NANTUCKET BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE RESEARCH CONFERENCE

The goal of the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) Research Program is to increase knowledge of understudied taxonomic groups and of the overall biodiversity of Nantucket, Tuckernuck, Muskeget and surrounding waters. The NBI facilitates collaboration, research and data storage and sharing between on and off-island researchers, conservation interests and the general public.

Our Biodiversity Research Conference is held on Nantucket every other year during odd years. This is an excellent opportunity to share your research, network with other researchers and naturalists, and to get an overview of the many different research projects on Nantucket and surrounding areas!  

All Conference Events are open to the public and require advanced registration. Registration fees directly support the NBI Research Grant Program. Registrants 18 and younger are free.

The 2025 Research Conference is scheduled for Saturday November 1st at Great Harbor Yacht Club.

The keynote address with Dr. Beth Orcutt is Friday October 31st at the Nantucket Atheneum.

Costumes encouraged!

Mysterious and Creepy DEEP-SEA Biodiversity

- What is There to Preserve?

Description: Being a place that it is hard for humans to access, the deep sea is simultaneously viewed as mysterious and creepy, with creatures that seem like they come from other planets. Yet the deep sea is the largest habitat for life on Earth with immense biodiversity that is essential for human well-being. In this talk, Dr. Beth Orcutt – an award winning deep-sea scientist – will take us on a journey to discover what lies below the surface with stunning video from deep-sea expeditions. The talk will also highlight emergent human uses of the deep sea, such as deep-sea mining, and how they might impact deep-sea biodiversity.

The conference registration and a schedule of events are coming soon!