Massachusetts Bay

Massachusetts Bay is a significant body of water on the central coastline of Massachusetts. It sits within the larger Gulf of Maine. The Gulf of Maine itself extends from Nova Scotia down to Cape Cod Bay. Some people define Massachusetts Bay even more broadly. They include Cape Cod Bay in the definition. Under this view, the name covers the entire rectangular ocean area between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. The bay stretches from Cape Ann in the north to Plymouth Harbor in the south. Its westernmost point is the city of Boston.

The physical shape of the bay creates a triangular appearance. The northern and southern shores incline toward one another. They meet at the entrance to Boston Harbor. At this specific point, the shores are about five miles apart. The depth from the base of this triangle to Boston Harbor is a key measurement. The coastline features many different landforms. You will see various capes and headlands along the edges. Small islands also sit off the coast, especially near the entrance to Boston Harbor.

Nature has shaped the two shores in very different ways. The northern shore is rocky and irregular. It has many uneven edges and bumps. In contrast, the southern shore is quite different. It is low, sandy, and marshy. This variety creates many different types of inlets. On the north coast, you will find Gloucester Harbor and Nahant Bay. Other northern inlets include Salem Harbor, Marblehead Harbor, and Lynn Harbor.

On the west, you can find Boston Harbor. Dorchester Bay and Quincy Bay are also here. These two are part of the Outer Boston Harbor. The south coast features Hingham Bay.

Environmental restoration is an important part of the bay's history. In 1994, a new effort began in Duxbury, Massachusetts. This started as the Bluefish River restoration project. Robert L. Fultz served as the Mass CZM'S Southshore Regional Coordinator. He brought together local, regional, state, and federal partners. These groups worked to complete the project. This effort grew into the Massachusetts Bay National Estuary Program's Shellfish Bed Restoration Program. It was later adopted by the Gulf of Maine National Estuary Program.

The Shellfish Program had a very specific goal. It aimed to address coastal non-point source pollution. It did this by restoring high visibility nearshore shellfish beds. The program's success relied on a specific method. It recognized that restoration requires partnerships. It needed to connect fragmented governmental jurisdictions, expertise, and resources. Today, this work has morphed into new programs. The Coastal Pollution Remediation Program (CPR) and the Mass Bay Estuary Program now fund staff. These professionals work on regional coastal environmental restoration.

Deep water off the coast has a more difficult history. There is a location called the Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site. This site was used for ocean dumping. People used it to dispose of rock and construction debris. They also dumped dredged material and sunken vessels. Between 1919 and 1970, people dumped chemical warfare munitions there. After World War II, hundreds of thousands of tons of surplus artillery and munitions were dumped. This was a massive amount of military material.

Much of the material from the disposal site eventually moved. A large majority of the dumped items washed up on the shore. Most of these items are now inert unexploded ordnance. Inert means they are no longer active or dangerous. However, some items are occasionally still live. This can be a serious matter for people near the water. For example, fishermen have brought a torpedo into Provincetown. They have also found a depth charge in Gloucester. Even mustard munitions have been found in New Bedford. These items serve as a reminder of the bay's complex past.