Three young residents of Dover– Jack Gaynor (17), Bobby Nicolopoulos (16), and Aidan Pearsall (17) – took to Nantucket Island to study Nantucket Harbor’s marine ecosystem with the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation’s Youth Harbor Education Program (YHEP) this past July. (See www.ghycfoundation.org)

The three spent just over a week investigating the impact humans have on the water quality in Nantucket Harbor and the aquifer that residents use. 

The program also partnered with Dover resident Katherine Whittle of the Maria Mitchell Association for scallop research. 

“We did a lot with the process of histology with the scallops,” said Jack. “[Basically], we processed, embedded, sectioned, and stained [the scallops]. It’s important to do histology because it helps us interpret how the scallop [reproductive organs] could have changed over time as an outcome of a changing environment [in the harbor].” 

The three also helped promote the growth of eelgrass around the harbor, a critical part of the ecosystem that helps nurture aquatic life. Recently, eelgrass populations have been declining as a result of algae blooms around the harbor.

“To help eelgrass grow, we extracted the seeds [of the existing plants] so they could be replanted elsewhere in the harbor. Since eelgrass acts as a habitat for marine creatures such as scallops, promoting its growth will simultaneously support local aquatic populations,” explained Aidan. 

However, both of these tasks fell under the broader umbrella of the program. Elizabeth Friedman, a teacher at Dover Sherborn High School, spent the week teaching the students about the hydrosphere and its significance to our world.

“[The process of histology for scallops and replanting eelgrass] was all a part of the overarching theme of the program, which was learning about the hydrosphere,” said Bobby. “[The] hydrosphere is the total amount of water on our planet and how water circulates through all of the interconnected ecosystems of our world. [This program] emphasized how maintaining the hydrosphere is key for us to continue thriving,” said Aidan. 

Despite the program being their first formal introduction to marine biology, some of them have plans to continue pursuing the field beyond high school. 

“I’ve always been interested in marine biology. [As a rising senior], marine biology is one of my top choices for my major in college. When I heard about [this program], I thought it’d be a great opportunity to get started,” said Bobby. 

After participating in the program, the three believe it has changed their perspective on marine biology by opening their eyes to the increasing impact of human activity on the environment. 

“I learned more about how humanity impacts the environment and how people have come up with unique ways to preserve ecosystems such as the harbor,” said Jack. “[The program] helped me realize how fragile our ecosystems are and how important their protection is.”