Sea Ducks (subfamily: Mergini) around Nantucket Island, MA (2014—2024), Libby Buck & Skyler Kardell, Linda Loring Nature Foundation
Conserving the Common: Spatial Ecology & Habitat Use of a Nantucket Painted Turtle Population, Nathan Ernst, Linda Loring Nature Foundation
Long-Term Wetland Monitoring Informed by Historic Vegetation Forays. Spencer Kimball, Nantucket Conservation Foundation
Macroinvertebrate Diversity of a Restored Nantucket Wetland, Helen Poynton, UMass Boston
Spatial and Trophic Dynamics of Ctenophores in Nantucket Waters, Valeria Dountcheva, UMass Boston
Windswept Bog Wetland Restoration Project: Benefits to Biodiversity from Taking a Phased Implementation Approach, Karen C. Beattie, Nantucket Conservation Foundation
Field Weekend Workshops
Sunday November 2nd: Polpis Harbor Watershed Loop: Almanack Pond to Stump Swamp to Windswept Cranberry Bog and back. Time 9AM-12:00
Sunday November 2nd: Tick Ecology Walk and Talk.
Time 8AM-9AM
